Comic-book-level action yarn, with plenty of then-trendy anti-Communist propaganda, and Enzo Castellari's trademark crazy camera angles and energetic editing, which, however, are not much help here. Frank Zagarino kills about 200 people in this one, but the film is less exciting than even Bruno Mattei's "Strike Commando", and I think that should tell you something. (*1/2)
7 Reviews
Don't get on the wrong side of John Slade.....
HaemovoreRex19 July 2006
Here's yet another of those undemanding one man army ala Rambo, type affairs to emerge from Italy following the enormous success of Stallone's genre setting film.
It's actually not half bad if you know what you're getting into and features a particularly enjoyable performance from the always superb John Steiner, here playing the hiss-able villain with much aplomb.
I've also got to say that this film features undoubtedly one of the most beautiful actresses I have ever had the pleasure to behold, Melonee Rodgers; Every time she appeared on screen, I instantly forgot the films many shortcomings.
There's a fair bit of action throughout, most of it fairly well executed bar a few instances whereby the budgetary constraints overtly reflect in some of the set pieces - but hey, this is a B-Movie after all.
I've got to say though, that if there is one major underlying problem with this movie then it sadly concerns our hero played by a young Frank Zagarino. To describe his acting skills as wooden here would be to praise him unduly; Even the foliage he hides behind throughout the film outshines him! The scene in which he tries desperately to wring out some emotion following the death of his wartime buddy is utterly hilarious though. In fact not since that king of B-movie bad acting, the mighty Reb Brown, demonstrated a similarly painful to watch sequence in Strike Commando following the death of a small native boy, has there been such a rivetingly awful instance of an on screen performance.
Overall grade: 6.5/10
It's actually not half bad if you know what you're getting into and features a particularly enjoyable performance from the always superb John Steiner, here playing the hiss-able villain with much aplomb.
I've also got to say that this film features undoubtedly one of the most beautiful actresses I have ever had the pleasure to behold, Melonee Rodgers; Every time she appeared on screen, I instantly forgot the films many shortcomings.
There's a fair bit of action throughout, most of it fairly well executed bar a few instances whereby the budgetary constraints overtly reflect in some of the set pieces - but hey, this is a B-Movie after all.
I've got to say though, that if there is one major underlying problem with this movie then it sadly concerns our hero played by a young Frank Zagarino. To describe his acting skills as wooden here would be to praise him unduly; Even the foliage he hides behind throughout the film outshines him! The scene in which he tries desperately to wring out some emotion following the death of his wartime buddy is utterly hilarious though. In fact not since that king of B-movie bad acting, the mighty Reb Brown, demonstrated a similarly painful to watch sequence in Strike Commando following the death of a small native boy, has there been such a rivetingly awful instance of an on screen performance.
Overall grade: 6.5/10
"Zagarino" means "low-budget action"
dinky-415 June 2002
Fans of Frank Zagarino will get what they expect here. The plot involves a one-man-army who wreaks havoc on a band of evil-doers. There's plenty of action with little time wasted on romance, humor, or characterization. Jaws are punched, stomachs are kicked, and various kinds of vehicles get blown up. Zagarino finds several opportunities to take his shirt off and flex his muscles and, as usual, he must undergo lots of suffering -- mostly notably in a scene which has him shocked with jolts of electricity while he's hanging by his wrists. If all this sounds like an appealing way to spend an evening, then belly up to the trough and suck it up.
F minus
panc197426 June 2004
My Co-workers and I were watching this movie while we were on we were working on Mid-shift. And yes, at times our line of work is boring since we were resorted to watching of this caliber. It was the worst movie I have ever seen. The acting in the movie had the same quality as an average porn flick. The cinematography was similar to an early 70's late 60 TV movie. Did they use 8mm film? We never even finished watching the movie. And the music wasn't music at all. Did the director hired a 6 year old kid to push buttons on a keyboard? The reason I ask that is is that that's what is sounded like. My co-worker commented that he could play the same notes on his keyboard when he was a kid on an early 80's keyboard you can buy at Toy's R Us. Frank Zagarino needs to take acting classes or find another line of work. If the other actors in the move were smart, I'm sure they would not have given up there day jobs. No stars deserved.
