
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 7, 1990                   TAG: 9004070302
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MALCOLM L. JOHNSON THE HARTFORD COURANT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ABSURDITY ABOUNDS IN `FIRST POWER'

Satan worshipers should don their crimson berets and turn out in force to picket "The First Power." Rarely has the prince of darkness looked as preposterous as he does in this hotshot cop action picture.

This grisly yet silly story unhappily demonstrates the limited acting powers of Lou Diamond Phillips, who deadpans and grimaces his way through his role as detective Russell Logan. Far outclassing Phillips is his adversary, Patrick Channing, played by Jeff Kober with mad eyes, sadistic grins and a cruelly mocking way of dealing with the dumb cop. Tracy Griffith, Melanie's half-sister, acquits herself acceptably as a psychic who assists the cop in his bizarre investigations.

The movie opens in the midst of an outbreak of serial murders in Los Angeles. Logan is tipped by a mysterious caller that another murder is about to happen at a certain intersection. The mysterious voice warns that if the killer is captured, there should be no execution.

Tracing the pattern of the killings on a map, Logan comes up with an inverted pentagram - Satan's favorite symbol.

Logan ultimately snares the sneering, savage Channing, who is convicted and sentenced to the gas chamber. But Logan sweats through a terrible dream in which Channing snaps loose from his seat in the death house, and smashes through a plate-glass window.

The nightmare comes true. Channing has been reborn, the psychic claims. Logan scoffs, but in the long run learns the meaning of "The First Power": resurrection.

There are a few exciting and chilling touches as Logan and the psychic chase the devil, but the film suffers from moments of absurdity. These dabblings in the film arts fail to make us believe in the resurrection of Satan's son. `The First Power' Rated R for violence, some vulgarities, and a number of sacrilegious touches, including an unusually violent use of a crucifix. Playing at the Salem Valley 8 (389-0444).

by CNB