Bruno Mattei jumped on both the Vietnam and 80's cop genre (namely the Vietnam cop drama OFF LIMITS) with this utterly confusing actioner. Military police Morgan (Sam Huff) and Hawk (Max Laurel) are assigned by Captain Kirk (yes, Captain Kirk!) to find out why members of a unit called Cobra Squad are killing high ranking members of the military as the Vietnam war draws to a close. This is really a chore to get through. The film does offer a few bits of action and violence (explosions culled from Mattei's earlier STRIKE COMMANDO and a car chase done with miniatures from Antonio Margheriti's ARK OF THE SUN GOD), but it is so damn confusing to keep track of why characters are going here or there. The end twist - something involving Russians - comes out of nowhere. The film's opening scene with the Cobra Squad attacking in slo-mo while wearing gas masks is pretty effective though. Huff teamed up with Mattei the next year for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK riff STRIKE COMMANDO 2, which is much better than this.
9 Reviews
Cop Game!
tarbosh220008 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
During the Vietnam war, a group of elite soldiers seemingly are going around killing civilians. Their uniforms indicate they are part of something called The Cobra Force. MP Morgan (Huff) and his partner Hawk (Laurel) are assigned to investigate. But it's not going to be easy to get to the truth, not with Captain Kirk (Puppo), ("Like from Star Trek!" Morgan says), Col. Kasler (Pochath) and the even more mysterious Annie (Daly) providing twists, turns, and misdirections for Morgan and Hawk. Who is really behind this COP GAME? The greatness of Bruno Mattei seems to know no bounds and this is yet another example of said greatness. The movie starts off in a Phantom Soldiers (1987) style, moves to an Off Limits (1988) pastiche, and then indulges in some good old fashioned Exploding Hut action, which no Italian action movie from the 80's can legally be without. Throw in some footage from other movies and some miniatures, and voila, instant classic.
Brent Huff appears to really be giving this his all, yelling most of his lines. It seems he's trying to out-Reb Reb Brown. But Huff (or at least his character, Morgan) is cool and slick in between his yelling fits, with a Hawaiian shirt and rockin' sunglasses. He also has plenty of silly lines, many of which are like Dan Rather-style folksy colloquialisms but shouted at top volume. Huff is backed up by a nice cast of Italian movie regulars, including Brett Halsey in an uncredited role.
No mention of Cop Game would be complete without talking about its amazing title song. It's never credited to any one particular artist, but Al Festa is credited with the music, so perhaps he's behind it. It's a pumping, driving tune that really gets you into the spirit. And if your spirit starts to flag, the song plays multiple times throughout the film - in two different versions. Bar patrons even play it on the jukebox! The ultra-catchy chorus appears to say "Cop game! You're livin' in a blame game!" Despite the genius of rhyming "game" with "game", those lyrics might actually makes sense, as there is plenty of blame going around in the military hierarchy which make up some of the dialogue scenes in this movie. But if anyone out there has another idea of what the lyrics are (or how to get a hold of the soundtrack), please write in today. Right now! Containing enough funny/worthwhile moments to be worth a view, especially if you're familiar with the Italian action movies of the 80's, Cop Game is another worthy entry in the Italian output of the day. In the U.S. it was released on VHS by 3 Star Releasing, a company we're not really familiar with. Cop Game!
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com
Brent Huff appears to really be giving this his all, yelling most of his lines. It seems he's trying to out-Reb Reb Brown. But Huff (or at least his character, Morgan) is cool and slick in between his yelling fits, with a Hawaiian shirt and rockin' sunglasses. He also has plenty of silly lines, many of which are like Dan Rather-style folksy colloquialisms but shouted at top volume. Huff is backed up by a nice cast of Italian movie regulars, including Brett Halsey in an uncredited role.
