A FORCE OF ONE

US, 1979, 90 minutes, Colour.
Chuck Norris, Jennifer O’ Neill, Clu Gulager, Ron O’ Neal.
Directed by Paul Aaron.

Not a special film but it is quite an interesting police drama with the focus on drug detection. It is set in California around Christmas time. It shown a special squad investigating drug running. The emphasis in the film is that there is a karate killer (with Vietnam background) killing the police. The police engage the training skills of a champion - played by Chuck Norris, a champion who is quite a good screen presence and choreographs his own fights. The karate fights punctuate the film and do not overload it. Fans should enjoy this - but there is quite a deal of interest in the police story and detection. It is much the same as the material of so many episodes of police series on television but is quite well done. Screen play is by Ernest Tidyman, a prolific writer of action screen plays. He won the Oscar for his work for The French Connection. He also wrote the screen play for Shaft.

1. Audience interest in karate, police dramas, drug dramas? A satisfying combination for entertainment? The message in the benefits of martial art training?

2. The film's focus on karate - Chuck Norris and his presence, skills, style? rhe portrayal of the fights - in the ring, outside, training, at the end? The uses of karate, the philosophy behind it, attitudes? The choreography? Enough to satisfy fans - and instruct the uninitiated?

3. The Vietnam background, the strong fighting corps, work and training? Champions? Possibility of corruption?

4. The background of the Californian drug scene, the young skateboard carriers, Melrose and his shop, Rollins and his corruption, Sparkes and his violence? The money deals? Greed, violence? Hypocrisy and corruption in the police force?

5. The picture of the police, the two rookies investigating and getting killed, the second group of two and the same fate? The Captain and his manner, control? Mandy and her place on the force? The sketching in of the other police? Rollins and the revelation that he was crooked? The discussion meetings about investigation, the detective work, paper work, Mandy persuading Matt Logan to train them in karate, the training sessions, the particular skills and alertness, the spirit within the group at the force, the pain at deaths, at betrayal? A satisfying picture of police work?

6. Matt Logan in himself, as karate champion, the story about Charlie and his adopting him, his grief at Charlie's death? Harriet and her support? Bob and the training of the kids with karate? The police requesting him? Mandy persuading him especially through going to visit Alice and seeing her pimp, the burning of the drugs? Logan punching and deciding to help the police? His searching out all the old friends? The attack by Sparkes at the Chinese restaurant? Grief at Charlie's death and going to the morgue? The build-up to the fight, the recognising of Sparkes, the moving of the fight outside, the car chase, his vengeance and taking the law into his own hands? Poetic justice and the role of the lay? The support of Mandy - the end? How good a sketch of a character?

7. Mandy and her work, her grief at the deaths of the policemen, her persuading Logan to train the police, the visit to Alice? The outings with Logan? Her instinct that Rollins was crooked? Searching his apartment, the encounter with Melrose, her trying to stop Logan kill Sparkes at the end?

8. Rollins and his York an a policeman, the availability of the drugs, corruption, drug taking, in league with Melrose, lies, the cover-up in the shop, at the stadium and his being caught at the end?

9. The portrait of the Captain and his having to cope, administration, his warning to Mandy about suspicions of corruption within the group?

10. The picture of the police, the rookies, the work and its interest, dangers? Interrogation of potential pushers - especially Ernie and the threats?

11. The humorous background of the screen play? The action sequences and the humour, the mystery?

12. A piece of Americana - drugs in the seventies, the support of the police, the benefit of karate, the reinforcing of traditional values?