During WWII a platoon of American soldiers finds itself behind enemy lines in the Italian countryside. They are attacked by Germans and the Lieutenant is killed along with most of the platoon. The only ones remaining are Joey Verona (Timothy Van Patten), George “Mittens” Minnensky (Art La fleur), a field correspondent that just hooked up with the soldiers named Charlie Dolan (Biff Manard) and the new head of the team, Sergeant Patrick Stone (Tim Thomerson).
The guys manage to dodge the Germans and hold up in an abandoned stone barn. When Mittens says he saw a deer while on watch, Dolan convinces him to go out and hunt for it. While hunting they come across a Nazi encampment. The area appears empty so Dolan sneaks into it to find out what they are up to. Dolan and Mittens get captured. When the Sarge wakes up, he and Joey go out looking for their wayward comrades. What they find is an alien spaceship that crash landed. While they inspect the ship, Dolan and Mittens find out that the Nazis have also captured an alien (William Paulson).
The Nazis arrive at the spaceship looking to learn about the alien technology. Sarge and Joey manage to get away, but not before Sarge manages to blow up the alien craft. They then find Dolan and Mittens and free them from the Nazis, along with the alien. The Americans and the alien begin working together to ward off the Nazis while more aliens show up looking for their lost companion.
“Zone Troopers” was released in 1985 and was directed by Danny Bilson. It is an American science fiction action film with undertones of humor.
It was a little sillier than I expected. Still, it has many of the cast and crew that were responsible for “Trancers” 1985, so I’m not surprised that it was intentionally campy. The movie managed to ‘jump the shark’ more than once.
The movie makes decent use of low budget effects blended with 40’s style music to make the movie more nostalgic in appearance and feel. It is then combined with some slightly over-the-top acting to remind you that it doesn’t take itself seriously and even tosses in some war movie stereotypes as well. It’s not what I hoped for, but not a bad little movie just the same.