IMDb RATING
5.7/10
5.6K
YOUR RATING
A Los Angeles policeman hunts a killer brought back by Satan.A Los Angeles policeman hunts a killer brought back by Satan.A Los Angeles policeman hunts a killer brought back by Satan.
Mykelti Williamson
- Detective Oliver Franklin
- (as Mykel T. Williamson)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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Featured reviews
Good horror film/ action film
In my opinion this is a very good film. A super underrated flick and that is usually going to be one of those ones that go under the radar the end up being a very good movie.
Scary satanic horror!
Entertaining movie, which has a sort of dream-like quality, a good share of scary moments and is quite well thought out. A serial "Pentagram" killer is sentenced to death. It doesn't end here, though, as he's resurrected by the Devil himself and comes back for vengeance. Lou Diamond Phillips is convincing and red-headed Tracy Griffith is a babe. The arch-villain will give you the creeps. Personally, I quite enjoyed this and have it in my personal video collection. Good choice for all occult fans! Rating: 7 out of 10
Changing power
Jeff Kober ... doing his thing as is Lou Diamond Phillps. Funnily enough I had never seen this and it looks and feels like a movie I would have cherished in the late 90s - video store glory days and all that.
It seem to be infamous enough (to get a release by 88 Films and being talked about a lot too), but hey: better late than never, right? So this is as out there as it gets and the movie really needs you to suspend your disbelief. You may need as much time as Lou Diamonds character needs in this movie ... it may still not be enough to wrap your head around it though.
This is flawed and has not aged gracefully. Still it can be campy 80s/90s throwback fun, if you let it. Not much in the story department, apart from that idea of ... supernatural madness.
It seem to be infamous enough (to get a release by 88 Films and being talked about a lot too), but hey: better late than never, right? So this is as out there as it gets and the movie really needs you to suspend your disbelief. You may need as much time as Lou Diamonds character needs in this movie ... it may still not be enough to wrap your head around it though.
This is flawed and has not aged gracefully. Still it can be campy 80s/90s throwback fun, if you let it. Not much in the story department, apart from that idea of ... supernatural madness.
Body Hopping Horror
Some movies get a bit lost in the shuffle and The First Power seems to have suffered from bad timing if anything. Released at the start of the 90's when horror was on the decline, it didn't seem that there was much of an audience for this kind of movie, but it's not a bad movie at all and a lot of fun.
Lou Diamond Phillips plays a cop whose track record for finding and imprisoning serial killers is some sort of legend. He gets an anonymous tip from a mysterious woman about the whereabouts of a killer named The Pentagram Killer, but warns him to only catch him and imprison him - not to kill him. He catches him, but the killer ends up getting executed in prison and his evil spirit is now free to torment and kill more people - this time, by jumping into other people's bodies.
The First Power might have a few missteps here and there (the killer's need to crack jokes reeks of late-stage Freddy Krueger and the nun character only seems to show up when necessary and is pure plot device), but the pacing is pretty even and the performances aren't bad with Phillips holding down the fort well as the lead and Tracy Griffith does well as the psychic.
Lou Diamond Phillips plays a cop whose track record for finding and imprisoning serial killers is some sort of legend. He gets an anonymous tip from a mysterious woman about the whereabouts of a killer named The Pentagram Killer, but warns him to only catch him and imprison him - not to kill him. He catches him, but the killer ends up getting executed in prison and his evil spirit is now free to torment and kill more people - this time, by jumping into other people's bodies.
The First Power might have a few missteps here and there (the killer's need to crack jokes reeks of late-stage Freddy Krueger and the nun character only seems to show up when necessary and is pure plot device), but the pacing is pretty even and the performances aren't bad with Phillips holding down the fort well as the lead and Tracy Griffith does well as the psychic.
Eerie vibe of early 90's Horror. I dug it.
Regular Horror/Thriller that has some decent scenes for the Horror fans. First, it deals with the devil and possession after death. Lou Diamond Phillips is a man tormented by his past and his belief in God is in predicament. He thinks his father didn't deserve to die. In fact, that event causes a series of situations like his mother turning crazy. Could he find the serial killer he is after to? Could he solve the mystery of the First Power?
Watch it and find it. Not a good Horror flick but sure it's entertaining. My only beef is that it doesn't have a creepy atmosphere or a dark setting; the plot asks for it! Also, there's a point where it's necessary to have some Horror related scenes but the movie focuses more on drama and thriller.
Lou Diamond Philips' performance is the best thing about the movie. Mrs. Griffith also delivers a nice performance and helps a lot that she's very beautiful and charming.
Delivers some chilling scenes but relies on the dramatic side more. Be warned you could be bored if you are looking for a straight Horror movie. Still it has a creepy vibe and very well done plot.
Give it a chance.
Watch it and find it. Not a good Horror flick but sure it's entertaining. My only beef is that it doesn't have a creepy atmosphere or a dark setting; the plot asks for it! Also, there's a point where it's necessary to have some Horror related scenes but the movie focuses more on drama and thriller.
Lou Diamond Philips' performance is the best thing about the movie. Mrs. Griffith also delivers a nice performance and helps a lot that she's very beautiful and charming.
Delivers some chilling scenes but relies on the dramatic side more. Be warned you could be bored if you are looking for a straight Horror movie. Still it has a creepy vibe and very well done plot.
Give it a chance.
Did you know
- TriviaDuring filming, numerous press materials listed the title as "Transit" - because of the killer's ability to jump between bodies as a way of moving around the city. Orion, the film's US distributor, decided in post-production to re-title the film "The First Power" so potential audience members would be more aware of its supernatural/horror elements.
- GoofsObvious stunt double when Patrick Channing breaks through gas chamber glass.
- Quotes
Tess Seaton: Patrick you can't keep on killing forever!
Patrick Channing: Wanna Bet!
- ConnectionsFeatured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
- SoundtracksLa Revolcada
Performed by Mariachi Uclatlan (as Mariachi Uclatlán)
- How long is The First Power?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,424,195
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,677,715
- Apr 8, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $22,424,195
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