EDISON FORCE (2005)

Drama/Action. Directed by David Burke. Starring Justin Timberlake, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, LL Cool J, Dylan McDermott, John Heard, Cary Elwes, Roselyn Sanchez, Piper Perabo. Action/Drama. Synopsis: A young reporter for a community newspaper smells a rat in a case he is covering involving a special unit of the local police force. After convincing his reluctant editor to give him the backing in pursuing this story, he finds out that the corruption is deeper than even he believed.

This is one of those films that you buy or rent just based on the cast of actors if you are a movie buff, with a couple of Oscar winners, music personalities, and solid character actors all throughout. And, I will say, Edison Force does come through in the acting department, with solid performances top to bottom. Having said that, while it is a good flick, it is a little of a disappointment based on the expectations that one would have from seeing the names on the front of the DVD cover.

The story starts with a bang, literally and figuratively, as we are introduced to cop partners Deed (LL Cool J) and Lazorov (Dylan McDermott) who are hard hitting members of the special F.R.A.T unit of the police force of Edison. Lazerov, in particular, employs the "take no prisoners" approach to policing...as well as the entrepreneurial approach, as he and a reluctant Deed shake down a couple of alleged drug dealers, murdering one and swearing the survivor, Isiah (Damien Wayans The Last Boy Scout) to silence as well as the story that it was him who shot his buddy, not Lazerov.

It is at the trial of this case that the film's main protagonist, Pollack (Justin Timberlake) notices some unusual conversation between Isiah and Deed after Deed gets down off the stand and wants to pursue his instinct and look a little closer at F.R.A.T. Pollack works for a small, community newspaper with a burned out editor named Ashford (Morgan Freeman The Bucket List) who is skeptical of Pollack's work ethic and focused primarily on selling ads for his paper. Pollack does eventually convince Ashford to support him in his pursuit of the story, after some advice from his girlfriend Willow (piper Perabo) who basically tells him that he does have to work harder.

Pollack immediately starts to bump up against the establishment in Edison, facing the head of the unit, (John Heard The Pelican Brief) , the politically motivated District Attorney (Cary Elwes Saw), and basically the wall of silence and disinformation. This changes suddenly when Pollack gets Isiah to (foolishly) agree to tell him what really happened in return for help with his sick mother, and the aggressive members of F.R.A.T. take things a little too far with physical attacks on Pollack and Willow.

Of course, there are always good cops in any corrupt cop movie and, in this flick, the good guys within the system are the guilt ridden Deed, troubled by his desire to take a step that no member of F.R.A.T. has taken before....getting married. In Deed's case, his intended is Maria (Roselyn Sanchez) and, just by happenstance, he pops the big question to her in a public place where Pollack and Willow are minutes before they are attacked. Also on the good guy within the system team is D.A. investigator Wallace (Kevin Spacey Seven), who plays this one exceptionally cool and tough.

As I said, the acting is very good, Timberlake surprised me with his ability to not get blown off the screen, since in almost every scene he is playing off an actor/actress who is more accomplished and talented than he is. But, I think this is a point in the casting of the movie, after all, in this story I think Pollack is supposed to seem overmatched and in over his head.

McDermott is wonderfully evil, a cop clearly way over the edge, played with just the right intensity. I don't think I've seen him better. LL Cool J's Deed is the second most important character to the story behind Pollack, and he comes through in big way. The more I watch LL Cool J, the more I think of him as an actor who does music as opposed to a musician who is trying to act. he's good, folks, this role must have been written for him. Cary Elwes and John Heard both checked in well with their customary strong supporting performances and you know Freeman and Spacey were excellent.

So, what is my problem with this flick? Well, the story. It was interesting and action packed, but it was too far fetched for me in some parts, and some important character development was lacking. Why is Wallace, the primary investigator for the corrupt D.A., so readily willing to help bring his boss down (or try to) and how come F.R.A.T. doesn't know he's working with the scribes? Can F.R.A.T. really be that concerned with secrecy when Lazerov is walking the streets, jacking up people left and right? Also, since everyone in Edison seems to be in on this and there is no one to trust, once the bullets start flying and the body count starts to add up, why wouldn't anyone at least entertain the thought of going to another jurisdiction or blowing the story in a national paper instead of insisting on doing it from the inside? (You know, maybe a call to USA Today, CNN, F.B.I., or the New York Times) I know people are apathetic in this culture sometimes, but can you really have machine gun battles (don't forget the flamethrowers) in the streets of any city in broad daylight without someone calling somebody? And, why are talented female actors used so minimally when there is a chance for a really good story like Sanchez and Perabo in this one?

Maybe I'm being too hard on the film, but it wasn't a great film, and that is what I expected, and the story is too way out to be great. But, its still good.