Although waning American star John Phillip Law is top-billed in this no-nonsense Australian action adventure set in World War Two, it's handsome, blue-eyed young Mel Gibson who makes the strongest impression.

He's the leader of the group of plucky commandos on a dangerous raid behind Japanese enemy lines.

It was a year after his huge success as the futuristic wanderer in the first Mad Max film and his star was definitely on the ascendant.

The `Attack Force Z' of the title was a secret operations unit in the war made up of volunteers from all branches of the Allied Forces and this is an account of a typical mission.

Character development inevitably takes second place to the exciting action, briskly directed by Tim Burstall.