The First Power

If you ignore the fact that writer/director Robert Resnikoff's supernatural thriller doesn't make a whit of sense, The First Power is a rollercoaster of a movie. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Russell Logan, a homicide detective who is tracking a serial killer that carves pentagrams into his victims' stomachs. When an anonymous phone call tips him off to the killer's next move, Russell finally catches up with his man, one Patrick Channing (Jeff Kober--who's face could launch a thousand nightmares; he's not ugly, he just looks like evil personified). Channing's trip to the gas chamber, however, is not one-way. He returns, more powerful than before, and looking for revenge. Logan, with the assistance of psychic Tess Seaton (Tracy Griffith) unwillingly enters a deadly game of cat and mouse that features some truly nifty chase sequences--but ultimately makes no sense. Early on, we see that Channing can appear and disappear at will...so why would he physically run away? (Because this is a chase movie.) This fatal flaw in the film's logic hurts what is otherwise a stylish thriller with a clever sense of humor, and one of the most chilling villains of recent years. An optional purchase. (R. Pitman) [Blu-ray Review—Nov. 4, 2014—Fox, 99 min., R, $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1990's The First Power features a nice transfer and a DTS-HD stereo soundtrack. Extras include interviews with costars Lou Diamond Phillips (32 min.) and Jeff Kober (17 min.), and a trailer. Bottom line: an uneven thriller makes a solid Blu-ray debut.]