Cast: Thomas Ian Griffith, Lance Henriksen, James Earl Jones, Charlotte Lewis, Tony Todd
Director: Jon Hess
Producers: Thomas Ian Griffith and Erwin Stoff
Screenplay: Thomas Ian Griffith
Cinematography: Donald M. Morgan
Music: Charles Bernstein
U.S. Distributor: New Line Cinema
Policeman Terry McCain (Thomas Ian Griffith) doesn't mind using excessive force to get his man, and when two of his friends are killed in a dispute with a drug kingpin (Burt Young), McCain will stop at nothing for revenge. But someone on the force is in league with the criminals, and soon McCain and his girlfriend, Anna (Charlotte Lewis), are in mortal danger.
Excessive Force is made for a specific audience -- those who like enjoy festivals of mindless violence As is usually the case with low-budget action films, the plot is virtually nonexistent -- a nonsensical contrivace used to highlight shootouts and kickboxing skirmishes. There's plenty of action and blood, but not much excitement. Good films of this genre are rousing. This one is simply dull. Never do we believe that the hero is in any danger. This creates a sense of inevitability, draining the fight sequences of vital energy.
Thomas Ian Griffith, despite bulging biceps and an impressive physique, has no screen presence. His acting isn't any better than Steven Seagal's and he lacks even a vague shadow of Schwarzenegger's charisma. Frankly, I didn't care what happened to his character, as long as it happened quickly so I could get out of the theater. Someone is trying to sell Griffith as the next "big" martial arts star, but I'm not buying.
James Earl Jones makes a few appearances as Jake, the owner of the bar below McCain's apartment. This superfluous role is obviously included to give Excessive Force the appearance of credibility through the use of a "big name". It doesn't work. Fortunately, Jones' reputation is solid enough that this shouldn't blemish it. Undoubtedly, he was well paid.
Upon occasion, I have been known to enjoy mindless action films, provided they are well-choreographed and snappily paced. Excessive Force is neither. It's a textbook example of film making ineptitude. In fact, there is so little to recommend this film that even those who glory in this genre may find this particular entry difficult to like.
© 1993 James Berardinelli