Director – Bruno Mattei (The Other Hell, Cruel Jaws)
Starring – Reb Brown (Strike Commando, Howling II:…Your Sister is a Werewolf), Catherine Hickland (Knight Rider, Ghost Town), and Massimo Vanni (Zombie 3, Shocking Dark)
Release Date – 1988
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
When I hear that Severin is releasing an 80s action flick that I had never heard of before you can bet your ass that I’m gonna snag it. I was unable to secure a review copy of this one when I heard about the release but a few months back my good friend Matt hooked me up with a few Severin flicks for Christmas. After spinning Night Killer and Masked Mutilator it was time to toss in this sci-fi action flick from Italian sleaze master Bruno Mattei. I couldn’t wait to see the cheesy action!
**Spoiler Alert** The film a military team sent deep into the jungle on a mission they know nothing about. However, once inside the bush they quickly learn that they are being hunted by a robot that was designed to be the ultimate warrior. **Spoiler Alert**
Bruno Mattei rarely disappoints but when he does he does it in a big way. I’ve noticed that I really enjoy his 80s and 90s films more than his newer works. Robowar is a movie that borrows a lot from other movies and turns them into a cheesy masterpiece. Mattei is the master of sleaze and cheese and Robowar is another one of his masterpieces.
The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from a low budget late 80s action flick. Most of the men are stereotypical meatheads. They bring about flat, one dimensional characters but their performance fits the film. If you’ve seen one 80s action flick then you know the type of performances to expect. The story for this one is a bit out there. At it’s core, it’s a clone of Predator and Commando. We follow a military force, their big guns and explosives, as they fight a robot with thermal sensors. A lot of similarities between Predator and Commando but it’s a lot cheesier. Fans of the campy and cheesy side of cinema will enjoy this unoriginal flick.
Finally, this one is not as bloody and gory as I had hoped. Mattei is known for his sleazy approach to his films with nudity and guts but this one is more focused on the characters and the visual effects for the robot over the red stuff. A bit disappointing in the regards but we do get a couple prop limbs and some blood. Overall, Robowar is a must see for campy cinema fans. It’s not one of the best Italian genre films I’ve ever seen but it’s damn sure entertaining. Check it out on blu now from Severin Films.
Special Features:
Robo Predator: Interview with Co-Director/Co-Writer Claudio Fragasso
Italian Rip Off: Interview with Co-Writer Rossella Drudi
Violence She Wrote: Career Interview with Screenwriter Rossella Drudi
Robo-Lady: Interview with Actress Catherine Hickland
Papa Doc’s War: Interview with Actor John P. Dulaney
The Robowarrior: Interview with Actor Jim Gaines Jr.
War in the Phillipines: Interview with Actor/Stuntman Massimo Vanni
Catherine Hickland’s Behind The Scenes Home Movies
Trailer
