I was a Japanese soldier extra in The Road Raiders, it was filmed in Jacksonville & Green Cove Springs, FL in September/October 1988. The show was supposed to be a CBS TV Pilot Movie for a possible TV show, it obviously never happened because ratings were probably terrible! It was just like the A-Team in concept but took place in World War II Japanese occupied territories like the Philippines. There was action mixed with comedy, and to meet the enemy, the good guys fabricated fighting machines with whatever wrecked planes, trucks & machinery that was laying around. Some of the vehicles used in the movie were displayed in a vehicle display park at Universal Studios Orlando during the mid 90's.
3 Reviews
Road Raiders
BandSAboutMovies26 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Richard Lang and written by Mark Jones (Leprechaun) and Glen A. Larson, The Road Raiders was a pilot that wasn't picked up and aired as a TV movie.
It stars Bruce Boxleitner - who had just finished Scarecrow and Mrs. King - as Captain Rhodes, a disgraced soldier accused of being a deserter who is hiding from officials in the Philippines during World War II. When an officer comes to arrest him and dies, he takes that man's identity to get back to the actual fighting. Teaming up with Harlem (Reed R. McCants), Lt. Johanson (Susan Diol), Crankcase (Noble Willingham), Einstein (Stephen Geoffreys), Schizoid (Mark Blankfield) and the twin brother muscle of Black and Blue (David and Peter Paul, the Barbarian Brothers), he just might save the U. S. Army from Japan, which is represented by Clyde Kusatsu, John Fujioka and Tia Carrere.
It feels a little The A-Team, a bit The Dirty Dozen and it's an anachronistic take on the war. I mean, the Barbarian Brothers even drive a monster truck at one point. This all means that if this had been a series in 1989, there's more than a complete chance that I would have watched every airing.
It stars Bruce Boxleitner - who had just finished Scarecrow and Mrs. King - as Captain Rhodes, a disgraced soldier accused of being a deserter who is hiding from officials in the Philippines during World War II. When an officer comes to arrest him and dies, he takes that man's identity to get back to the actual fighting. Teaming up with Harlem (Reed R. McCants), Lt. Johanson (Susan Diol), Crankcase (Noble Willingham), Einstein (Stephen Geoffreys), Schizoid (Mark Blankfield) and the twin brother muscle of Black and Blue (David and Peter Paul, the Barbarian Brothers), he just might save the U. S. Army from Japan, which is represented by Clyde Kusatsu, John Fujioka and Tia Carrere.
It feels a little The A-Team, a bit The Dirty Dozen and it's an anachronistic take on the war. I mean, the Barbarian Brothers even drive a monster truck at one point. This all means that if this had been a series in 1989, there's more than a complete chance that I would have watched every airing.
Not bad....
lms486129 August 2007
I thought it was entertaining... When I first started watching the film, I just wasn't sure it was worth my time. I did enjoy it. I am a die-hard Bruce Boxleitner fan. I think he is an outstanding actor and although he did do many movies and televisions shows, I don't think he got the recognition he deserved. Some of the scenes were a bit cheesy but so what. Bruce is such a dream. Kind of reminded me of the Mel Gibson's Mad Max movie "Road Warriors" where the survivors built vehicles out of leftover parts. Its a tough movie to find but should be added to any BB collection. I try very hard to get every one of his movies and/or TV shows and I have pretty much succeeded in doing that. Linda
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