6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Sgt. Mike Ransom is a one-man war machine on a screaming-for-vengeance mission against brutal Vietcong, merciless Russians, double-crossing U.S. officers and acres of bullet-blasted Philippines jungle.
Starring: Reb Brown, Christopher Connelly, Mike Monty, Luciano Pigozzi, Alex VitaleWar | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
When is Rambo not Rambo? When he and/or it is Strike Commando and its focal character Sergeant Michael Ransom (Reb Brown). As is openly discussed in a couple of interviews with various crew members included on this disc as supplements, there was an intentional effort to "borrow" a few ideas from First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II, and as such fans of those particular installments of the long running Sylvester Stallone franchise will probably experience at least intermittent flashes of déjà vu as they watch this film. Ransom is part of an elite crew of soldiers who have been tasked with — well, something that requires them to break into what is evidently a North Vietnamese enclave or prisoner of war camp. Unfortunately, the itchy trigger finger of a colonel named Radek (top billed Christopher Connelly, whose name is kind of hilariously misspelled in the credits) leads to a conflagration which takes out all of Ransom’s team, and supposedly Ransom, too, though of course discerning cineastes will know better. What ensues is a crazy quilt of revenge scenarios, with Ransom taking out what seems to be hundreds of enemies, whether they be Vietnamese, Russian or good, old fashioned Americans.
Strike Commando is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The back cover of this release states that the film is "now mastered in 2K from the original negative for the first time". This is a strong presentation a lot of the time, with a nicely suffused palette and some appealing detail levels on everything from the rampant jungle foliage to things like the straw hat that Le Due wears. There are sudden downturns in quality in both the extended cut and theatrical version at various moments, as in the first foray Ransom takes with the Vietnamese villagers, but they tend to rebound. Those brief moments can look relatively rough, with much grittier grain field and some odd color timing that can skew slightly toward yellows or browns. There are also some isolated moments exclusive to the extended version where some relatively bad damage can be spotted, as in a sequence on a boat at circa 21:00, where what almost looks like print through afflicts the frame with rolling vertical stripes. Grain resolves tightly for the most part, but can occasionally look a bit yellow and splotchy. My score is 4.25.
Strike Commando features LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks in either English or Italian. It's kind of a trade off no matter which track you decide to listen to, as various elements sound better in individual tracks, or at least did to my ears. For example, explosions and gunfire can sound kind of hollow and definitely shallow in the English track, while some of the music doesn't quite have the same energy in the Italian track. Obvious post-looping afflicts both presentations, but dialogue in the English track is decidedly more boxy sounding, to the point that it almost sounds like it's on the verge of distortion a couple of times. That said, there are no real problems in either track that prevent hearing anything. Optional English subtitles are available.
Strike Commando is obviously a noticeable riff on Rambo territory, but it has its own peculiar charms. The film probably has too many villains for its own good, to the point that it seems like Ransom is going to have execute the entire population of the earth to attain the vengeance he's seeking. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplementary package enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.
2013
4K Restoration
1985
2011
1984
2019
2015
1985
1977
2012
2020
2020
1981
Vinegar Syndrome Archive
1984
2012
Uncut
2008
Amanti d'oltretomba
1965
1989
Special Edition
1986
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1975
1977