Sleazy, Cheesy, Beautiful 80s Italian Action
Pycal24 April 2010
By the mid to late 80s the once unique Italian genre film became harder to identify from the pack of American post-Nam post-nuke films they started to ape. This is not to say however that these films weren't entertaining, they just aren't necessarily as memorable as the best Spaghetti Westerns, Gialli, and Poliziotteschi. Then there's Enzo G. Castellari's STRIKER, a Rambo rip off so big it will blow you to pieces (just like the film's countless Sandinista baddies). Full of slow motion and squibs, the film centers around the one man army that is reluctant mercenary John Slade (Frank Zagarino). Slade is sent on a mission to Nicaragua to save a kidnapped journalist (John Phillip Law) from the clutches of the evil Russian villain Kariasin played by John Steiner (sporting a hideous rat tail like haircut). From there the action rarely lets up as as throughout the film Slade slingshots, stabs, and machineguns whole platoons with an Uzi. Plot is pretty standard merc film fair complete with countless twists and double crosses. While clearly a very cheap, cheesy film, STRIKER is highly entertaining and has become one of my favorite 80s Italian Rambo ripoffs.
Fun fact: the film's screenplay was written by Eurocrime veteran Umberto Lenzi. It also features one of the most intense electric shock torture scenes I've seen outside of THE MINSTREL KILLER.
Fun fact: the film's screenplay was written by Eurocrime veteran Umberto Lenzi. It also features one of the most intense electric shock torture scenes I've seen outside of THE MINSTREL KILLER.
Striker is very fun, classically 80's action!
tarbosh220001 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
When journalist Frank Morris (JPL) is jailed by the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the one and only John "Striker" Slade (Zags) is sent in to rescue him because he's the "best in extraction from hostile territories". While in country posing as a Canadian photographer, he teams up with a local woman, Marta (Rodgers), who acts as his guide and confidante. Soon enough, the Strikester proceeds to decimate the population of Managua. But the true baddie behind it all is Kariasin (Steiner). His name even sounds evil (i.e. "carry a sin".) With the odds stacked against him, will Striker be able to complete the mission and make it out alive? Find out today! Striker is very fun, classically 80's action and one of the better Rambo knockoffs we've seen to date. Marrying that with another popular DTV genre of the day, the El Presidente movie (don't forget Nicaragua was a hot subject at the time and in the news a lot), and tied together in that wonderfully Italian way by co-writer Umberto Lenzi and the great director Enzo Castellari, there's plenty to enjoy here.
One Frank Anthony Zagarino, or Frankie Zags as we like to call him, has one of the better (?) super-wooden monotones committed to film. His speaking voice is the equivalent to a hospital life-support flatline. He makes Don "The Dragon" Wilson sound like Crazy Eddie. His elocution aside, he has some radically awesome sunglasses that say to the world "the ultimate badass has arrived". Plus he has a wide variety of ways to kill his enemies. Some movies contain just constant shooting and that can get boring after awhile. The makers of Striker has the good sense to realize that variety is the murderous spice of life. Famously, he even has a killer slingshot, making him look like Dennis the Menace in a fit of 'Roid Rage.
Striker is, for all intents and purposes, what we normally call a Jungle Slog, but thankfully there's really not much slog. There's too much highly implausible and funny action on display. The movie basically succeeds in spite of the performance of Zags. For as little energy and screen presence as he brings to his dialogue scenes, that is counterbalanced by John Phillip Law (or JPL as we call him) - he really is at his absolute best in this movie. Plus Striker has one of the better exploding helicopters we've seen in a while, and naturally it has the prerequisite torture scene.
Not to be confused with any of the many other action heroes named Striker in the 80's, this one has enough entertainment value to raise it above the level of many of its contemporaries. Chalk up another winner to AIP. Plus Jeff Moldovan is credited as a "Special Action Supervisor", and Daniel Greene is on board in an uncredited role as a trucker. So you really can't lose.
