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Tactical Force
Blu-ray ALL - America - Vivendi Visual Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (13th June 2012). |
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The Film
 It almost feels too easy to pick a film like “Tactical Force” (2011) apart. Actually, it wouldn’t be all that hard considering there are very few parts to the puzzle, if you catch my drift. I’ve had the misfortune of sitting through a few of Steve Austin’s discount bin action classics since he began cranking them out, and not a damn one has been worth my time. Austin doesn’t strike me as the most discerning of actors; he won’t be reading for the Coen brothers (Ethan Coen and Joel) or David Cronenberg anytime soon. But I’d at least like to assume that he was raised on the same tough-as-nails action films that are now considered bona fide classics, or even so-bad-they’re-good classics. And if that were true, then what could account for the fact that all of his movies suck? I wish I could think of a more intelligent way to break down Austin’s cinematic endeavors, but, frankly, I don’t think they’re worth the effort. He clearly isn’t making it. The directors aren’t, the writers definitely aren’t… it’s like everyone just assumes that because Austin’s face has been slapped on the front of a video box it’ll sell. Who cares about the content inside, right? It might as well contain a blank DVD because at least it would mean that Austin’s devoted legions of fans wouldn’t be subjected to another one of his celluloid bowel movements. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, thought, and I have a feeling Steve’s got a wicked crap on deck... Truth be told, as terrible as this film is there are some action scenes that make it slightly more enjoyable than gems like “Recoil” (2011). Austin plays the leader of a police squad – which also includes Black Dynamite himself, Michael Jai White – who are the resident badasses of the department. No time to check on victims! These dudes show up, blast away anything on two legs, and stick the city with the bill. That’s the way to do it! On second thought, it isn’t, and the group finds this out the hard way when their chief sends them off on a training exercise to get them out of the city for a week. Well, wouldn’t you know it but the compound they were going to train in is being used by two rival gangs for a meeting. It seems one of their associates is in possession of a briefcase containing something that “changes everything”, and both sides are willing to do everything they can to get it back. When our group, armed with only non-lethal training rounds, runs across the gangsters they’re forced to fight back with no weapons against a lot of guys with bad Russian accents feebly trying to kill them. I’ll give the film a few points for having some marginally witty dialogue peppered in throughout. There was a funny joke about Facebook that I thought clever for a movie with such a dumb plot. The acting is uniformly bad across the board (except for Jai White), which ends up working in the actors’ favor since no one person stands out as sucking the most. Look, I know that a film like this can’t afford much top talent outside of Austin, and they probably don’t even care to since people are buying it due to his presence. They need to focus on getting real actors in these roles, though. The film’s main bad guy is played by MMA fighter Keith Jardine. I may have mentioned this in another film he was in with Austin, but it bears repeating: he cannot act. He may be able to pound me into a gelatinous puddle of blood & feces with his pinky finger, but give him a script and he’s either not going to read it or – more likely – he just can’t act. It’s ok, it isn’t for everyone. Hell, Austin proves that you can spend your entire career in front of a camera, cutting promos and choreographing a great grapple session with another guy in tights, but it doesn’t mean squat once you’re leading a film. The Rock is an example of how you’d want your post-wrestling career to go. I’d like to think Austin just doesn’t give a damn. In true fashion, maybe he just enjoys getting paid to shoot guns, fight dudes and spout off crappy (and I really emphasize crappy) one-liners.
Video
As usual, despite the film’s quality the Blu-ray looks just about perfect. Shot on digital, the grain-free 1.78:1 1080p 24/fps VC-1 encoded image is generally free of flaws and looks as sharp as anything direct-to-video I’ve ever seen. Aside from a few washed out shots or slightly crushed black levels, this is essentially the kind of image you want to see in high-definition. One thing you’ll wish wasn’t in HD, though, is Keith Jardine’s cauliflower ear, which looks like it’s ready to be popped and deep fried. Some of the bullet hits are obviously computer generated, and they look very weak. I don’t blame the image for that; it’s just a result of cheap work.
Audio
Likewise, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit is quite impressive. The opening credits are unremittingly annoying, with every single name being shot onto the screen machine gun style –with accompanying machine gun sound – and by the time “production design” hits the screen you’ll already be praying for it to end. Once it does, however, you’ll be treated to some explosive audio. Sort of like the film’s stars, this isn’t a track with much finesse; it’s a blunt bruiser, set out to pummel your system for 88 minutes. Gunfire is relentless, opening at a moment’s notice constantly throughout the film. While the shots ring loud and clear, their origin sounds decidedly stock; there’s no real impact to the hits. Still, this is an active track with a limited range designed for maximum impact. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
Vivendi has released this film with a scant collection of extras, two featurettes and the film's theatrical trailer. Below is a closer look. “Inside Tactical Force” (1080p) is a featurette that runs for 10 minutes and 39 seconds. Steve Austin, Michael Jai White, and Keith Jardine talk about their characters. It’s about as exciting to listen to as my last sentence was to type. “Fight Sequence” (1080p) featurette is a generically-named piece that runs for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Basically, it’s a montage of all the film’s fight scenes, and a boring one at that. The film’s theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 1 minute and 20 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a Blu-ray keep case with Steve Austin’s big mug plastered right on the front. A slipcover is included with initial pressings.
Overall
Not the worst Steve Austin film, but that’s like saying you don’t have the worst kind of cancer.
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