Attack Force Z (1982)

Director:

Tim Burstall

Writer:

Roger Marshall (writer)

Release Date:

June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Mel Gibson blasting his way to hell and back

Plot:

A group of Australian commandos launch a secret mission against Japanese forces in World War II. |

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Island | Rescue Operation | WWII | Strangulation

Cast

John Phillip Law	...	Lieutenant J.A. (Jan) Veitch
Mel Gibson	...	Captain P.G. (Paul) Kelly
Sam Neill	...	Sergeant D.J. (Danny) Costello
Chris Haywood	...	Able Seaman A.D. 'Sparrer' Bird
John Waters	...	Sub Lt. Ted 'Kingo' King
Chun Ku	...	Rice farmer
Sylvia Chang	...	Chien Hua
O Ti	...	Shaw Hu
Chun Hsiung Ko	...	Lin Chan-Lang (as Koo Chuan-Hsiung)
Lung Shuan	...	Watanabe
Yuen Yi	...	Imanaka (as Yi Yuan)
Wei Su	...	Wong Chong
Hsa Li-Wen	...	Lee Chang
Val Champion	...	Ed Ayres
Yu Wang	...	Oshiko Imoguchi

Also Known As:

The Z Men (Australia) (working title)
Z-tzu te kung tui (Taiwan)

Runtime:

Australia:93 min | USA:84 min | West Germany:93 min | Argentina:93 min

Country:

Australia | Taiwan

Language:

English | Japanese | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 | Argentina:13 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | Norway:16 (1982) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Taiwan

Company:

Australian Film Commission, The

Trivia:

Original director was Phillip Noyce. Fired due to creative differences.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Arpa colla (1982)

War...What is it good for?

I presume that this movie was meant to be a tribute for the Australasian special forces operating in WW2. Now, I've no doubt that they were totally professional and highly trained individuals, I just don't think this movie did them too many favours. They made so many tactical errors and decisions based on emotion that I'm quite sure in real life, thy wouldn't have made. Individuals leaving their unit as they'd fallen for a girl! Sorry, but it just wouldn't have happened with so much at stake. On the positive side, this had a great cast and terrific authentic locations. The action sequences were well done and the torture scenes particularly harrowing. But at the end of the movie, I just sat there thinking, what were they really fighting for and was it all necessary? So many lives taken without a second thought and for what? Not a classic, but thought provoking which in my book, is never bad.