Maximum Force

MAXIMUM FORCE is a solid B-movie action thriller from the early 1990s, directed by the prolific Joseph Merhi. It takes a predictable storyline - in which a trio of renegade cops must team up to take down a corrupt businessman whom each has a vendetta against - and executes it with solid efficiency. It's the sort of film that's always going to pale in comparison to bigger budgeted fare, but one which remains enjoyable enough as a diversion.

The cast is headlined by Sam Jones (FLASH GORDON), who's wooden but imposing as a tough, kickboxing cop. Think Dolph Lundgren in THE PUNISHER and you'll be close. Sherrie Rose is the trademark blonde sidekick, although she does get the chance to hold her own in a couple of fight scenes. Finally, the weapons/technology expert is played by Jason Lively, of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS/NATIONAL LAMPOON'S European VACATION fame. He brings the comedy.

MAXIMUM FORCE has plenty of action going for it so it remains entertaining through, and I'll forever be a fan of those '90s-era martial arts fights in which every kick and punch is accompanied by a ridiculously loud 'thud' sound effect. Plus there are cameos for Mickey Rooney (of all people!) and PREDATOR's Sonny Landham, a supporting turn from John Saxon as a cop, and cult favourite Richard Lynch (CUT AND RUN) playing the villain. What's not to love?

This may be the best B Grade action movie ever, simply because it takes Flash Gordon, Roeper from Enter The Dragon, Rusty from National Lampoon's European Vacation and Golan/Globus's best bad guy, Richard Lynch!! Throw in the "greatest actor in the world, the WORLD!!!" Mickey Rooney, and get the movie directed by b-movie star Jalal Merhi's brother Joseph Merhi, and you have MAXIMUM FORCE, the well oiled machine of a movie that delivers with 2nd rate action, 3rd rate nudity, and a cameo from former porn star Sonny Landham (as a pimp), who's taken on Carl Weathers, Eddie Murphy, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone, AND Arnold himself. Seriously, this movie is something you're bound to see late night on tv, but that is good since it will help you fall asleep.

"Maximum Force" is a perfect example of where less would have been best. There are several scenes that are simply unbearably long. The endless training session in the warehouse should be skipped entirely as it is beyond boring. A close second on the tedious scale would be the repetitive exploding remote control cars scene, which goes on and on. The acting by Sam Jones , Sherrie Rose, and Jason Lively is not even close to average. The welcome appearance of Richard Lynch, John Saxon, and Mickey Rooney, elevates the acting grade somewhat. If you are a fan of Lynch, I would seek this one out. Even though he plays his usual "slimeball" villain, he is so good at it. Overall the film is extremely uneven, mostly because of the previously mentioned long dead spots. Nevertheless it is watchable as long as you have the remote in hand. MERK

I'll cut to the chase...."Maximum Force" is a third-rate action picture at best. But I decided to watch it for one reason...I've seen most of Mickey Rooney's movies and he, sadly, is in this one. This isn't a huge surprise, as later in his career, Rooney would appear in pretty much anything...a far cry from a time in 1938-1940 when he was the #1 actor in the world!

In many ways, this PM Entertainment film looks like a Steven Seagal production of the 90s...but with even less quality. It's all action, big on explosions and low on common sense and believability. It's not intended to be an art film, that's for sure!

Three tough but frustrated screw-up cops are recruited by police Captain Fuller (John Saxon) to take down Max Tenabe (Richard Lynch)...the leader of a criminal empire dealing in, well, pretty much anything illegal. This will mean TEAMWORK instead of their usual methods...which are to go in alone and kick butt. Can they manage to stop Tenabe AND can they somehow avoid prison for all the laws they break to do this?

The best thing this movie has going for it is Richard Lynch. He's always scary and very effective in villain roles and he manages to infuse some quality into this movie. As for the rest of the movie, well, it's pretty bad. It's full of mindless action, bad montages and goofball scenes. It' looks as if the filmmakers didn't even try to make it believable.

But despite this, if you do still decide to watch the film, note the a few of the ridiculous scenes. One of the heroes is shot at very close range by what appears to be a .357 handgun. He's just fine....no complaints, no broken sternum...nothing!! Or, handcuffing a guy to a van and then driving all over town...dragging him. He's even driven INTO a phone booth as a cop in a patrol car watches...and does nothing to stop them. Or, the scene where the hero shoots a guy hanging from a helicopter...about 100 yards away...with a handgun!

At first glance, MAXIMUM FORCE is a standard action B-movie, but while it probably never aspired to be more than a direct-to-video adrenaline package, what we have here is actually a missed opportunity at a potentially great action outing. With a fantastic cast to its name and action filmmaker extraordinaire Joseph Merhi directing, this should have amounted to a higher rating than I'm giving it now. The film has its moments, but loses out due to misuse of its performers and a mediocre plot.

The story: In a last-ditch effort to apprehend an untouchable crime lord (Richard Lynch), a secret strike force of dedicated cops (played by Sam Jones, Sherrie Rose, and Jason Lively) is assembled to take the fight directly to him.

I like seeing Sherrie Rose in action roles and Jason Lively is fun enough to watch, but Sam Jones' staid role stifles his usual charisma and likability. Richard Lynch can play an evil character with the slightest of effort, but he hardly does anything here besides hold ominous meetings with other bad guys. Other members of the dramatic cast include John Saxon, Mickey Rooney, Sonny Landham, Ken Davitian, and Michael DeLano, and while they do well enough with the screen time they have, they are all relegated to fairly limited roles with little to no action. This is all the more disappointing when considering that this is one of PM Entertainment's "serious" action films – one that tries to convey moments of genuine drama and some semblance of a social message. Why have all these cool actors if most of them are only in one or two scenes?

I had not expected this to be a martial arts movie, so imagine my surprise when the number of full-length karate fights neared a dozen. The extended martial cast includes Ken McLeod, Steven Ho, Dino Homsey, Dennis Keiffer, Zak Lee, Satch Williams, and Roger and Ron Yuan: a genuinely good hand for martial arts enthusiasts. The fights scenes end up being hit-and-miss, partially due to the fact that not all of the above-mentioned performers get to fight. Sam Jones and Sherrie Rose look surprising adept at martial arts and both get at least one decent match; Jones' showdown with Jeff Langton probably constitutes the best brawl of the film. Nevertheless, a bit more flair in general would have helped make more of the matches memorable. The non-kickboxing action portions are even blander and consist mainly of explosions.

What eventually keeps the movie from a higher rating is its limited energy. Merhi and PM tend to be great at delivering rollicking adventure flicks, but this one feels particularly restrained and suffers for it (perhaps they had to put up a serious front to get some of the more famous actors to sign?). The storyline tries to make its points about police corruption stick and make some of its deaths meaningful, but the film simply lacks both the finesse and the legitimacy for that. Treat this one strictly as a digital rental.