No mention of Cop Game would be complete without talking about its amazing title song. It's never credited to any one particular artist, but Al Festa is credited with the music, so perhaps he's behind it. It's a pumping, driving tune that really gets you into the spirit. And if your spirit starts to flag, the song plays multiple times throughout the film - in two different versions. Bar patrons even play it on the jukebox! The ultra-catchy chorus appears to say "Cop game! You're livin' in a blame game!" Despite the genius of rhyming "game" with "game", those lyrics might actually makes sense, as there is plenty of blame going around in the military hierarchy which make up some of the dialogue scenes in this movie. But if anyone out there has another idea of what the lyrics are (or how to get a hold of the soundtrack), please write in today. Right now! Containing enough funny/worthwhile moments to be worth a view, especially if you're familiar with the Italian action movies of the 80's, Cop Game is another worthy entry in the Italian output of the day. In the U.S. it was released on VHS by 3 Star Releasing, a company we're not really familiar with. Cop Game!
For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com
Incredible.
BandSAboutMovies17 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
An elite group of commando assassins - Cobra Squad! - are murdering high-ranking U. S. soldiers in the closing days of Vietnam. To stop them, Morgan (Brent Huff, Gwendoline, Nine Deaths of the Ninja) and Hawk (Max Laurel, who played Zuma in two films and Quang in Robowar) must have one another's back against a massive conspiracy.
Yes, Bruno Mattei - Bob Hunter! - has united with Rossella Drudi and Claudio Fragrasso, heading to the Philippines and made a movie that makes little to no sense whatsoever. I don't say this as an insult. Few of the man's movies have anything approaching a coherent plot. Yet every single one of them wants to entertain you to the point that you are rolling on the floor in incredulity and laughter. They are everything you want them to be.
This is the kind of movie with dialogue like "When you go home, you will forget about me. But I will still be here, drowning in a sea of CENSORED." Nearly every line is screamed as loudly as possible, as if a twelve year old boy has just been allowed to stay home by himself while his parents go out and he takes advantage of the freedom by repeatedly saying combinations of swear words and never getting tired of using them until he's hoarse by the time mom and dad come back.
It's also the kind of film that says that it takes place in 1975 Vietnam but also has plenty of Miami Vice and 80's buddy cop vibes, along with stolen footage from The Ark of the Sun God, both Strike Commando movies and Double Target. I guess since Mattei made most of those, he's really just cutting and pasting. You can't steal from yourself, right? This isn't a John Fogerty getting sued because his song "The Old Man Down the Road" sounds exactly like Creedence Clearwater Revival situation!
Cop Game also has an all-star cast and by that, I mean actors that only I care about like Romano Puppo (Trash's dad in Escape from the Bronx), Candice Daly (After Death), Werner Pochath (Colonel Magnum in Thunder III), Robert Marius (Mad Warrior), Massimo Vanni (Robowar), Ottaviano Dell'Acqua (who is the "We are going to eat you" undead face on the poster for Zombie), Roberto Dell'Acqua (Nightmare City), Jim Gaines (Zombies: The Beginning) and a Brett Halsey cameo.
Mattei made movies in nearly every junk film genre. I can honestly say that I have loved every single one of them and if you want to hear me ramble on about something, ask me about them.
Yes, Bruno Mattei - Bob Hunter! - has united with Rossella Drudi and Claudio Fragrasso, heading to the Philippines and made a movie that makes little to no sense whatsoever. I don't say this as an insult. Few of the man's movies have anything approaching a coherent plot. Yet every single one of them wants to entertain you to the point that you are rolling on the floor in incredulity and laughter. They are everything you want them to be.
This is the kind of movie with dialogue like "When you go home, you will forget about me. But I will still be here, drowning in a sea of CENSORED." Nearly every line is screamed as loudly as possible, as if a twelve year old boy has just been allowed to stay home by himself while his parents go out and he takes advantage of the freedom by repeatedly saying combinations of swear words and never getting tired of using them until he's hoarse by the time mom and dad come back.
