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14 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Does anyone understand what "tongue in cheek" means?, 17 December 2001
8/10
Author: Jennel2

Why are some people reviewing Zone Troppers as if the makers had intended to make a serious sci-fi film? This movie was intended as a satire of both alien invasion flicks and cliched World War II movies. While not all the jokes worked, I found the movie throughly enjoyable, and so did several friends who watched it with me at a later date. Band's Empire Pictures did indeed make some real clunkers. But this is no clunker. This movie reunites most of the cast of the earlier Charles Band production "Trancers." That movie was also a satire, though Band's direction was so flat it was hard to tell. Danny Bilson, who directed Zone Troopers, seems to understand the spirit of fun much better. Some of the movie's best bits have been mentioned by other posters, but I would add the beginning sequence when the young Lieutenant rashly runs over the hill thinking reinforcements have arrived, and is machine gunned by the Germans. "Damn green kid," Thomerson (as the tough as nails NCO) mutters, in perfect deadpan echo of hundreds of B war movies of the late forties and early fifties. And did anyone catch the "Buy War Bonds" tag at the end of the credits? How about the fact that the first shot morphs from the cover of a comic book Mittens (Art Lefleur) is reading? That should have served as a hint of the filmmakers' intentions. This movie is a hoot, and was intended that way. I have never seen Bilson's follow up, the Wrong Guys--equally low rated by most posters. But based on Zone Troopers, I sensed he might have the talent to go a long way. However, it appears he was only able to find a career in TV.

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13 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
"Was I dreaming or did I just KO Hitler?", 7 May 2005
8/10
Author: PhilosophicZombi from South Carolina, USA

7 1/2 out of 10

I was scanning some titles at a local video store when I happened upon a bizarre little film called Zone Troopers. A group of American soldiers in WW II stuck behind enemy lines, run across a crashed alien spacecraft. The box art looked promising, but my expectations were low. Surprise! This movie was actually entertaining. Sure there were some gaping plot holes, the script wasn't exactly academy award material, and the alien costume left a little to be desired, but I had no trouble getting into this film. It never got boring, I even became attached to a few of the characters. This won't top anyone's movie list, but it's definitely worth a watch. For Full Moon fans out there you'll be happy to know that Tim Thomerson, the "Dollman" himself, acts as the Sarge in Zone Troopers, easily my favorite character of the bunch.

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12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Excellent, 26 March 2000
10/10
Author: lartronic from Akron, Ohio

I loved this movie since the very first time that I saw it. I was surprised at how good it actually was. Not only was it a war/sci-fi action film, it had some great touches of comedy, too. You can't help but laugh every time you see Mittens decking Hitler and then asking "Did I just K.O. Hitler?" Dolan: "You sure did, too bad you won't live to tell about it." Also the action was well done and very enjoyable. I taped this film the first time it came on after seeing it for the first time and enjoyed it again (and again and again) but I was very happy when I found it at a used video shop and instantly bought it. Catch it on TV if you can, it's a very good movie that is a lot of fun.

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11 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
"Did I just KO Hitler?" "You sure did soldier!" HURRAH!!!!!, 18 March 1999
10/10
Author: Mothy from Canterbury, England

Charles Band is the kind of producer that gives films a bad name: Dollman, Trancers, Demonic Toys. All so bad they're just bad. However, he has redeemed himself with this little masterpiece, a film so bad it's amazing!!! My friends and I LOVE this film. It has so many moments: the appearance of the fuhrer, the young soldier playing with his toys, the revelation that the alien is female. If you don't smirk during this film then you have NO sense of fun - in fact, if you don't fall in love with this then you must be clinically dead!!! MOTHY HAS SPOKEN.

So go check it out - YOU'LL LOVE IT.

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12 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Hilarious! Uniquely funny., 8 January 2005
10/10
Author: Joni DeLaBere Grawe (ionj3602000@yahoo.com) from Springfield, IL

Zone Troopers was like Stanley Kuplish cracking a funny. A full blown "professional" director shares his dream of a "student project". I loved it and couldn't quit watching it because it was something like M.A.S.H.

