COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - OPPOSING FORCE (RONIN FLIX BLU RAY)
When it comes to action movies, it’s hard to argue that the 1980s was one of the best decades for the genre. Much like in horror, action movies benefited greatly from the advancement in practical effects creating an abundance of movies that were all kind of alike. Heavy on effects and often light on plot, action movies of this era almost always exhibited a distinct separation between good and bad. There was no gray area with respect to any character's intentions, which made it easier to root for the “heroes” dispensing their deadly brand of justice while not concerning yourself with the morality of slaughtering all of their “enemies”. This cognitive dissonance shows up in all genres, where people often fear more for the safety of an animal than that of the human beings in a movie. The depth of action films of the 1980s at large could be considered shallow at best, but that doesn’t mean that the same films aren’t some of the most entertaining in existence. One such film, released on BLU RAY by RONIN FLIX is 1986’s OPPOSING FORCE. Should you blast some space on your shelf for this 80s actioner or would it be best to hold the line on this opposing force?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The only female soldier in a military experiment designed to simulate POW torture conditions falls victim to the commanding officer. He justifies his insidious actions upon her as a training technique. When Logan rebels with her and tries to dust out the others, it causes an all-out war!
HOW IS IT?
OPPOSING FORCE is a film very much of its time. It was a time when the US military was beginning to be seen more as a threat than an ally in some parts of the world, and general distrust of the government and military-industrial complex was on the rise. The illusion of safety that the US Military image projected gave way to an increased level of anxiety around bad actors within the ranks, and OPPOSING FORCE exploits that sentiment in the most surface-level way. It’s certainly not the best action film of its era, but it has a bombastic ending that makes up for a timid and sluggish second act.
The story at the core of OPPOSING FORCE is a solid and simple one; a group of military elites goes to an extreme training simulation run by a high-ranking official who is lost the plot. It’s Apocalypse Now meets Battle Royale except not quite. In spite of an interesting setup, the first two acts of the movie take an awfully long time to do very little. The whole group gets captured, at which point the Major (Tom Skerritt) and Lieutenant (Lisa Eichhorn) have developed a pseudo-relationship, and the nefarious Commander Bekcer (Anthony Zerbe) singles out the Lutitenant to sexually abuse her. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad is tortured and tormented under the guise that this is a simulated POW camp. This all sounds quite exciting, right? Well, it is and it isn’t. So much of what happens is the passing of time, and when it comes time for some of the more grizzly scenes the film pulls back and doesn’t really give you a sense of danger. Thankfully, the third act picks things up a lot.
Similar to many horror films, if you can’t stick the take-off you sure as hell better stick the landing. OPPOSING FORCE does a great job of ratcheting up the action to 11 in the last 20 minutes, and is a fine example of the opulence and scale that the action genre enjoyed during this period. One particular scene of note is a boat and helicopter chase that is choreographed to perfection and elevates the film right out of a minor slump as it barrels toward its inevitable conclusion. Even though there isn’t a lot of depth to any of the characters, these films never really thrived on that anyway. What we are here to see is people getting shot, blown up, and bloodied. To that end, OPPOSING FORCE delivers on those expectations in the end even if it stumbles to build momentum prior. For action aficionados, this is a high recommendation, for the casuals you may want to consider checking it out on streaming first.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
RONIN FLIX has been on a roll lately with the old MGM catalog they have gotten a hold of, and OPPOSING FORCE is just another example that there are still some hidden studio gems out there. OPPOSING FORCE is presented in a 2019 1080p HD Master sourced from the original film elements with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The film looks clean and crisp and feels more modern in this presentation in spite of being an almost 40-year-old film. Images from this disc are used throughout this review and can be seen below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
OPPOSING FORCE includes a DTS-HD 2.0 stereo track along with English subtitles for the hearing impaired. While the action scenes and score resonate loud and clear, the dialogue is often much softer in comparison. I found myself having to consistently lower and raise the volume between big set pieces and dialogue-heavy scenes. It's not terrible audio mixing, but not the greatest either.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Similar to other MGM releases, this one comes with minimal special features. One such special feature is a new audio commentary with Director Eric Karson. While I did not rewatch the film with the commentary, I did watch the Alternative Ending included. More of an expanded ending than an alternative one, this version doesn’t end the film as abruptly and offers more closure for the Lieutenant character. It doesn’t fundamentally change anything, and I can see why they cut it as it feels a bit like filler.
LAST RITES
OPPOSING FORCE is a solid action film from an era where movies like these were a dime a dozen. While it won’t land on anyone’s most-watched list, the final act is a prime example of dumb action done right and this would be a worthy addition to the machismo collection if you got one.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! OPPOSING FORCE is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT or RONIN FLIX DIRECT!
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