Excessive Force
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Movie Reviews of Excessive Force
Movie Review: Entertaining
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember this movie from my teenage years. It made an impression on me, I really thought Thomas Ian Griffith was hot stuff. Too bad he didn't get the recognition he deserved. This movie is not great American cinema, but it is pretty good considering the time period and content matter. So I am not going to bash it. Whenever you are in the mood for a bit of ass kicking in a movie, then check ths out! I am a satisfied customer, and this dvd is now a welcome additioin to my growing movie library.Movie Review: "Above the Law" meets "Rapid Fire"...with some problems
Summary: 3 Stars
One of the more lamentable cases of Hollywood banishing a promising action hero is that of Thomas Ian Griffith, a man of considerable charisma and even more considerable physical talents who seems destined to be remembered as a villain in a lesser "Karate Kid" sequel. Despite continuing a small-time starring career for several years following "Excessive Force", his chances of being the next Seagal or Van Damme were dashed when his first major movie ticket bombed and he was shelved into DTV releases and the odd supporting role in films like Vampires. True, this movie isn't ever going to be considered among action's greats, but it's solid and enjoyable enough to credit Griffith as a truly regrettable loss.
The story: following a $3 million mafia drug bust, the police team headed by Officer Terry McCain (Griffith) is targeted by a scorned underworld boss (Burt Young, Rocky series) who suddenly winds up dead. McCain's teammates die around him as a new police chief is instated (Lance Henriksen, Aliens), and before long, he comes to suspect that the offense is coming from inside the police department. With the mob and crooked cops gunning for him, McCain must rely on his detective work and skills as a martial artist to survive.
The most significant feature of the film is the surprisingly varied cast which also includes Tony Todd (Candyman series) as McCain's trusted partner, Charlotte Lewis (The Golden Child) as McCain's love interest, and the inimitable James Earl Jones as the owner of a jazz club McCain frequents. However, I'm sorry to say that this cast isn't utilized nearly as much as it should have been: while Burt Young and Jones both get a scene in which they demonstrate why they're Oscar nominees for other movies, their onscreen exposure is very limited in this outing. The same goes for Tony Todd, who goes from solid to swell before disappearing for half of the movie. Henriksen is seen continually alongside Griffith and Lewis, but even though their portrayals are solid, they can't keep the story as interesting as it should be.
Speaking of consistency, Griffith's mixture of karate and tae kwon do is display throughout the movie. Within the first two minutes, he's dropped a picture-perfect axe kick on some unfortunate's head and continues to kick people in the face at least once every ten minutes, not to mention managing at least two flying kicks throughout the film. Like the drama portion of the flick, however, the martial aspect is also not without fault: while Griffith has excellent form and performs without the aid of stunt doubles, the vast majority of his work still comes off as lackluster. Part of this is due to weak sound effects and could've-been-better camerawork, but Griffith just doesn't comes off as a strong guy...at least not in comparison to his competition (Van Damme, Norris, etc.). I like me a good, long fight, but not when it's because the the villains are selling the hero's blows like a pinch on the arm.
For fans of this era of action films, this entry will nevertheless supply a classier addition to a library of B-movies. Depending on how much forethought you give the plot, it doesn't offer too many unexpected twists, but despite its relative complexity, it moves with a clear pace and is easy to follow - a significant accomplishment for lifetime low-budget director Jon Hess (Alligator 2 - The Mutation). Pick it up, action fans. You can definitely go worse.
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