When a dangerous cult — the Palace of Celestial Tranquility — successfully brainwashes the daughter of a U.S. senator, Cindy Lester (Amanda Wyss), local authorities find themselves completely powerless. With time running out, the government turns to seasoned agent Jim Martin (Joe Lewis) to assemble a specialized team of elite martial arts experts known as Force: Five. Their mission is to infiltrate the heavily guarded compound, dismantle the corrupt organization behind the charismatic and manipulative religious leader Rev. Rhee (Bong Soo Han, Mr. Han!), and rescue the senator’s daughter before her indoctrination becomes permanent.
Force: Five are Martin, Benny (Benny “The Jet” Urquidez), Lockjaw (Sonny Barnes), Ezekiel (Richard Norton) and Laurie (Pam Huntington), along with pilot Willard (Ron Hayden). Their plan? Pull a Jonestown and have Senator Forrester (Peter MacLean) plan a visit to the island, allowing them to break in. Mel Novak even shows up.
It was directed and written by Robert Clouse, who helmed Bruce Lee’s monumental Enter the Dragon as well as Jackie Chan in The Big Brawl. Serving as a loose remake of the 1976 Jim Kelly action vehicle Hot Potato, the production sets itself apart by assembling an authentic roster of genuine martial arts grandmasters rather than standard Hollywood actors. Gene Siskel famously praised the picture on Sneak Previews, noting that it is “a lot of fun and that’s precisely what makes the film so entertaining and has a sense of humor about itself and is a very cute, little action picture.”
Extras include interviews with Lewis and Urquidez, as well as a featurette on Benny “The Jet.” There’s also a mini-poster, a trailer and a limited edition slipcover. You can get this from MVD.
