Am I allowed to just begin and end this review by saying that this stars Reb Brown and is directed by Bruno Mattei, and it’s restored on Blu-ray, so you should probably just go and buy it? No? I guess not. OK, I’ll soldier on then. So what we have here as 2 of the latest Severin releases (aside from that EPIC CHRISTOPHER LEE box set, and the 9 films they put out for their awesome… damn those guys are busy) are Strike Commando and Strike Commando 2 further proof that Bruno Mattei did not come across an 80’s action film that he himself did not want to make a version of. Which is totally fine, as much as I love Rambo, I kinda like Bruno Mattei’s RAMBO more (don’t judge me).

So in Strike Commando Reb Brown plays badass soldier Sgt. Mike Ransom who finds himself in Vietnam trying to take out a base operated by Colonel Radek. Unfortunately, his squad his blown to Hell, but he survives, and is rescued by a Vietnamese boy who dreams of America (and Disney). Once he recovers he agrees to help the villagers where he is fight against the North Vietnamese and gain their freedom, unfortunately, they too are slaughtered, leaving him to wage a Chuck Norris style one man war against Radek.

In Strike Commando 2 we lose Reb Brown, but not SGT. RANSOM! In this film he is in Burma, and played by Brent Huff (Gwnedoline). In this film there isn’t so much one villain he’s up against, but a bunch of villainous factions like the KGB, CIA, and Ninjas!

So in Strike Commando the first, it’s almost wall to wall insane action. This is top tier Mattei, up there with the craziness of Shocking Dark and Robowar. We also have the insanity that is Reb Brown’s performance (and SCREAMS). So any sequel to the film would be hard to top. Brent Huff is a fine actor, and does a great job as Ransom in two, but it just feels like a come-down from the power of the mighty Reb Brown. Also, the film is a bit slower to get going. Regardless, once it gets going it really just becomes a Mattei-powered-action-movie-roller-coaster!

Both films are presented by Severin in 1:85:1 1080p transfers and looks very solid. There are moments where grain gets overpowering, or there is extreme softness, but this is more a quality of the production, and not the transfers themselves. Audio is handled with English and Italian mono tracks and sound clear, crisp, and without issue Extras on the first film include interviews with writers Claudio Fragrasso and Rossella Drudio, a promo, and a trailer. The second film also has a Fragrasso interview, a trailer, and an interview with Huff. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.