It's also the kind of film that says that it takes place in 1975 Vietnam but also has plenty of Miami Vice and 80's buddy cop vibes, along with stolen footage from The Ark of the Sun God, both Strike Commando movies and Double Target. I guess since Mattei made most of those, he's really just cutting and pasting. You can't steal from yourself, right? This isn't a John Fogerty getting sued because his song "The Old Man Down the Road" sounds exactly like Creedence Clearwater Revival situation!
Cop Game also has an all-star cast and by that, I mean actors that only I care about like Romano Puppo (Trash's dad in Escape from the Bronx), Candice Daly (After Death), Werner Pochath (Colonel Magnum in Thunder III), Robert Marius (Mad Warrior), Massimo Vanni (Robowar), Ottaviano Dell'Acqua (who is the "We are going to eat you" undead face on the poster for Zombie), Roberto Dell'Acqua (Nightmare City), Jim Gaines (Zombies: The Beginning) and a Brett Halsey cameo.
Mattei made movies in nearly every junk film genre. I can honestly say that I have loved every single one of them and if you want to hear me ramble on about something, ask me about them.
An inferior film by Mattei about a twisted investigation during the Vietnam War with discolored photography and anticlimatic musical score
ma-cortes6 October 2023
A pacy, violent thriller set in in the sleazy red light district in the last days of the Saigon fall. A spree of murders involving Vietnamese people draws two cops Morgan (Brent Huff) and Hawk (Max Laurel) from the Army's criminal investigation department into de sleazy backstreets of Saigon and whose responsible may be one of their own top brass. In the final days of the Vietnam War, someone is killing officers, allegedly executed by the elite Cobra Force commanded by Shooman (Robert Marius) . Two undercover M. P.'s are assigned to the case by Colonel Kasler (Werner Pochath) . They whiitle the suspects down to five, but pressure from above squashes the investigation, forcing them to go it alone and helpless. The trail leads from the streets of Saigon to the war zone. Previous key witnesses have been frightened into silence or simply killed off.
Cheap and exploitative movie taking parts here and there of other films. Yet another Vietnam film in which there is a little mystery as to who the killer is in this tale that seems written more the sake of foul language and gratuitous gunfights than actual plot . Director Mattei fulls the film with plot twists and turns , and at times loses his sense of direction but sustaining the suspense and staging the action scenes with certain vigour including some tthrilling car pursuits made in Antonio Marheritti style; the result , although the Saigon set setting is simply a seedily exotic backdrop is frankly mediocre. The films rips off ¨off Limits¨(1987) by Christopher Crowe with Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines whose similar roles are played by Brent Huff and Max Laurel and following the wake of other Mattei films as ¨Strike Commando¨and "Trappola Diabolica or Strike Commando II". The film features some familiar faces from the 70s and 80s that appeared in a number of Italian B films belonging to all types of genres such as s Macaroni Combat, Spaghetti Western, Poliziezco, Giallo, Vietnam movies such as: Brett Halsey, Romano Puppo, Mike Monty, Massimo Vanni, Werner Pochath, Robert Marius, Roberto Dell'Acqua, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua and Luciano Pigozzi as Alan Collins, the latter nicknamed the Italian Peter Loree
The motion picture in medium budget was uneven but professionally directed by Bruno Mattei , assisted by his usual collaborator Claudio Fragasso who also wrote the script along with his wife Rossella Drudi . Deceased Bruno Mattei often used Vincent Dawn pseudonym, he is referred to in some circles as "The Italian Ed Wood" due to his constant usage of stock footage, soundtrack borrowing, bad acting and silly dialog within his productions. Even though several of his films have achieved cult status and are today are considered humorous due to overacting, unrealistic staging, and general absurdity, Mattei's films were never meant to be intentionally funny. Bruno made a large number of films in all kinds of genres as Vietnam wartime, terror , erotic , nunexploitation , Sword and Sandals , Spaghetti Western, Documentary , Mondo Cinema, Women in Prison or WIP, such as : " Rats" , "Cage Women" , "Seven Magnificent Gladiators" , "Hell of the Living Dead" , "Robowar" , "Scalps" , "Apache Kid" , "Cop Game" , "Terminator 2" , "Emmanuel in Prison" and several others . And some of them shot in Philippines as "Robowar" , "Strike Commando I" , "Strike Commando II" , "Double Target" and "Born to Fight" . Rating : 4.5/10, below average, a very cheesy and silly film. The film will appeal to Italian Vietnam sub-genre aficionados.
