Avenging Force
Avenging Force | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Sam Firstenberg |
Written by | James Booth |
Produced by | |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Gideon Porath |
Edited by | Michael J. Duthie |
Music by | George S. Clinton |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $4.7 million[2] |
Avenging Force is a 1986 American
Plot
In the swamps of the Louisiana bayou, two men are hunted and killed by four costumed, well-armed adversaries.
A retired
Matt calls in a favor to his old boss, Admiral Brown, and learns the perpetrators are members of an organization known to US intelligence as the Pentangle. Taking the name of the five-pointed star, the Pentangle is a
Meanwhile, Matt and Larry intentionally foil a second trap set by the Pentangle, which eliminates several more assassins in a dockyard confrontation.
Professor Elliott Glastenbury is the head of Glastenbury Industries and the leader of the Pentangle. He takes personal interest in Matt after he reviews surveillance of the botched Richards hit, Pentangle's first failure. The members Wade Delaney, Jeb Wallace, and Charles Lavall considers asking Matt to join.
Learning that the families are hiding out at Matt's ranch, Glastenbury orders Delaney, Wallace, and Lavall to attack the ranch, kill the Secret Service agents and Matt's grandfather, and set the ranch ablaze. Matt, Sarah, and Larry's wife all escape, and Larry goes back to rescue his youngest son but is shot in the process. As Matt saves them both, Larry asks Matt to protect his son and dies. Meanwhile, Pentangle finds Sarah and Larry's wife hiding outside, takes Sarah hostage, and executes Larry's wife.
Matt attempts to escape via the roof with Larry's son but is shot in the leg while he falls to the ground. The Pentangle gives Matt two weeks to agree to be hunted, or it will kill Sarah. Before leaving, it executes Larry's youngest son in front of an injured Matt.
Two weeks later, Matt shows up to a Cajun bayou party at which the Pentangle members are guests. Matt finds Sarah about to be auctioned off by the
Matt then confronts Glastenbury at his mansion. Declining his offer to join the Pentangle, both duel with Glastenbury's collection of antique weaponry around them. Glastenbury appears to have the upper hand, but Matt impales him on one of his own statues and kills him. Matt goes to the hospital to see Sarah, where Brown congratulates him on a job well done. Matt confronts him that only the Secret Service knew that the families were hiding out on Matt's ranch and so someone in the Service is connected to the Pentangle, which strongly implying that Brown is the unnamed fifth member of the Pentangle's membership. Matt vows to continue fighting the Pentangle and leaves.
Cast
- Michael Dudikoff as Captain Matt Hunter
- Steve James as Larry Richards
- James Booth as Admiral Brown
- Bill Wallace as Wade Delaney
- John P. Ryanas Professor Elliott Glastenbury
- Karl Johnson as Commander Jeb Wallace
- Marc Alaimo as Charles Lavall
- Allison Gereighty as Sarah Hunter
Release
Theatrical
Avenging Force received a theatrical release in the United States on September 12, 1986, opening at the RKO National Twin in New York City, New York, and other theaters.[4]
Home media
Avenging Force was released on VHS and Betamax by Media Home Entertainment.[5][6] In 2014, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US by Kino Lorber.[7]
Reception
Critical response
Nina Darnton, in her review of the film for The New York Times, wrote, "The heros themselves, the movie tirelessly points out, are kind men with strict codes of honor and intense personal loyalties. [...] The enemy is unambiguously bad. These kinds of movies are not strong on subtlety."[4] She compared Dudikoff to "a young Clint Eastwood, though Mr. Dudikoff, a former Adidas model, is more agile than Dirty Harry ever was."[4] The Washington Post's Paul Attanasio also noted a perceived lack of subtlety in the film, and wrote that its action sequences are "orchestrated by director Sam (Doctor Ninja) Firstenberg with his usual panache."[8]
References
- ^ "Avenging Force (18)". British Board of Film Classification. November 4, 1986. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ Avenging Force at Box Office Mojo
- ^ McCormick, James (May 11, 2017). "Ninjas, Break Dancing and Filmmaking: An Interview With Director Sam Firstenberg". That's Not Current. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c Darnton, Nina (September 13, 1986). "Film: 'Avenging Force,' with Michael Dudikoff". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ISBN 0-8103-9404-9.
- ISBN 978-1629338880.
- Amazon.com. December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ Attanasio, Paul (September 15, 1986). "'Avenging Force'". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
External links
- Avenging Force at IMDb
- Avenging Force at Rotten Tomatoes
- Avenging Force at AllMovie
- Avenging Force at Facemelting Films