Makeup has a great deal to do with this story, so much so that it could have been given Oscar consideration. You won't even know how much until the very end of the filmHaving said that The Zebra Force is one incredibly dumb action adventure film where a group of Vietnam veterans who were an elite unit have taken to ripping off the Mafia, known here as 'The Outfit'. They've done this in such a way that the blame is being placed on a local group of black gangsters whom The Outfit considers are getting too uppity. A nice little gang war erupts before the truth is known and most of the cast is killed.The Zebra Force seems very much to be influenced by Sam Peckinpah and his work. A few slow motion violence ballets are in this film, but believe this ain't Peckinpah.Makeup great, the rest of it you can have.

You know, I'd like to see some film maker tackle this story today because it might really turn out to be pretty good. There were some really cool elements here that resulted in a neat twist ending that I saw coming in only the last five minutes, but even then, I didn't think the Lieutenant would turn out to be the black guy.But oh man, is this totally mired in the Seventies with the cars, clothes and hair styles. I have to admit, I'm guilty of wearing some of those dated fashions back in the day and can see how ridiculous I must have looked back then. But only from today's perspective seeing how everyone else dressed the same way.Well this flick had an interesting premise, as a group of ex-Viet Nam vets battles the local drug kingpins by posing as black gang bangers and ripping them off, thereby creating animosity with a rival black gang. Making things more interesting is a police detective with connections to the Mafia who's forced to broker a drug deal with the boys in the hood. Thinking he's pulled one off for the police force, Sergeant Stangman (Stafford Morgan) is taken out by a Mafia sniper, at which point all hell breaks loose.It's all pretty typical Seventies TV movie hokum, with the cheesiness in just the right amounts. You've got your car chases and shoot 'em ups, and the obligatory guy who gets shot and falls through an upper story window into a swimming pool. Still, there's the germ of a good idea here, and done right, I think it could be made to look original even today.

When I was a kid, the genre to which CNZ belongs was called 'commando' or 'superaction—violence'. And it might prove a bit more interesting to discuss genres than to discuss this one movie. Yet a word or two have to be said, as this is Robert Z'Dar's first role.Zdarsky, 34 yrs in his first movie performance, was just embarking on a career of bizarre and unique Z features; you should see at least another 7 of his movies.He was a Palance for the '80s Z movies. I can confess, with a straight face, being something of a Zdarsky _completist. And if u ain't, u ain't. Using electronic music, the '80s thrillers could be quite suspenseful; and Zdarsky was a part of that mind—bending suspense.CODE NAME ZEBRA, a silly action movie or _actioner, like you have seen so many if you grew up in the '80s, like you should have, might have been a flick for the guys but is on the other hand an almost unique and perhaps even deliberate specimen of nasty acting coming both from the Mafiosi (Carmine, Charlie and the others) and the quasi—vigilantes; some men who fought in Vietnam now join together to form a band of almost vigilantes.As you wouldn't have believed, they're ingeniously disguised, by wearing amazingly efficient masks, as Afro—American citizens; but then again, the movie's insulting to the army by the atmosphere of idiocy that identifies the reunions of these former soldiers.CNZ is poor in action, a couple of scenes with derisory effects; most of the movie is people sitting, talking, planning, doing grimaces, but I would lie if I wouldn't admit that I have watched the whole movie avidly. Too much of a '80s _actioners fan.

Here's a trash classic in need of the deluxe DVD treatment. Chuck Morrell plays scarred Viet Nam War vet Lieutenant Dietrich, whose loyal soldiers have followed him into civilian life and have joined him in a vigilante effort to get all the dope off the LA streets. Their unique technique: disguise themselves as African-Americans and start a war between the Mafia dons who import the smack, and the ghetto blacks who peddle it for them! From the initial scene of the Zebra Force (geddit--they're white AND black!) pulling off their 'black' masks, to the jaw-dropping finale, this is one of the most enjoyable '70s action flicks you've never heard of. Featuring a very groovy score, IMDb indicates Zebra Force was shot in a 2.35:1 OAR, and judging from the amount of panning, scanning, and 'chop shots' in evidence, that's correct. Let's hope we get a correctly letterboxed DVD at some point--but even in academy ratio, it's a fun way to waste 90 minutes.