Force: Five Blu Ray Review (MVD Rewind Collection)

Force: Five is a 1981 action film written and directed by Robert Clouse (Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones, China O’Brien franchise, Game of Death, Deadly Eyes, The Pack, Battle Creek Brawl). It was produced by Fred Weintraub (Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones, Truck Turner, China O’Brien franchise, A Show of Force, Invasion of the Bee Girls, and Battle Creek Brawl). It’s considered a loose remake of 1976’s Hot Potato. A powerful and dangerous cult, hidden on a remote island fortress, has brainwashed the daughter of a U.S. senator. With local authorities powerless and time running out, the government turns to a highly specialized team of martial arts experts known as “Force: Five” which includes Laurie (played by: Pam Huntington from They Call Me Bruce, The Love Mates, and The Facts of Life), Lockjaw (played by: Sonny Barnes from Black Belt Jones, Truck Turner, Gymkata, and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan), Ezekiel (played by: Richard Norton from Mad Max franchise, Mr. Nice Guy, China O’Brien franchise, Forced Vengeance, Lady Dragon, and The Octagon), Billy Ortega (played by: Benny “the Jet ” Urquidez from Road House, Dragons Forever, Grosse Pointe Blank, and Spider-Man) and Willard (played by: Ron Hayden from Walker Texas Ranger, Spy Kids 2, and American Outlaws). They are led by seasoned agent Jim Martin (played by: Joe Lewis from Jaguar Lives!, Bloodmoon, Kill ’em All, and Death Fighter), the team includes five elite fighters, each with unique combat skills everything from unarmed street-fighting to karate to high-impact kickboxing. Their mission: infiltrate the island compound, uncover the secrets of the cult’s charismatic ran by it’s manipulative leader Reverend Rhee (played by: Bong Soo Han from The Kentucky Fried Movie, The Trial of Billy Jack, Kill the Golden Goose, and The Little Dragons), and rescue the senator’s daughter Cindy Lester (played by: Amanda Wyss from A Nightmare on Elm Street, Silverado, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Better Off Dead) before she becomes permanently indoctrinated–or worse!!!! Force: Five is a extremely low budget action feature from veteran director Robert Clouse so it’s a little better than what you would expect from something like this. It does have some unintentional humor to it so it adds to it’s random as hell charm. It has a familiar concept that so many used in the sub-genre during the 80’s but it’s always a fun idea for some wild chaos. Action actor Richard Norton shows up as the tough Ezekiel. Norton had some good great moments and roles during this time especially for this genre. His presence always elevated something like Force: Five. He’s a former bodyguard with killer martial arts skills. Bong Soo Han as Reverend Rhee is similar to the real life Jim Jones. It’s that type of villain, he’s able to convince the lost into his deadly cult. It’s a solid performance, he’s unlikable but he has the power to control others. Actress Amanda Wyss is the kidnapped daughter of the senator Cindy Lester. She’s feisty but she gets herself into a rough scenario with a disturbed group. The rest of the supporting cast includes Pam Huntington, Joe Lewis, Sonny Barnes, Benny Urquidez, Ron Hayden, Bob Schott (Head of the Family), Michael Prince (Death Wish II), Peter MacLean (Squirm), Mel Novak (Game of Death), Tom Villard (Popcorn), Matthew Tobin (The Doctors), Dennis Mancini (The Executioner: Part II), Patricia Alice Albrecht (Jem), Edith Fields (House Party), Loren Janes (Halloween III: Season of the Witch), Don Charles McGovern (Con Air), Keith Vitali (Revenge of the Ninja), Frank Dux (Bloodsport), Pat E. Johnson (The Karate Kid franchise), and Nora Denney (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). Force: Five has all kinds of real life fighters in this so it’s fight and stunt choreography are organic. All of the battles feel natural and it elevates this smaller production. Those kickboxers don’t mess around. It has strong violence and over the top action so it delivers. It doesn’t take itself that seriously despite it’s main mission. It has plenty of good moments that stand out, it stays to it’s timeframe. It still feels like an 80’s vibe so it holds up as a cinematic time capsule. It’s packed with replay and entertainment value. It’s a total blast, it’s something to turn your brain off and just enjoy. RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from the MVD Rewind Collection! This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer appears to the same as 2016 restoration from the Scorpion Releasing Blu Ray that was a Screen Archives exclusive. It’s still a big upgrade compared to all of it’s past home video releases from back in the day. It has English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. It has all kinds of action and violence so it definitely helps with the audio for this. All of the dialogue is very clean, the fighting is elevated, and the music has a big boost to it. It has actually has English SDH subtitles which wasn’t available on the previous Blu Ray. It has the same “Original Theatrical Trailer” as the Scorpion Releasing but that was the only extra on that one. This Collector’s Edition has a variety and harder to find material. They are all upscaled standard definition. It has the little over 50 minute “Interview” with lead actor Joe Lewis. This is some rare raw and unedited footage. He talks about his background and fighting style. He goes over learning from Bruce Lee and his teaching style. He chats about having the chance to work with the legendary Lee. He goes into great detail about the iconic martial artist. It has the almost 9 minute “Interview” with Benny “the Jet ” Urquidez. He chats about fighting techniques and the history of it. The fighter does an unwrapping demonstration here. This is more about the fighter, it doesn’t relate to the actual movie. It has an almost 7 minute “Featurette” for kickboxer Benny “the Jet ” Urquidez. This one actually has some fight footage. It predates the UFC and it’s what became really popular later on. He opens up some about his personal life. He does a little tour of his dojo. This is in German. It has a Van Damme inspired “MVD Rewind Trailer Gallery” which features Knock Off, Lionheart, & Double Impact. It has a retro looking slipcover, reversible artwork, and a mini poster. This is one of the better re-releases from MVD Rewind, it has a good amount stuff that wasn’t on anything else. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!