Avenging Force
Avenging Force is a 1986 American action film directed by Sam Firstenberg and written by James Booth, who also appears in the film.[1] The story centers on Matt Hunter, a former CIA operative played by Michael Dudikoff, who protects his best friend, a U.S. senatorial candidate portrayed by Steve James, from assassination by the Pentangle, a right-wing paramilitary organization.[2] Produced by Cannon Films on a budget of approximately $4 million, the movie features martial arts sequences and culminates in Hunter dismantling the group's operations through combat and strategy.[1] It serves as a loose sequel to the 1985 film Invasion U.S.A., reprising Dudikoff's character from that production.[3] The film earned $4.7 million at the North American box office, achieving modest financial returns typical of Cannon's low-budget action output during the era.[4] Critically, it received mixed responses, with some praise for its energetic fight choreography amid criticisms of formulaic plotting and dialogue, later gaining a cult following among fans of 1980s direct-to-video-style action cinema.[5] No major production controversies emerged, though its portrayal of domestic extremists reflected Cold War-era anxieties about internal threats, aligning with similar themes in contemporaneous genre films.[6]Background and Development
Origins and Pre-Production
Avenging Force originated as a project initially intended for Chuck Norris under the working title Night Hunter, following the commercial success of Cannon Films' Invasion U.S.A. (1985), in which Norris portrayed the character Matt Hunter.[7] With Norris committed to other commitments and unavailable, Cannon executives Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus reassigned the concept, opting to recast the lead role with Michael Dudikoff, who had recently starred in Firstenberg's American Ninja (1985).[7] The screenplay was penned by James Booth, hired by Golan and Globus to craft an action script inspired by Sho Kosugi's Pray for Death (1985); Booth completed the draft in six weeks.[8] Director Sam Firstenberg, seeking to capitalize on the chemistry between Dudikoff and Steve James from American Ninja, proposed a package deal to Cannon Films when no direct Invasion U.S.A. sequel script advanced.[8] Golan tasked Firstenberg with adapting Booth's script for the new leads, which involved shifting the central relationship from father-daughter to brother-sister to align with Dudikoff's age relative to the female co-lead.[7] Pre-production commenced approximately two weeks after American Ninja wrapped, with location scouting prioritizing New Orleans for its atmospheric fit despite Cannon's reservations over elevated production costs compared to Israel-based shoots.[7] Principal photography began on April 22, 1986.[8]Screenplay and Casting Choices
The screenplay for Avenging Force was written by James Booth, a British actor who also portrayed Admiral Brown in the film.[8] Booth was approached by Cannon Films producers to develop an action script, delivering the draft for Avenging Force within six weeks.[8] Originally titled Night Hunter, the project began as a proposed sequel to the 1985 Cannon production Invasion U.S.A., with the lead role of Matt Hunter intended for Chuck Norris, who had played a similar operative character in the earlier film.[7] [9] Norris declined the offer, prompting rewrites to adapt the protagonist as a younger retired Secret Service agent rather than an older CIA veteran, shifting the narrative focus while retaining core elements like paramilitary threats in a Louisiana setting.[7] [10] Casting emphasized Cannon's established action talents to capitalize on prior successes. Michael Dudikoff, fresh from starring in American Ninja (1985), was selected as Captain Matt Hunter, leveraging his rising status as the studio's go-to lead for martial arts-driven roles following Norris's unavailability.[10] [8] Director Sam Firstenberg, who had helmed American Ninja, packaged the project with Dudikoff and co-lead Steve James, reuniting the duo from that film to portray Larry Richards, a politically ambitious friend of Hunter targeted by extremists.[8] This pairing aimed to replicate the buddy-action dynamic that had proven effective, with James's physical presence and stunt background complementing Dudikoff's stoic heroism. Supporting roles drew character actors like John P. Ryan as the antagonist Professor Elliott Glastenbury, a role suited to Ryan's history of playing authoritative villains, while Booth's dual involvement ensured script fidelity during production adjustments.[10] The choices reflected Cannon's low-budget strategy of recycling proven formulas and talent amid financial pressures, prioritizing market familiarity over new discoveries.[7]Production
Filming Locations and Techniques