Cheap and exploitative movie taking parts here and there of other films. Yet another Vietnam film in which there is a little mystery as to who the killer is in this tale that seems written more the sake of foul language and gratuitous gunfights than actual plot . Director Mattei fulls the film with plot twists and turns , and at times loses his sense of direction but sustaining the suspense and staging the action scenes with certain vigour including some tthrilling car pursuits made in Antonio Marheritti style; the result , although the Saigon set setting is simply a seedily exotic backdrop is frankly mediocre. The films rips off ¨off Limits¨(1987) by Christopher Crowe with Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines whose similar roles are played by Brent Huff and Max Laurel and following the wake of other Mattei films as ¨Strike Commando¨and "Trappola Diabolica or Strike Commando II". The film features some familiar faces from the 70s and 80s that appeared in a number of Italian B films belonging to all types of genres such as s Macaroni Combat, Spaghetti Western, Poliziezco, Giallo, Vietnam movies such as: Brett Halsey, Romano Puppo, Mike Monty, Massimo Vanni, Werner Pochath, Robert Marius, Roberto Dell'Acqua, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua and Luciano Pigozzi as Alan Collins, the latter nicknamed the Italian Peter Loree
The motion picture in medium budget was uneven but professionally directed by Bruno Mattei , assisted by his usual collaborator Claudio Fragasso who also wrote the script along with his wife Rossella Drudi . Deceased Bruno Mattei often used Vincent Dawn pseudonym, he is referred to in some circles as "The Italian Ed Wood" due to his constant usage of stock footage, soundtrack borrowing, bad acting and silly dialog within his productions. Even though several of his films have achieved cult status and are today are considered humorous due to overacting, unrealistic staging, and general absurdity, Mattei's films were never meant to be intentionally funny. Bruno made a large number of films in all kinds of genres as Vietnam wartime, terror , erotic , nunexploitation , Sword and Sandals , Spaghetti Western, Documentary , Mondo Cinema, Women in Prison or WIP, such as : " Rats" , "Cage Women" , "Seven Magnificent Gladiators" , "Hell of the Living Dead" , "Robowar" , "Scalps" , "Apache Kid" , "Cop Game" , "Terminator 2" , "Emmanuel in Prison" and several others . And some of them shot in Philippines as "Robowar" , "Strike Commando I" , "Strike Commando II" , "Double Target" and "Born to Fight" . Rating : 4.5/10, below average, a very cheesy and silly film. The film will appeal to Italian Vietnam sub-genre aficionados.
"Did you have to kill him, for f*ck's sake?"
Bezenby7 April 2015
Hell, it's no Strike Commando, but Bruno Mattei does a good turn here at producing something similar to that film Saigon, only with loads of action, madness, stupidity, blatant stock footage, footage cribbed from other films, and the usual crap that make up Mattei films. Basically, if you like Zombie Creeping Flesh and Strike Commando, you're bound to have fun with this one.
This time round, someone's killing high ranking US military personal and it's up to Brent Huff and sidekick whathisname to sort stuff out. They have the help of Werner Pocath and Romano Puppo. But who is behind the killings? To be honest, after watching the film, I'm still not too sure myself, but hell, you should see the cast in this one!
