My review was written in November 1989 after watching the movie on AIP video cassette.
This straight-to-video feature offers some offbeat social commentary in its sci-fi approach to the future of law enforcement.
David Carradine toplines as an elite bounty hunter in 1991, working for the Civilian Operated Police Systems (COPS), a result of turning law enforcement over to the private sector. Film gets under way with a bang as Carradine reads a parody of Miranda rights in a suspect & blows him away.
Soon the shoe is on the other foot as COPS' head honcho WIlliam Zipp puts a $100,000 bounty on Carradine's head when our hero sides with Anna Rapagna, a tv news reporter who's got the goods on the out-of-control civilian police.
Pi climaxes in an interesting mixture of cynicism and hope for reform following Carradine's showdown with Zipp's chief henchman (Robert Tessier), as well as Zipp's ironic comeuppance.
With a nod to "Robocop", Carradine wields a high-tech "arm" that fits over his real one (or works via remote control) and operates like a cannon. Otherwise, "Future Force" is low-tech but scores high in imagination.
The taciturn Carradine is appealing as the good-bad guy and already has filmed a sequel. Supporting cast is effective, notably Dawn Wildsmith who essayed a similar tough gal role opposite Carradine in "Warlords".
