Poder de Fogo

Michael Winner's films aren't complete without a lot of blood, and this one has enough to fill a bucket or two.

James Coburn is the retired hitman who comes back in to kidnap a certain Karl Stegner, a mysterious and very wealthy man wanted by the IRS and various other federal agencies.

Coburn teams up mainly with OJ Simpson, with some dubious assistance from Sophia Loren, and we have a 70s high-tech sort of caper. Lots of gadgetry, most of it explosive, large quantities of double-crossing and shooting, plenty of pretty shots of the Caribbean from floating gin palaces, and a plot of such ludicrous over-complexity that it's silly.

It was obviously immense fun to make: several very large houses get burned down, bulldozed and otherwise trashed. As do various means of transportation. With lots of explosions and shooting.

It's implausible and it's almost impossible to understand why anyone would do what these people do, but apparently this is what they do. Bullets fly and things blow up.

There is an awful lot of frenetic activity, constantly accompanied by the sound of gunfire with regular scenes of conflagration.

Did I mention that there's a lot of shooting and explosions in this? In case I didn't, there is, as well as a very confusing plot.

It's not a very good movie.

Jerry Fanon (James Coburn) is a nice mercenary....sort of a James Bond up for hire. The US government hires him to locate and bring a mob boss, Stegner, back to pay for his crimes. But Stegner is in the Caribbean and extraditing him isn't possible. So, with his buddy, Catlett (O. J. Simpson), the pair make their way to there. However, almost no one knows WHAT Stegner looks like and Fanon wants to kill two stones...to capture Stegner AND to bring back a mob widow (Sophia Loren) who appears to be a prisoner of Stegner and his goons.

In some ways, this plays like a James Bond film but with LOTS more explosions and killing. Realistic? No way...but nice mindless adventure...especially the steam shovel bit. My only complaint is there the end...when all sorts of vehicles blow up and WHY is never explained. Why would one of the baddies keep blowing up cars with his goons inside. This really made no sense and it's almost like a piece of the story is missing....the WHY.

Forgettable time-waster, without purpose or meaning. It proves that even a few wild car chases and large-scale explosions can't sustain a desperately uninteresting and uninvolving story. The large cast is largely underused. (*1/2)

Sophia Loren is out for revenge and the FBI wants to get one of the world's richest men who is a Howard Hughes like recluse. This guy put out a hit on her husband who was blown up in a laboratory with a mail bomb. What to do, but call in the FBI in the person of Vincent Gardenia.

But getting the Hughes like gazillionaire ain't easy so the FBI calls in a consultation with the Mafia as represented by Eli Wallach. Lots of Firepower will be needed, but even more brains. The best guy for the job is independent contractor James Coburn who sets out to storm the rich guy's fortress on Antigua.

The nice Caribbean location and the chance to see a few movie names are the only reason to see this ridiculous action thriller. Both Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson turned this one down and poor James Coburn was left holding the bag. Bronson, who worked with director Michael Winner on any number of projects, left this cold, so you know he was hearing the faint sounds of Thanksgiving.

Even Anthony Franciosa, one of the most underrated players ever, looks ridiculous in this as the doctor feel good to the rich and reclusive. Add to that Billy Barty as a midget mob boss and you get the idea how ridiculous this one is.

Unless you like all the stars like I do and want to see O.J. Simpson get what's coming to him, stay away from Firepower.

A truly epic cast of Hollywood heavyweights descend upon the idyllic backdrop of St Lucia, in a meandering action-thriller concerning a widow (Loren) who hires reputable mercenary Coburn to search for those responsible for her husband's assassination.

A galaxy of mega-stars blur the lines between allies and enemies, the intricate plot twists hatch an array of ruses, red herrings and cross and double cross subplots with which it's sometimes difficult to keep pace. Apparent continuity errors don't help the situation, but the undeniable charisma of the cast is hard not to like. OJ and Coburn make a watchable pairing, whilst bona fide stars Wallach and Mature are largely confined to bit parts, or in Mature's case, a solitary cameo lasting little more than 30 seconds. Bad guys Franciosa and Grizzard are potentially the highlights in the deep and diverse international cast.

Winner's trademark quick cuts, comic-book characters, pyrotechnics and opulent set design allied with Lord Grade's penchant for big names and lavish locations, create a colourful 70s aesthetic which admittedly is pure hokum, and yet never dull nor tedious.