You've got (deep breath) Werner Pocath (Days of Hell, Ratman), Romano Puppo (Bronx Warriors 2, Street Law), Brett Hasley (Demonia, Touch of Death), Massimo 'GOD' Vanni (Last Hunter, Zombie Flesh Eaters 3), Jim Gaines (I think) (Zombie Flesh Eaters 3), Mike Monty (in some stolen footage from Strike Commando by the looks of it) (Zombie Flesh Eaters 2, Achtung! Desert Tigers)...I almost had a nosebleed when Massimo turned up.
Y'see, Massimo turns up, to put it a bit vaguely, at 1:02 minutes into the film, not that I was counting, as a kick arse bad guy hit-man who proceeds to waste most of the main cast. SO that's a good thing right there.
So - You either watch this one or not. Bruno fan? Kudos. Accidental tourist? Here there be tygers.
The NO LONGER HERE WITH US LIST: Romano Puppo, Mike Monty, Jim Gaines, Candice Daly, Werner Pocath...
This time round, someone's killing high ranking US military personal and it's up to Brent Huff and sidekick whathisname to sort stuff out. They have the help of Werner Pocath and Romano Puppo. But who is behind the killings? To be honest, after watching the film, I'm still not too sure myself, but hell, you should see the cast in this one!
You've got (deep breath) Werner Pocath (Days of Hell, Ratman), Romano Puppo (Bronx Warriors 2, Street Law), Brett Hasley (Demonia, Touch of Death), Massimo 'GOD' Vanni (Last Hunter, Zombie Flesh Eaters 3), Jim Gaines (I think) (Zombie Flesh Eaters 3), Mike Monty (in some stolen footage from Strike Commando by the looks of it) (Zombie Flesh Eaters 2, Achtung! Desert Tigers)...I almost had a nosebleed when Massimo turned up.
Y'see, Massimo turns up, to put it a bit vaguely, at 1:02 minutes into the film, not that I was counting, as a kick arse bad guy hit-man who proceeds to waste most of the main cast. SO that's a good thing right there.
So - You either watch this one or not. Bruno fan? Kudos. Accidental tourist? Here there be tygers.
The NO LONGER HERE WITH US LIST: Romano Puppo, Mike Monty, Jim Gaines, Candice Daly, Werner Pocath...
Bruno Mattei delivers again
HaemovoreRex15 August 2006
A short while back, I reviewed a film on IMDb called Delta Force Commando. The film proved to fail in just about every conceivable way possible with poorly conceived and executed action scenes, some atrociously lazy acting and universally bland characterisations. In short, the film represented exactly how NOT to make an action B-movie.
Well if that pile of poop represented one end of the scale, then the film reviewed here must surely represent the opposite end of the spectrum. In short this one shows exactly how a B-movie should be filmed!
The always great value for money Brent Huff stars in this and by gum, does he put in one hell of an intense performance! If there was an Oscar for on screen vituperation then judging on this performance, Huff would certainly be in with a big chance of scooping it! In fact, such scenes provide much of the enjoyment to be derived from this. In particular one scene has Huff letting off a particularly creative tirade of contumelious diction after which his partner dryly retorts, 'You took the words right out of my mouth.'
Aside from the script and performances, the action scenes are also great fun. This being a Bruno Mattei film, as you can probably expect, there's a fair bit of recycled footage from other films in here. Most notable, I picked out some of the explosive segments from Mattei's own Double Target and the infamous model car chase from Antonio Margheriti's Ark Of The Sun God. Far from a criticism however, the blatant obviousness that the film was made on the cheap actually makes it even more endearing especially when it is compared to some of the hugely budgeted, but ultimately utter crap offerings that Hollywood so often churns out these days!
For Mattei fans and B-Movie lovers alike, this is well worth a watch!
Well if that pile of poop represented one end of the scale, then the film reviewed here must surely represent the opposite end of the spectrum. In short this one shows exactly how a B-movie should be filmed!
The always great value for money Brent Huff stars in this and by gum, does he put in one hell of an intense performance! If there was an Oscar for on screen vituperation then judging on this performance, Huff would certainly be in with a big chance of scooping it! In fact, such scenes provide much of the enjoyment to be derived from this. In particular one scene has Huff letting off a particularly creative tirade of contumelious diction after which his partner dryly retorts, 'You took the words right out of my mouth.'
