WATCH NOW
So, if you are a movie lover who enjoys exploring points of view that are not mainstream, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ and his Andy McNabb meet will probably excite you the most. However, if this is not appealing to you at all, then this won’t fit your preference either.
As an island inhabited by ‘Okayama’ serves as a great backdrop with the movie being set in the Southern Pacific during WWII. Losing an air crash was a squadron from Special Forces’ island so their captain Kelly, played by a young and fresh Gibson, was assigned to locating the missing survivors. To make things more interesting, one of the survivors is a Japanese defector with vital secrets that impact the outcome of the war. Indeed, the bet ventures out on a seemingly impossible task, but it’s not so far-fetched once you consider what is achieved in ‘Dragon Enter’ or ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
So, unlike many whose tastes don’t deviate much from pop culture, ‘Attack Force Z makes sense even back in ‘79 when Gibson was a fresh face striving to make a mark.
Now you have an entirely new perspective on a familiar topic. Do take note of the fact that this does not include the style in which you intend to write. The lack of clarity might make you uncomfortable otherwise. Sam Neill was yet another name waiting to make it big and after ‘Attack Force Z’ he stepped into the role in ‘The Final Conflict’ and has excelled ever since. The truth is that the reason why the movie gets the most interest is because of Sam Neill, who is depicted as a thoughtful and intelligent person amidst the gruesomeness of war. Other characters are just like Action Neill.
As with many wartime films, this one is supposedly based on ‘the real WWII mission conducted by the Z-Special Unit which is Z Force, a precursor of SAS, composed predominantly of Australian and British Volunteers. (So says the info on the DVD wrap)
The movie cuts straight to the point and is bloodthirsty and brutal for 90 minutes. While the movie definitely has time for a small love story, this film is action-packed throughout. It is a bit on the soft side with a 15 rating, but certainly not for the feeble-hearted.
While at times it is rather a documentary style, it is a competent and lively edit paired with high-quality direction and decent cinematography, even the nighttime shots are decently well done.
It is obvious that young Mel Gibson looks good here, although he has very few lines to work with. Some of his peers appear to be stronger candidates for the central character (haggard, tough, mean) but it is Gibson who is in the spotlight. But that is show business for you.
A PAL Anamorphic one comes in a wide-screen transfer. The picture is remarkably bright and there are one or two signs of wear on the print. Just the original mono. Given how much action there is, it would have been easy to remix it into a 5.1 version, although I suspect they lacked the funds to do so.
There is a stills gallery (who watches these and why?) and a rather bedraggled theatrical trailer (2:38) also included. There is also a very enlightening interview featurette called “The Z Men Debriefed” (26:55) containing comments from the producer John McCallum and actors Haywood and Waters in minor roles. (I suppose Gibson and Neill were rather reluctant or did not wish to be re-assigned this part)
Conclusion
If you are a manchild who once played with Action Men dolls, now reads Nate’s diary loves Andy McNabb’s work, and can handle mindless violence, then ‘Attack Force Z’ is the perfect movie for you.
How accurate the film is to the facts is something that will never be clarified. As is stated on the back side of the box, a certain event indeed happened ‘the events depicted in this film are an honest and unflinching account of the type of operation carried out by our unit during the war’. (Johnny Gardner, President Z Special Force Association New South Wales) If that is the case then I don’t know whether to commend or grieve.
Either way, avoid this film if non-stop military combat does not interest you. Or Mel Gibson. Or preferably both since that’s what this film offers.
To watch more movies like Attack Force Z (1982) visit 123movies
Also Watch for more movies like:
