Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The First Power Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 29, 2014

After his unexpected breakthrough in 1987’s “La Bamba,” actor Lou Diamond Phillips went out searching for a niche. For a few years, it seemed the action genre was going to be his best bet at sustaining a career, with 1988’s “Young Guns” leading to 1989’s “Renegades,” soon taking a solo lead role in 1990’s “The First Power.” A dedicated performer, Phillips finds comfort in this serial killer thriller, completely convincing as a cop on the edge, tracking an elusive madman with ties to Satanism. While it lacks a commanding third act, the picture is satisfactorily guided by writer/director Robert Resnikoff, who would go on to abandon Hollywood entirely. It’s a shame he didn’t mount another production, as the helmer stages impressive stunt sequences and arranges a digestible take on screen menace, using Phillips and co-star Jeff Kober quite well in this unremarkable but effective B-movie.

With Patrick (Jeff Kober), the “Pentagram Killer,” terrorizing Los Angeles with his murder spree, cop Logan (Lou Diamond Phillips) is determined to catch his man, finding assistance from an anonymous phone caller who seems to know where the boogeyman will strike. Successfully taking down the ghoul, Logan is eager to watch Patrick die in the gas chamber, ridding himself of a case that’s wrecked him psychologically. Hoping to restore his routine, Logan is hit with nightmarish visions and sounds tied to Patrick’s return, while psychic Tess (Tracy Griffith) steps into view, also haunted by the killer’s ghostly presence. Teaming up to figure out how a dead man has returned to the land of the living, Logan and Tess are soon confronted with Patrick’s ability to possess innocent souls, using the helpless to attack those daring to thwart his celebration of evil and his wicked plans for Logan.

“The First Power” doesn’t build like a standard procedural. Within the first five minutes, the hunt for Patrick is on, with Logan playing connect-the-dots with murder locations around Los Angeles, forming a pentagram on his map. Evil is established quickly, allowing the movie to hit the ground running, with the cops spread out over a corner of the city waiting for Patrick to strike again. This is no ordinary thrill-kill type of monster, but a deeply disturbed individual who’s handed himself over to Satan, using quivering victims as sacrificial lambs to perfect powers that aren’t identified in the first act. In a rare moment of economical storytelling, Resnikoff defines the conflict without fussing with the details, exploring the cat-and-mouse showdown with squealing-tire chase efforts and shots of Patrick’s ritualistic methods of intimidation, about to “open up” his latest victim physically and spiritually. “The First Power” gets off to a rousing start and remains there for the next hour.

Surveying Patrick’s elusive evil, Resnikoff slowly introduces more horror elements into the picture, with Logan experiencing visions of bloodshed, also bearing witness to the horrible deaths of fellow cops. “The First Power” isn’t scary, but this juggling of tones works to a certain degree due to Resnikoff’s screenwriting, which allows Logan some vulnerability and fallibility to keep away from the pure hero routine, often leaning on Tess’s psychic skills to manage Patrick’s deadly mischief. There’s a touch of character depth as well, with Logan beginning to question his lack of faith during this troubling time, turning to the church for answers that logic can’t provide.

Small dramatic additions are valuable, especially when the majority of “The First Power” concentrates on aggressive encounters between Logan and the various souls Patrick elects to puppet around. For a low-budget feature, the stuntwork here is exceptional, watching bodies hurled off buildings and cars flipping around the freeway. The rough stuff generates the surprise Resnikoff is looking to achieve, adding needed impossibility to Patrick’s reign of terror, hitting a few visceral highs as “The First Power” scrambles around town for suspense. Phillips’s energized performance also bulges the proceedings, transforming Logan into an open wound cop who’s in over his head, unsure how to fight an enemy that doesn’t even utilize his own body. As the demon, Kober is suitably wicked (he looks the part too), but the picture is best when highlighting Logan and Tess’s efforts to navigate new threats, with fellow cops and a homeless woman coming after the pair.

The First Power Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It's impressive how the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation manages to preserve the low-budget feature's dark cinematography. Although select scenes are truly challenge by minimal lighting, crush isn't a major issue here, with consistent delineation allowing for a satisfying look at shadowed events. Color is equally enthusiastic, with refreshed hues giving life to blood reds and street life, while skintones are accurate. Inherent cinematographic softness remains, but detail is strong, with body trauma and make-up effects textured, while skin surfaces register purely. Overt damage isn't noticeable.

The First Power Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix keeps up the sinister mood of the picture with a firm handle on sound effects, with drippy, echoed atmospherics holding attentively. Dialogue exchanges are organic and managed well, registering pure performances without losing intensity. Scoring cues are secure and supportive, with fine definition. Action encounters beef up the track in a welcome way, with a heavier presence that services the crashes and fighting with accuracy. No hiss or pops were detected.

The First Power Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (32:05, HD) with actor Lou Diamond Phillips catches the subject in a chatty mood, happily working over the particulars of production and his involvement. Phillips heaps praise on his co-stars, but most of his enthusiasm is saved for the stunt team, sharing a few harrowing anecdotes concerning the physical challenges of the shoot. Talk eventually winds through his involvement in the Tribeca Grill and his early career, where a slew of tiny, forgettable independent films returned to life once Phillips achieved box office success with "La Bamba." It's here where we also learn that co-star Tracy Griffith is now a successful sushi chef.

• Interview (17:09, HD) with actor Jeff Kober is a less animated conversation about "The First Power." Kober isn't quite as amped up as Phillips, but he provides his perspective on creative achievements and interactions with co-stars. Also flipping through his filmography, Kober recalls a few painful lowlights, yet the future is bright, with a successful turn on "The Walking Dead" reviving his career, while an interest in meditation has reenergized his life.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:12, HD) is included.

The First Power Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The First Power" loses momentum in its final 30 minutes, which are largely devoted to humanizing Patrick as his evil expands to sexual assault, adding a heavy weight of reality to a feature that doesn't need it. This conclusion is also bloated with showdowns and twists, though most involve the addition of Sister Marguerite (Elizabeth Arlen), a concerned nun brandishing a bladed crucifix, adding a touch of the outrageous to an otherwise ho-hum landing. Although the effort ultimately doesn't land on its feet (there's actually no ending included here, just a bizarrely blunt dissolve to the end credits), "The First Power" is quite entertaining when it settles on the heat of the chase. Phillips is fun to watch and the occult aspects of the story deliver a nice sense of unease, elevating something instantly forgettable into something moderately enjoyable.