Aside from the script and performances, the action scenes are also great fun. This being a Bruno Mattei film, as you can probably expect, there's a fair bit of recycled footage from other films in here. Most notable, I picked out some of the explosive segments from Mattei's own Double Target and the infamous model car chase from Antonio Margheriti's Ark Of The Sun God. Far from a criticism however, the blatant obviousness that the film was made on the cheap actually makes it even more endearing especially when it is compared to some of the hugely budgeted, but ultimately utter crap offerings that Hollywood so often churns out these days!
For Mattei fans and B-Movie lovers alike, this is well worth a watch!
More Vietnam Goodness from Bruno Mattei
DrunkenMaster200029 March 2005
The KGB is in Vietnam, and Morgan (Brent Huff, from The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak) and Hawk are on the case. Double cross and bloodshed ensue - Bruno Mattei style! I've never seen a Bruno Mattei film I didn't find absolutely hysterical. This film is as violent as hell, with go-go girls; Rambo styled gun fights, and the craziest on-screen car chase I've ever witnessed - SERIOUSLY! You must see this car chase filmed entirely with miniatures using model cars and model trains. I would have to say that this maybe the most original film I've seen in the Bruno Mattei cannon no rip-offs in sight; just tons of fun, bloodshed and outrageous dialog!
What??!?!!!
Aylmer4 October 1999
Absolutely absurd action thriller from the absolutely inept minds of Bruno Mattei and Claudio Fragasso. Starts off as the usual cop theme (heavily owing to the Gregory Hines/Willem Dafoe movie OFF LIMITS which came out earlier that year) with two unlikely partners seeking out some criminals, when suddenly they are paid by some military general (Werner Pochath) to kill some commander in Vietnam. The film deteriorates into a Vietnam shoot-em-up with obvious stock footage and terrible editing, culminating into a spy-thriller/ James Bond style conclusion. The music, cinematography, acting, and especially the direction were completely flat and horrible.
The filmmakers obviously had no idea how to film a movie. All action is filmed from the left side, all medium shots, and sometimes the camera isn't even pointed at the action or is too far away from the action for us to tell what's going on! Even a grade A supporting cast of Italian exploitation stars (Romano Puppo, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua, Massimo Vanni, and Luciano Pigozzi...supposedly) and an unbilled cameo by Brett Halsey doesn't help this one. It makes no sense at all, but is able to stay so charmingly silly that this film is perfect for parties, Mystery Science Theater, or bad movie festivals. They honestly don't ever get any funnier than this.
The filmmakers obviously had no idea how to film a movie. All action is filmed from the left side, all medium shots, and sometimes the camera isn't even pointed at the action or is too far away from the action for us to tell what's going on! Even a grade A supporting cast of Italian exploitation stars (Romano Puppo, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua, Massimo Vanni, and Luciano Pigozzi...supposedly) and an unbilled cameo by Brett Halsey doesn't help this one. It makes no sense at all, but is able to stay so charmingly silly that this film is perfect for parties, Mystery Science Theater, or bad movie festivals. They honestly don't ever get any funnier than this.
Spy story very good
valeriamaranzi18 February 2022
Cop Game is an intriguing spy story, full of unexpected twists and turns that mislead suspects. As it happened in the classic films of the genre in the past. A well constructed thriller storyline. And the final twist, a surprise. The leading actors are well placed in the roles. The protagonist's jokes are funny and ironic, as was the fashion in the eighties (the film dates back to 1987. Released in 1988). Captivating the music. Too bad for the direction of Bruno Mattei who in this film is sloppy and hasty. It lacks the thriller atmosphere, tension, close-ups and details. Like the lipstick writing on the mirror. In short, the thriller is not his genre. A real missed opportunity, what a pity.
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