Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

Force of Execution Blu-ray Movie Review

New words and different faces are all that separate this film from all the others like it.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 15, 2013

It's a Steven Seagal direct-to-video Action film. That pretty much says it all, including "mumbly dialogue," "overwrought plot," "decent action," "slow pace," and "mediocrity." Force of Execution may as well have been constructed from the ground-up straight out of a how-to instruction manual for the genre, a manual Seagal himself probably would have written, if such a thing existed. The film takes no chances to leave the comfy confines of DTV Action land, bringing in a handful of recognizable names to play, for the most part, unrecognizable characters beyond faces, lost behind a lot of needless plot and character complexity. The film, complete with a title that feels like it was grab-bagged from a collection of words that say "action," does its job at a fundamental level, but as is the case with almost all of these sorts, it's a totally forgettable time killer that's nearly indistinguishable from any of its peers beyond the combination of words in its title and faces on the screen.

Executing with force.

An ex-government agent by the name of Alexander Coates (Seagal) has turned to the dark side and become the head of a New Mexico criminal empire. He sends his right-hand man, Roman Hurst (Bren Foster), to eliminate a target serving time in prison. With the help of a contact on the inside, a mystery man known as "Ice" (Ving Rhames), Hurst eliminates the target. Unfortunately, Hurts has gone in blind and Ice deliberately points out the wrong target. Now, Alexander's client, the vicious Dante (Marlon Lewis), wants Hurst's head. Alexander won't have it and permits Dante and his goons only to beat Hurst to within an inch of life, not take it, and forever deprive him of the use of his hands. Six months later, Hurst is a suicidal drunkard with no hope and no future. Nevertheless, his formidable skills are enough to protect his friend Jimmy (Danny Trejo) from trouble. Meanwhile, Ice engages Alexander for control of his empire, and a wounded but still loyal Hurst finds himself fighting for the man who once laid his hand of blessing on his demise.

Force of Execution follows formula with striking precision. The picture blends brooding characters, wannabe moody photography, and some effective but largely generic action and torture scenes into an end product that lacks originality and makes up for it only with base competence. It shows just enough of Steven Seagal working people over by hand and blowing them away by gun to make for a serviceable time killer for the actor's most dedicated fans who have slogged through his recent body of work with films like Pistol Whipped and Driven to Kill. Force of Execution rises a step above thanks to the mere presence of actors like Ving Rhames and Danny Trejo, the former as cool, calculating, and dangerous as ever and the latter in a role that's a welcome departure from his typecast performances in movies like Machete. Bren Foster (not to be confused with Ben Foster) kicks and punches and acts his way to the top of the heap, turning in a solid all-around effort as a broken man -- literally and figuratively -- who finds himself on the violent road to recovery.

Ultimately, Force of Execution does little more than add another title to the crowded, murky sea of DTV Action films. It suffers through stretches of monotony as it often fruitlessly tries to build a plot, world, and the characters that inhabit it beyond the necessary scope for an Action film. Long gone are the glory days of simpleminded and simply effective Action films, days when it was just musclebound hero gets angry and kills everyone when his daughter is kidnapped or, if the plot need be a little more meaty, divorced cop 3,000 miles out of his jurisdiction fights off bad guys holding his wife and other corporate bigwigs hostage. Nowadays it's a collection of brooding, mystery characters with weird, sometimes incomprehensible, allegiances and angles working with and against (and sometimes both) one another for the same old reasons, usually control of some drug empire or some such trite nonsense. At least there aren't any Eastern European bad guys in Force of Execution; they seem to the du jour face of the genre.

Force of Execution Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Force of Execution arrives on Blu-ray with a very strong high definition transfer. Though the opening establishing shot shows some severe edge halos that make rock formations look like they're protected by a force field, the bulk of the image appears natural and as refined as a movie of this production and scope can usually muster. Detail is quite strong throughout. Faces are particularly well defined, as are clothing textures. From Bren Foster's and Steven Seagal's facial hair to the fine wear on Ving Rhames' leather jacket, the transfer shows precise details in nearly every close-up shot. Colors enjoy an evenness and authenticity throughout, evident both in bright scenes and darker scenes alike. Black levels are true and flesh tones are accurate. There is a bit of noise in some of the darker scenes and a touch of banding in places but these flaws are rather limited in screen time. This is a quality presentation from Anchor Bay.

Force of Execution Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Anchor Bay's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack for Force of Execution proves rather typical of modern DTV Action films presented on Blu-ray. It works well and never disappoints, but it's not so robust, effortless, or natural as to make any sort of lasting impression. Still, it handles all its elements with confidence. Musical delivery is rich and smooth, nicely spaced, and supported by a bit of surround information. Bass kicks rather heavily in a club and helps shape a rather authentic sonic atmosphere. Gunfire doesn't blast with the sort of authenticity found in the finest tracks, but it's hardly a disappointment. Dialogue is generally even and clear, whether Seagal's raspy voice or Rhames' deep, confident presentation. Voices do go a little muddled and get slightly lost during a club scene in chapter four, but the track otherwise handles the spoken word well. All around, this is a rock-solid effort from Anchor Bay.

Force of Execution Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Force of Execution features only 'Force of Execution:' Behind the Story (HD, 17:14), a piece that features cast and crew recounting the plot, the cast's performances and an excellent clip of Ving Rhames discussing the acting process, Seagal's work beyond the part in the film, and Trejo's performance. The piece also looks at the action scenes, fight choreography, and weapons. A DVD copy of the film is included in the case.

Force of Execution Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Force of Execution grossly lacks originality, both in its plot and in its Steven Seagal performance. Really, the former feels like most of the other DTV Action movies of the last half-decade, and one could almost edit the same Seagal performance into a dozen movies, digitally alter the background, and call it done. The movie does earn a few points for solid efforts from Rhames, Foster, and Trejo, however, and there are a few tasty morsels even in the vastness of the film's adherence to genre standards. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Force of Execution features good video and audio. One supplement is included. Rent it.