The puns just kept coming at the right times to sustain the humor. It was quirky -- bizarre. Straw that didn't burn, and camp fires that were burned out and suddenly lit-up when the soldiers returned to get warm. A baby space monster that cracks out of its pod fully dressed and a mock Hitler that gets slugged by an American G.I. near the front lines! Fantastic! Joni Grawe

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Action, comedy, and aliens. What more could you want?, 21 November 2000
10/10
Author: lartronic from Akron, Ohio.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Of all the 80's flicks I've seen, few have I enjoyed quite as much as this one. Okay, it's low budget, but still great! Let me emphasize some of this film's great points (Warning, some spoilers)

1) The opening theme music, catchy and great to listen to.

2) Some of the opening dialog between Art LaFleur and Timothy Van Patten, it's kind of comical.

3) The scene where Timothy Van Patten sees the alien and thinks he's going crazy, which he admits to Manard.

4) The scene where Van Patten plays baseball with his trading cards, pretending it's the world series.

5) The part where Thomerson blows up the giant alien space ship while the nazis are inside.

6) All of the action scenes, I'll take these over any action scene in a Chuck Norris movie.

7) The scene where the alien creates the dream girl using that little gizmo.

8) The scene where Van Patten reminds Thomerson that he blew up the alien spaceship after they meet up with the rest of the aliens, who are looking to get back home. It's kind of funny but you have to see it yourself.

9) The scene where Thomerson pretends to surrender to the nazis, only to jam a grenade down the commanding officer's shirt.

10) And of course, the classic scene when LaFeur Socks Hitler in the face! I could watch that scene 1000 times and still laugh at it!

And that's only some of the great scenes in this film. Don't let anyone tell you this is a bad film without you seeing it first. Most people who say that either have no sense of humor, are part of the Chuck Norris action flick crowd (nothing against Norris), or are looking for a real oscar-winning classic. Actually, I wouldn't want this film remade for two reasons. 1-This is one of those films that don't come out as enjoyable as the first time around. 2-Hollywood would give this big budget, computer generated special effects, fill it with blood, gore, and killing, and take out most of the plot and add a bunch of adult scenes, probably giving it an R rating. But just because this film doesn't have all of that doesn't mean it's not great. There are plenty of action scenes with the soldiers combating nazis (did I mention this is set in WW2?) and saving the alien. The comedy is well handled, and well balanced with the action and sci-fi scenes. The performances by the 4 leads are pretty good for a low budget film. All in all, great fun to sit back and enjoy. Recommended to all.

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
This film is a classic, 2 June 2006
10/10
Author: dsparkes from United Kingdom

I am a big fan of Tim Thomerson and apart from the Trancers films, this one has to be my favourite.I think the humour is great and the four Gi's work together brilliantly.I know there is some cheesy acting in it, but this adds to the charm of the movie.I felt sorry for Mittens,I don't think he had his cigarettes for very long 'Butt me Mittens'. Somestimes B-movie films like this are far better then high budget blockbusters.Anyone could make a movie on a high 00000000 figure sum,but to make a great film with 600000 dollars well, class hay!If you are a fan of ww2 and si-fi movies as well as dry humour then this is one for you.If you like this movie you should also check out the Trancers films,I finally managed to track down the movie poster for this BRILL. When are they going to release Zone troopers on DVD?

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A World War Two flick with aliens...why didn't I think of that?, 19 November 2010
7/10
Author: reluctantpopstar from North Hollyweird

Or why didn't someone with a larger film budget? Because this whole movie is a lot of fun. I just wish the special effects had been a little better. I'm sure that crashed spaceship mockup did cost them a pretty penny though.

The cheesiness of the low budget, reflected in the alien costumes and minimal military paraphenelia is about the only bad thing I found in this genre effort. Badmouthing this film is like kicking a friendly puppy. The writing was great, the acting was much better than it had any right to be, and even the directing was absolutely appropriate.

