Review of Band of the Hand (1986) by Ola G — 03 Feb 2016

A group of juvenile delinquents in their teens consisting of Ruben Julian Pacecho AKA "Mira Primo" (Michael Carmine), Moss Roosevelt AKA "Warlord" (Leon Robinson), James Lee MacEwen AKA "Crazy" (John Cameron Mitchell), Carlos Rene Aragon AKA "The Lover" (Danny Quinn) and Dorcey Jon Bridger AKA "Rattler" (Al Shannon) who are doomed to be prosecuted as adults for their crimes unless they take part in a new and experimental "program" led by the Vietnam veteran and Native American Joe Tegra (Stephen Lang) from the Everglades. The teens must learn to survive in the dangerous swamp and how to work together. Upon completion of the program, the group buys a vacant house in a dangerous part of Miami and slowly rebuilds the neighbourhood, kicking out the pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers...

With Starsky and Hutch's Paul Michael Glaser in the direction seat and Michael Mann in the production seat there´s many connections to Mann´s great tv show "Miami Vice" not only in settings and environments, but also actors. The criminal look and style follows the same formula and has an in depth portrayal of the sleaze and the slime of the big city criminal underground of the 1980's. "Band of The Hand" is a juvenile action adventure in pastel colours not avoiding the day to day street violence in Miami, however the dialogue and acting is not always spot on and there´s a general cheesy 80s vibe around the film as well. Nice to see the always intense Stephen Lang, a young and beautiful Lauren Holly and the 80s standard baddie James Remar. Trivia: The film was released in theaters but only after it failed as a pilot for a network television series.