Opposing Force Reviews

Lietenant Casey (Lisa Eichhorn) is a US Air Force officer who volunteers for the toughest training available, the escape and evasion school for reconnaissance pilots. After being dropped onto a tropical island and instructed to avoid capture by mock enemy forces, she teams up with Major Logan (Tom Skerritt) to reach a safe location. But the game is not being played as they were told. Becker (Anthony Zerbe), the commander of the place, is at a dead end in his career and has clearly gone over the edge. He is now faced with trying to break down the first woman with whom he has ever had to deal. This surprisingly effective, intelligent, and well-acted movie raises a number of issues about realism in military training and the use of psychological torture. Zerbe (always an underrated actor) is terrific in his role. Skerritt is also good, playing a character very similar to the one he portrays in TOP GUN (1986). Eichhorn is thoroughly deglamorized and believable in her role as well.