Opposing Force

Opposing Force follows several soldiers (including Tom Skerritt’s Logan and Lisa Eichhorn’s Casey) as they agree to participate in a prisoner-of-war training exercise, with chaos and bloodshed ensuing after a power-hungry commander (Anthony Zerbe) transforms the endeavor into an all-too-real nightmare. It’s an exceedingly silly premise that’s employed to predominantly dull and tedious effect by Eric Karson, as the filmmaker, working from a script by Gil Cowan, delivers a slow-moving narrative that boasts very little in the way of compelling elements – with the less-than-engrossing vibe compounded by a distressing lack of engaging sequences and sympathetic characters. (This is, in terms of the latter, despite decent work from both Skerritt and Eichhorn, as the talented performers are trapped within the confines of barely-developed protagonists.) The often eye-rollingly implausible scenario ensures that Karson is never able to cultivate the suspense and tension he’s clearly striving for, which, when coupled with an action-packed yet thoroughly anticlimactic third act, confirms Opposing Force‘s place as a serious misfire that’s deservedly been forgotten in the decades since its release.

* out of ****