Verdict
Summary
This was an early effort from Norton and Urquidez (who would both appear together again in Kick Fighter), so I can’t blame them, but Joe Lewis had already starred in Jaguar Lives! so what was his excuse? Clouse turned in what feels like a halfhearted attempt at an action movie with generic set-ups and forgettable action scenes. I’d really hoped that this would be something special. Still, Urquidez is great in it. Norton is fun too.
Plot:
A team of mercenaries are hired to rescue a young woman from a cult.
Review:
Force: Five is one of those movies I waited years to see, and when I finally watched it, I was really disappointed. I had high expectations: It’s from director Robert Clouse, who made Enter the Dragon and Gymkata, two of my favorites, and it stars some great martial artists like Richard Norton, Joe Lewis, and Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. How could this movie let me down? The story is simple, and that’s fine: An evil reverend (Master Bong Soo Han from Kill the Golden Goose) has brainwashed an army of average citizens into forking over their bank accounts and savings to fund his cause. One young woman (played by Amanda Wyss from Better Off Dead) has a concerned father who hires a team of mercenaries to rescue her from the reverend’s cult. The team’s members consist of Norton, Lewis, and Urquidez, amongst some others. The best parts of the movie involve the introductions of each of the mercenaries. Norton beats up a bunch of guys in a pool hall; Urquidez does some crazy stuff to some thugs in an outdoor shopping area. I thought, “Oh, man, this is gonna be good!” But then the movie gets redundant and ugly, focusing on the evil reverend’s torture methods, and there were no surprises. The fights tend to be lackluster, and attempts at humor fall flat.
This was an early effort from Norton and Urquidez (who would both appear together again in Kick Fighter), so I can’t blame them, but Joe Lewis had already starred in Jaguar Lives! so what was his excuse? Clouse turned in what feels like a halfhearted attempt at an action movie with generic set-ups and forgettable action scenes. I’d really hoped that this would be something special. Still, Urquidez is great in it. Norton is fun too. Also with Bob Schott from Gymkata.
MVD Rewind Collection upgrades the previous DVD from Scorpion by presenting the film in high definition for fans of the film and for newcomers. Previous special features, which include some archival interviews, are ported over, and it also comes with a fold out poster and a slipcover.
Bonus Materials
- High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature in 1.85:1 aspect ratio
- LPCM 2.0 Mono Audio
- Optional English Subtitles
- Archival Interview with actor Joe Lewis (50:08)
- Archival Interview with Benny Urquidez (8:59)
- Archival ‘Benny Urquidez Fight’ featurette (6:41)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
- Collectible Mini-Poster
- Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)