At some point, EXCESSIVE FORCE, which lives up to its title, might have been envisioned as a taut, mysterious, high-action cop thriller. The end result, however, showcases relentless violence over plot--bludgeoning viewers with machine gun fire, bomb blasts, and endless kick-boxing
battles.
When Chicago cop Terry McCain's (Thomas Ian Griffith) two partners are seemingly executed by the mob, the kick-boxing survivor asks his supervisor, Devlin (Lance Henriksen), for permission to seek vengence. Devlin agrees to look the other way, but McCain can't bring himself to kill mob boss Sal
DiMarco (Burt Young). Someone kills DiMarco anyway, and McCain finds himself a suspect. The makers of EXCESSIVE FORCE are not interested in plausibility. The resolution of the plot--with a faked death and silly corruption caper--seems as ridiculous and gratuitous as the violence that precedes it.
Technically, the film is slick, and the cast, which includes James Earl Jones as McCain's bar-owning buddy, turns in the performances required of such a potboiler. Mostly, though, the film seems to be a calling card for Griffith, who co-scripted in addition to playing McCain the
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