One Man Force

I was working at a video store when I found this tape on sale for $1. I couldn't resist: the title, the graphics, and even the tag line ("Jake Swan vs. the LAPD: Now the sides are even!").

On one hand, the movie has everything you might want: a highly original plot (tough cop's good partner killed, starting an out-of-control revenge thing), crappy synthesizer music with the standard 80s electric guitar riffs, witty one-liners, vaguely memorable action scenes, and even some well-intentioned messages about smoking dope. On the other hand, even I couldn't bear the whole thing. But it's definitely worth it for certain moments, like when John Matuszak "goes wild" and wrecks his boss' desk after being told he's out of control. And who could forget the searing innuendo when he tells a woman who comments on how big and tall he is that "everything is in proportion." That's the sort of thing that stays with you for a while, although apparently not that long, because I'm already having trouble remembering a lot of this movie.

What it comes down to is that you really must just see this movie for yourself. Get a pack of Schlitz, a couple Slim Jims, and pretend it's still 1989, if only for an hour and a half. But bear in mind that if you pay more than a couple dollars for it, you'll probably hate yourself.

My review was written in July 1989 after watching the film on Academy video cassette.

An okay action pic, "One Man Force" is notable as a rare starring role for the late John Matuszak, who does well as a sensitive, tough guy detective.

Film was briefly test-released theatrically in June but more logically will find its niche in video stores.

Matuszak plays an L. A. cop who goes on the rampage when his partner (Sam Jones) is killed by drug dealers. His boss is a police lieutenant essayed by Ronny Cox, identical to his "Beverly Hills Cop" film roles but with a twist at pic's end.

Main plot has him hired (after being suspended from the force) to solve the kidnapping of a rock star (played by Stacey Q), which Matuszak ultimately links to a money-laundering ring.

Pic is buoyed by an excellent supporting cast of familiar talent including Sharon Farrell as a diner owner and Charles Napier as a villain. Matuszak handles the physical action with aplomb and also is effective in several dramatic scenes.

Tech credits are above average, including an energetic musical score by David Michael Frank.

Cinematically, One Man Force is ground breaking. In the glut of Renegade Cop action movies churned out by the Hollywood Movie Machine, OMF was a breath of fresh air, satirising the clichés and the stereotypes at extreme levels to create a stand-out masterpiece that really is on another level - in every sense of the term.

The victim of the movie is a female singer, who perfectly sends up the 'damsel in distress' caricature which frequents so many 1980's blockbusters. By playing her helplessness to the extreme, the director really mocks the patriarchal overtones so many Action movies seem to possess . In one scene, the female character is left in a prison cell with Jake Swan. Jake is trust up like a chicken, while she is free to roam around for corn, and yet the dynamic of the situation is clear - he is still the power-holder and the one who is expected to lead the escape, while she shrivels in the corner wailing like a ruddy banshee. Much like Sacha Baron Cohen parodied xenophobia with Borat, this scene brilliantly parodies the 'poor useless girl' movie stereotype, in a comical (albeit not-very-subtle) manner. Later, the singer dies. Her death brings another level of meaning to her character - it is clear to the audience that she was the personification of Life itself: Short, Fragile and Beautiful. And if that isn't deep, I don't know what is.

The villains of this movie brilliantly parody typical Hollywood 'Baddies' of this era - Foreign, Greasy and One Dimensional. Despite Mexican being their mother tongue, the criminals speak English to each other even when there are no Americans in the scene - what more of a perfect way to encapsulate on screen the spreading of White Western Power and the homogenisation of American Culture.

I said this film was ground breaking, and never more so than in the fact it dared to set a scene in a Gay Bar, despite it being totally irrelevant to the plot. Let's remember this was the late eighties, and as far as everyone knew, Gay people were responsible for AIDS, Locust plagues and Wham. Jake Swan gets into a fight and swings a Gayman round in circles by a dog lead attached to the Gay's neck. This act of unnecessary aggression is a powerful metaphor for America's attitude to the LGBT community in the 1980's. This scene holds an unwanted mirror up to Americas intolerance, it shows the audience that by idolising the 'All American Hero', they are allowing for homophobia to manifest and grow by supporting the idea of 'Machismo'.

The main character, Jake Swan, deserves a paragraph to himself. His bulking frame is the first clue that this is a man who satirises Movie Macho Men to the hilt. By purposefully making the character as bland, violent and one dimensional as the criminals he is fighting, the Director cleverly highlights everything that is wrong with Hollywood's love of vigilantism. Throughout the film, the audience are forced to question who really is the villain of the show as Jake Swan, the supposed 'Hero' of this masterpiece, becomes more and more unlikeable. His thirst for violence and total disregard for the rules actually cost more lives and cause more damage than the real villains do. Jake's relationship with his stepson is a can of worms that I could open and talk for hours about, but I wont due to the word limit I am fast approaching. All I will say is that their Step father/son relationship Is a fantastic representation of the modern American family - broken and struggling.

One Man truly is a Force - a Force of nature, that is. Forget Schitezen Cain or Schindler's list ( That didn't work) - if you want truly timeless cinema, watch OMF.

One of the best types of films are the "cop on the edge" ones. You know the ones I'm talking about: The cop gets thrown off the case by his chief and he goes renegade to bring a criminal to justice. The are so many like "Cobra", "Cop", or most recently "Narc". "One Man Force" is one the best. Every line is a cliché like ("Get off my back chief!") John Matuszak plays Jake Swan, a no-nonsense cop who doesn't play by the rules, but when his partner is killed, he becomes a "One Man Force" to stop the bad guys. Matuszak puts in a fun performance as Jake. He is supported by excellent character actors Charles Napier, Ronny Cox, and fan favorite Richard Lynch. If you can find a copy, it's definitely one for your collection.

One other thing: The tagline For OMF is as follows: "Jake Swan: Narcotics Detective: 6'8-280 lbs-21" biceps, 55" chest. No One enforces the law like he does!" There's no reason to show off his 55" chest...? For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Former American footballer John Matuszak is a one man force to reckon with... be it through psychical altercations or ham fisted dialogue delivery. And there isn't a shortage of it, since Matuazak knows no other with his bull in a China shop tenacity. And this go for broke tenacity doesn't cop out when it came to the stunt work either. It won't disappoint.

While you can call this star vehicle clunky, and daft. Namely due to Matuszak. Still it's a highly entertaining action fare of a hot-headed renegade cop seeking vengeance for the death of his detective partner but in the process uncovering something much more bigger, and dangerous. Adding to the fun is a solid support cast to boot; Ronny Cox, Richard Lynch, Charles Napier, Sharon Farrell, Robert Tessier. Also amusingly showing up towards the end is a creative, yet fitting Pepsi product placement.