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com
One Frank Anthony Zagarino, or Frankie Zags as we like to call him, has one of the better (?) super-wooden monotones committed to film. His speaking voice is the equivalent to a hospital life-support flatline. He makes Don "The Dragon" Wilson sound like Crazy Eddie. His elocution aside, he has some radically awesome sunglasses that say to the world "the ultimate badass has arrived". Plus he has a wide variety of ways to kill his enemies. Some movies contain just constant shooting and that can get boring after awhile. The makers of Striker has the good sense to realize that variety is the murderous spice of life. Famously, he even has a killer slingshot, making him look like Dennis the Menace in a fit of 'Roid Rage.
Striker is, for all intents and purposes, what we normally call a Jungle Slog, but thankfully there's really not much slog. There's too much highly implausible and funny action on display. The movie basically succeeds in spite of the performance of Zags. For as little energy and screen presence as he brings to his dialogue scenes, that is counterbalanced by John Phillip Law (or JPL as we call him) - he really is at his absolute best in this movie. Plus Striker has one of the better exploding helicopters we've seen in a while, and naturally it has the prerequisite torture scene.
Not to be confused with any of the many other action heroes named Striker in the 80's, this one has enough entertainment value to raise it above the level of many of its contemporaries. Chalk up another winner to AIP. Plus Jeff Moldovan is credited as a "Special Action Supervisor", and Daniel Greene is on board in an uncredited role as a trucker. So you really can't lose.
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com
Above-average Italian actioner
lor_31 March 2023
My review was written in January 1989 after watching the film on AIP video cassette.
Bearing the generic title "Striker" (used for numerous '80s action pics), this above-average Italian actioner actually is a 1987 production called "Combat Force" introducing a pair of impressive gung-ho stars.
Frank Zagarino is the blond commando blackmailed (on a trumped-up charge) to go to Nicaragua on behalf of the Patriotic Freedom Organization to rescue a journalist (John Phillip Law) being held by the Sandinistas and their evil Soviet leader (John Steiner). Accompanying him on his mission is beautiful black commando Marta (Melonee Rodgers) who proves to be able to hold her own and then some in both hand-to-hand combat and wielding automatic weaponry.
Pic, attractively lensed on location in Santo Domingo, is a series of battles, captures and escapes that's well-executed by Enzo G. Castellari, here credited with a new pseudonym: Stephen M. Andrews. Zagarino is physically right for the role and has some okay emotional scenes later on after being introduced as a monotone "Rambo" clone. Co-star Rodgers is a find; her combination of statuesque beauty and convincing physical powers mark a logical successor to Pam Grier.
Weird touch has Zagarino's real-life dad (who bears a close family resemblance to the star) cast as the evil general in charge of the rightwing PFO. Their final confrontation carries some added bite.
The Italian filmmakers take pot-shots at both superpowers meddling in Latin America, with Steiner' heinous torturer for the Russkies while the PFO is revealed to be shipping arms to both the contras and Sandinistas as part of a drug-trafficking ring.
Tech credits are fine.
Bearing the generic title "Striker" (used for numerous '80s action pics), this above-average Italian actioner actually is a 1987 production called "Combat Force" introducing a pair of impressive gung-ho stars.
Frank Zagarino is the blond commando blackmailed (on a trumped-up charge) to go to Nicaragua on behalf of the Patriotic Freedom Organization to rescue a journalist (John Phillip Law) being held by the Sandinistas and their evil Soviet leader (John Steiner). Accompanying him on his mission is beautiful black commando Marta (Melonee Rodgers) who proves to be able to hold her own and then some in both hand-to-hand combat and wielding automatic weaponry.
Pic, attractively lensed on location in Santo Domingo, is a series of battles, captures and escapes that's well-executed by Enzo G. Castellari, here credited with a new pseudonym: Stephen M. Andrews. Zagarino is physically right for the role and has some okay emotional scenes later on after being introduced as a monotone "Rambo" clone. Co-star Rodgers is a find; her combination of statuesque beauty and convincing physical powers mark a logical successor to Pam Grier.
Weird touch has Zagarino's real-life dad (who bears a close family resemblance to the star) cast as the evil general in charge of the rightwing PFO. Their final confrontation carries some added bite.
The Italian filmmakers take pot-shots at both superpowers meddling in Latin America, with Steiner' heinous torturer for the Russkies while the PFO is revealed to be shipping arms to both the contras and Sandinistas as part of a drug-trafficking ring.
Tech credits are fine.
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