Mission vers l'enfer

My review was written in November 1985 after watching the movie on Lightning video cassette.

"Tornado" is a well-made little war picture, currently available in the home video market. Filmed in the Philippines in 1983 by an Italian production company, nicely dubbed item comes off credibly as an American-style film.

Set in Vietnam during the closing stages of th U. S. war there, pic's title refers to the code name of helicopters for a unit of Green Berets, headed by Captain Harlow (Tony Marsina). Newspaper reporter Lee Freeman (Alan Collins) is tagging along with the unit, trying to write an expose about Harlow.

It seems Harlow is trying to achieve personal advancement at the expense of his troops, recently suffering a 60% casualty rate. He leaves Sergeant Maggio (Timothy Brent) behind when latter is trying to save a wounded comrade and later orders Maggio court martialed after the Sarge punches Harlow.

Maggio escapes en route to jail and film climaxes at the Cambodian border as Maggio nearly escapes permanently.

Filmmaker Antonio Margheriti, who has made over 50 action pictures of various types since 1960, keeps the action cooking, highlighted by effective battle sequences and location photography. Film has only a minium of cliches, understandably taken from hits "The Deer Hunter" and "First Blood". Except for a hokey ending, "Tornado" is a refreshingly simple B-picture with appropriate underplaying by an Italian cast headed by Timothy Brent.