L.A TASK FORCE is an action flick from director Stephen Lieb and Gun For Hire Films. It's not very good. It's only available internationally right now, and I predict that it won't get a U.S. release anytime soon. While it's got the makings of a decent adrenaline piece in the vein of PM Entertainment movies, it's sloppy and boring beyond redemption.
The story: A Los Angeles detective (Rocky Ferera) assembles a team of three standout police officers (Rod Kei, Matt Diagostine, and Daryl Mak) to catch an elusive serial killer (Andrew Biss).
I've seen cheaper movies, but this one's pretty darn emaciated, with hollow locations and a total lack of aesthetic flair. Worse yet is the editing, which fumbles every fast-paced scene with poor cuts and unnecessary slow motion. The writing is about as weak as the acting, with the performers unable to paint with even the little bit of color their characters are given. Worst of all is how horribly this movie has aged technically: perhaps there's a better release out there somewhere, but on mine, the soundtrack is a terrible one-track thing that alternatively drowns out both the score and dialogue and bleeds them together for a really painful listen.
The only good thing this has going for it is its action content – part of it, at least. The shootouts are occasionally bloody but fall victim to the aforementioned editing problems, thus necessitating much from the fistfights. Luckily, the fight scenes end up being pretty respectable and are decent showcases for the skills of Rod Kei and Matt Diagostine, both professional martial artists. Sadly, there are only two full-length brawls to be had, so they won't keep your mind off the film's worse aspects for long.
In my book, the ultimate sin a movie can commit is to bore me, and L.A. TASK FORCE did that within 23 minutes. By the end of its 83-minute runtime, I felt as though I'd completed an unfulfilling chore. I'm disappointed that none of the stars and major production members had much of a film career, but after seeing this, I can see why they didn't.
