Dark, disturbing, and all too real, Combat Shock is easily Troma's most disturbing movie they have released. Now, thats not saying much because Troma is known for their silly comedies or their slap stick gory horror but wow, this movie isn't horror, oh no, this movie is reality and depression! This is not a movie to watch when your depressed, this is the movie that will ruin your happiness your feeling in the day, I'd say its in the running for biggest downer movie, just below movies like Requiem for a Dream.

Combat Shock is about a vietnam vet named Frank who is dealing with the problems of the real world. He is poor and can't afford to get food for himself and his wife and son, his son being about 1 and horribly disfigured, he owes money to the wrong group of people and he is about to lose his apartment....among other problems! He can't get a job, his dad thinks he's dead, and he is constantly haunted by his memories from Vietnam. He lives in a really bad neighbor hood surrounded by drug dealers and 12 year old prostitutes, its just a messed up world, but its the world we live in. How does Frank deal with the all the problems he has? Well, you'll just have to find out!

There is so much I can say about this movie, but I don't want to give much away, its a movie you have to experience knowing not much about, its better that way! Now, yes I'm saying the movie can be pretty disturbing, and it is very dark, but its not overly disturbing, nothing most horror fans can't handle. But the son, the little one year old, is just a sight I can't forget! That unnerving cry coming from taht disfigured thing is an image that will stay with me! Its just damn creepy, very well done for the film!

The acting in the film is pretty decent, especially for Troma :P. The main character takes his role seriously and there is no comic relief character, which really wouldn't work in a movie like this. The actors get the job done beleiveable enough for me to buy it, but this is coming from someone who doesn't mind bad acting!

Really, this whole movie is a build up to the last scene, its all leading there and your really just expecting it! But even though I knew it was coming, I just didn't know how....and boy does it deliver. I watched...and it didn't leave me happy!

Now, as you can see by the score I really liked this movie, and I truly did, and the fact that that little baby will remain in my head with its unnerving cry is a huge complimant! This movie didn't really get to me emotionally, didn't change me, but dammit did it keep my interest, it is so dark and I just loved it! Its really good!

This is not a gore film by any means, but in the beginning the movie is quite gory, mostly just dead bodies from war, and the ending it gets pretty bloody! But this all really doesn't matter as long as its story is good enough to keep your interest, and it is!

The only thing I really didn't like about this movie was the times of silly 80's music, which don't get me wrong I LOVE the 80's and a good 80's soundtrack is the boom, its just that this music, being all up beat, didn't seem to work in the film for me. And the other complaint would be the choice of sound effects for some things. Like a dripping foucet sounds like a game of Pac-Man or something, that was just kind of annoying a bit :P...

Overall, this is a very good Troma released film and I really do recommend it. Its very dark and somewhat disturbing, it portrays reality at its low budget best and its great for it! I give Combat Shock n 8/10!!!!