Yes, it is not realistic in the slightest. Yes, it is a version of World War 2 based not on the actual war, but based on other cheap movies about the War. And then it throws crash-landed aliens into the mix. But that just makes it so much more fun.

There's a standard low budget WW2 movie setup: ragtag group of GIs is caught behind German lines and has to fight their way out. Luckily, this is in Italy so the Germans are a little ways out on the end of their supply lines as well. We get all the standard war movie clichés: the gruff Sarge who can't die (Tim Thomerson), the comic relief kid from Brooklyn with his pulp magazines, the green Lieutenant just out of training school, the grizzled Corporal who's been through hell and high water with The Sarge (the Tom Sizemore role, here Art LaFleur) and the hard-bitten, cynical reporter/photographer who tags along.

Into this "haven't we seen this before a FEW times" setup comes strange goings-on in the form of a crash landed alien spaceship. And that, kids, is where things get interesting and fun. Things just get more ridiculous from there, with a blown-up spaceship, magical alien gizmos that make Rita Hayworth appear, and even a cameo appearance from Der Furher himself, just so one of the heroes can punch him right in the face. That's entertainment.

Do check out Zone Troopers, but make sure your tongue is planted firmly in cheek, as they say.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
The Best Of Empire Pictures Vol 1, 9 August 2010
10/10
Author: James Bourke (Canadianbacon1971@hotmail.co.uk) from United Kingdom

This movie was a very fine example of when Empire pictures delivered the goods, they really did so by the bucket load! With a crackerjack scenario, one helluva cast of Empire regulars and an overwhelming charm that just made this movie one of the best entries in the canon of Empire Pictures body of work.

When it came to realising the perfect off the wall fantasy pitch Messrs Bilson and De Meo really knew their collective stuff, having already penned the ultra cool and one of my all time favourite Empire movies 'Trancers'.

With this movie, they take the well worn path of the war movie and infuse it with a comic book touch! Rather than bore anyone with the retelling of the storyline, let's just say this, Tim Thomerson as the cast iron and seriously indestructible Sarge cuts the mustard, whilst Biff Manard and Art LaFleur give able assistance.

As with most Empire productions, the budget was minimal, but having filmed the movie in Italy, the exteriors and the actions surrounding the characters more than pick up the slack in terms of money spent on the production, that being said who needs money when you've got imagination, and the creative team behind this classic fantasy tale threw everything they had right at it.

Back when this movie first hit the video shelves, I used to make a point of hiring it out every week, like I did with nearly every other Charles Band/Empire production, and truth to tell, I never tired of watching them, because they shaped my taste in movies and to this day I will always pick a small low budget movie such as 'Zone Troopers' over any big budget movie any day.

Without hesitation this movie gets 10/10

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Any blonde's on there?....., 9 October 2011
6/10
Author: FlashCallahan from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When their platoon is attacked only The Sarge, Joey, Mittens, Dolan remain.

When they're lost behind enemy lines, Joey thinks he's seen alien in the clear blue moonlight.

The next morning, Joey has been unable to convince his friends of what he saw.

Mittens and Dolan (thinking the creature was actually a deer) go on a hunt to find food, but they find a seemingly abandoned Nazi camp containing images and studies of a mysterious space craft in the deep forest, sadly they're captured before warning the others.

As this happens, The Sarge and Joey discover the UFO themselves along with an alien creature following their every move...

Any film with Dollman in is worth watching, but this takes a while to get going. Having heard it was a cult classic in some circles, I was getting ready for some camp lines and cheesy set pieces.

For the first half an hour, it's an all out war movie, with the same action scenes and characters you would expect from any carbon copy war movie. It's comical in this first sequence though because Th e Sargein one instance shoots a platoon of Germans and they all fall over at the same time.

Just when tedium sets in, it goes from generic to plain bizarre. The crew befriend the six foot cigarette eating grasshopper, and before you know it, extras from space 1999 arrive on the scene with cool ray guns and even cooler translators.

The performances are what you would expect from a film like this, and you can forgive the dire editing and effects. Thomerson is as gruff as usual and the final sequence will have you laughing at the unintentional hilarity.

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