Where to watch Full Eclipse
3 1/2 Stars
The LA police department have a special team of officers with a talent for reducing big-time crime. The team leader has an excellent track record for crime reduction in other big cities, but his methods are unconventional, and so is he – he’s a werewolf.
Full Eclipse is an action-horror hybrid that serves as an homage to filmmakers John Woo and John Landis. Director Anthony Hickox, a maestro of entertaining b-movies, amps up the energy and kinetic action while delivering the gore and special effects he’s become known for. Underrated screen presence: Mario Van Peebles is perfectly cast in the role of a deceptive who stumbles upon a clan of vigilante-minded law enforcement officers, all of whom are enchanted with supernatural abilities.
HBO Films released the movie with a world premiere on its cable channel before an eventual home video release. I saw this more during its initial airing and was blown away by the kinetic action sequences, the beautiful cinematography and production design, and the equally captivating beauty of actress Patsy Kensit. Kensit’s list of roles is slim, so it’s always a pleasant surprise when she pops up in a film. The villain of the piece is played by Bruce Payne, who made a career of being cast as the heavy in genre pictures. Payne, Peebles, and Kensit are all quite good under the direction of Hickox and his crew.
Directed by: Anthony Hickox
Written by: Richard Christian Matheson, Michael Reaves
Starring: Mario Van Peebles, Patsy Kensit, Bruce Payne