Review #119: 'Raw Force' (1982)

This late-comer into the multitude of American/Fillipino range of exploitation actioners falls into a category of the horror/kung-fu/adventure sub-genres prevalent at the time. It tells the story of a group of passengers on a ship heading to Warriors Island. A place where ancient, disgraced Asian martial artists have gone to meet their makers. An island where the ornamental stone, Jade is mined and sold onto Western interests. The majority of the film consists of various boat-party scenes, where 'weird' people inhabit, and the breast quoter is met easily, with the plenitude of naked, gyrating females paraded in front of camera for no apparent reason. These are intercut with random 'man-fights'; also filling a quoter for 'kung-fu' action. Two of the pre-requisites for exploitationers world-wide.

One of the boat parties is interrupted by a band of all-killing village people-a-likes; pirate and guerrilla in their approach. They invade the ship and kill anyone that gets in their way. This happens why? Well, we will never know. Eventually the ship catches fire, and the survivors set off in a dingy. They do reach their ultimate destination of Warrior Island, but want to leave immediately. Did they want to go there in the first place? And if so, what for? They certainly have no interest whilst they are there!

Well, once they have been given the option for escape from the island, they are given the chance, with a proposition of battle. The dead warriors are risen from eternal sleep. These beautifully blue-faced zombie Ninja/Samurai Warrior/Shaolin Monk forgotten combatants are set on the marooned gang. Not 100% sure what this film is trying to be. It is at once an Indiana jones-like adventure picture; a zombie infested nightmare; a kung-fu actioner. Well, it fails in being either an adventure, or a martial arts 'effort'. It even fails to create any scares in the horror department; the only frightening element being the ending threat title of: 'To be continued'. It does however, contain some brief moments of verbal joy. There are moments of dialogue that simply gives giggly pleasure. Momentary, forgettable, but a little bit of frivolous nonsense.


Directed by: Edward D. Murphy
Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Geoffrey Binney, Hope Holiday
Country: USA/Philippines

Rating: **

Marc Ivamy