'Extreme Justice' is one of those action films that teethers on a great premise. Not original, but good ground for entertainment & some thought as well. Scott Glenn, Lou Diamond Phillips and a supporting cast of known faces directed by Mark L. Lester (Commando) carry out this dark trip, but the end product is merely average in most regards.
Det. Powers (Phillips) take it too far with a kidnapping suspect and it looks like IA is going to bounce him off the force after multiple brushes with him. That is until his former partner Det. Vaughn (Glenn) calls in some favors to get him reassigned to SIS (real life LAPD unit). Tired of seeing criminals go free or get joke sentences, this squad makes it their sole purpose to put repeat criminals away for good - in body bags.
This simple idea works on the surface because everyone knows in real life the justice system ain't perfect and Phillips character acts as our moral guide traversing this dangerous terrain. Everyone wants justice served, but where does the line get drawn? That sort of shtick however it isn't content with keeping things believable. This unit, these cops allow suspects to commit their crimes in front of them under surveillance and only move in to waste 'em after their deeds are in progress or done which puts innocent victims at risk.
There's a lot of faces here which I'm a sucker for. You got b-movie regular Ed Lauter as the Captain of the unit. He's still doing hand jesters like he did in 'Raw Deal'. While Yaphet Kotto, William Lucking and Andrew Divoff make up fellow cops. Stephen Root a news agency boss while William McNamara plays one of the criminals. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this is the second film I've seen Chelsea Field play a integral reporter linked to a main hero too.
Things get contrived in 'Extreme Justice' and then just flat out dumb which ultimately what keeps it from being better. You can see where things are going a mile ahead and Glenn who starts off as a jaded, but believable presence is no more than a sociopath caricature with a badge by the end. The bum finale, ridiculous end title card. The action is entertaining, but it only gets you so far.