Principal photography for Avenging Force took place from April 22 to June 25, 1986, primarily in and around New Orleans, Louisiana.[8] Key urban sequences were shot at the Port of New Orleans for gunfire scenes spanning five days, Chartres Street for the recreated Mardi Gras parade, the New Orleans Athletic Club, a residence on Magazine Street, Civil Defense headquarters, and a warehouse adapted as a soundstage for controlled fire effects.[8] The parade sequence involved three rented floats, Shriners clowns, two marching bands, and approximately 3,000 extras, filmed over two days with seven to nine cameras to capture the chaotic street-level action.[11][12] Swamp and bayou scenes, central to several action sequences including a major fight, were filmed in Kraemer and Bayou Boeuf, Louisiana, approximately 90 minutes southwest of New Orleans.[8][13] These exteriors spanned three weeks under grueling conditions, with crews enduring extreme heat, humidity, leeches, rashes, horsefly bites, and instances of swamp fever; reptile wranglers managed around 50 snakes on location.[8] The extended underwater fight required actors and crew to spend 12 hours daily submerged for two weeks, relying on natural or minimal artificial lighting to emphasize the murky, realistic environment.[14] Rural interiors and the climactic ranch burning were shot in Folsom, Louisiana, 75 miles north of New Orleans, using a mock-up façade for the destruction sequence to ensure safety while achieving practical fire effects.[8] Additional mansion exteriors appeared on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans.[13] As a Cannon Films production, the film employed standard 35mm cinematography with an emphasis on location shooting for authenticity, minimizing studio sets beyond adapted warehouses, though specific lens or lighting techniques beyond practical demands were not publicly detailed by director Sam Firstenberg.[1]Score and Post-Production
The musical score for Avenging Force was composed by George S. Clinton, marking one of his early feature film credits following work on smaller projects.[15] Clinton's score features synth-driven action cues, tense atmospheric tracks, and thematic motifs underscoring the film's thriller elements, including chase sequences and confrontations; select cues such as "Attack of the Musicians/Main Title/Chase" were later included on compilation albums like American Ninjas And Fighters.[16] No official standalone soundtrack album was commercially released at the time, though fan compilations and excerpts have circulated online.[17] Post-production for the film, aligned with Cannon Films' emphasis on rapid turnaround for low-budget action releases, involved editing by Michael J. Duthie, who assembled the 103-minute final cut from principal photography completed in early 1986.[8] The sound department, including dialogue editors Barbara Barnaby and Jim Borgardt, along with foley editor Clement Barclay, handled audio mixing and effects to support the film's New Orleans-set action sequences and dialogue-heavy political intrigue.[18] Cinematography by Gideon Porath was finalized in post to enhance the gritty, urban visuals, contributing to the film's September 12, 1986, theatrical release.[19]Plot Summary
Avenging Force centers on Matt Hunter, a retired U.S. Secret Service agent and martial artist portrayed by Michael Dudikoff, who resides on a remote Louisiana farm with his younger sister following the death of their parents.[1] Hunter's old army comrade, Larry Richards (Steve James), an African-American state senator campaigning for U.S. Senate, opposes business interests aligned with the Pentangle, a clandestine right-wing paramilitary organization comprising wealthy elites who conduct human hunts in the bayou as a sport.[6][20] The Pentangle issues death threats to Richards for blocking a chemical plant project that would benefit their members.[20] Assassins from the Pentangle attack during a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, where Richards is participating on a float with his family, resulting in the death of his son amid chaos that claims dozens of lives.[5][20] Hunter, present at the event, uses his combat expertise to repel the attackers.[1] Subsequent assaults target Richards' safe house, where he, his wife Daisy, and remaining son Jeff are killed by Pentangle operatives led by figures like Professor Elliott Glastenbury.[20][21] To draw Hunter out, the group kidnaps his sister and forces him into a "most dangerous game"-style pursuit through alligator-infested swamps, granting a brief head start before unleashing masked hunters armed with spears, crossbows, and firearms.[6][3] Surviving the ordeal, Hunter infiltrates the Pentangle's fortified compound, eliminates key leaders including Admiral Brown and Glastenbury, rescues his sister, and destroys the organization's operations.[20][1]Cast and Crew
Avenging Force was directed by Sam Firstenberg, who had previously helmed other Cannon Films productions such as American Ninja (1985).[5] The screenplay was written by James Booth, with uncredited contributions from Michael Abrams.[8] Producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus oversaw the project under their Cannon Group banner, known for low-budget action films in the 1980s.[19] The lead role of Captain Matt Hunter was portrayed by Michael Dudikoff, following his breakout in American Ninja.[22] Steve James played Larry Richards, Hunter's partner, marking another collaboration with Dudikoff after their work in The Delta Force (1986).[22] James Booth, who also wrote the script, appeared as Admiral David Harris.[22] John P. Ryan portrayed Professor Elliott Glastenbury, while William Wallace (credited as Bill Duke in some sources, but primarily Wallace) played Wade Delaney.[22] Supporting roles included Karl Johnson as Commander Jeb Wallace and Robert Donner as Senator Preston.[22]| Key Crew Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Sam Firstenberg[5] |
| Writer | James Booth[19] |
| Producers | Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus[19] |
| Cinematographer | Gideon Porath[23] |
| Editor | Michael J. Duthie[23] |
| Composer | David Storrs[18] |