Band Of The Hand Is A Forgotten Michael Mann Action Gem
Band Of The Hand is a forgotten action thriller produced by Michael Mann. While he's best known today for his superb thrillers like 1995's Heat or Collateral, Michael Mann started his directing career in the early 1980s with Thief. This followed James Caan as a professional jewel thief who finds he can't leave behind his old life, even when he tries. Thief established many of Mann's cinematic preoccupations, including his recurring themes and distinctive use of music and visuals. The movie wasn't a big hit upon release but is now regarded as one of his best.
He directed two other movies in the 1980s; The Keep is his only horror movie and while he would later disown it following a messy production, it now has a cult following, as does his Red Dragon adaptation Manhunter, the first movie to feature Hannibal Lecter. While he didn't actually direct any episodes, his biggest success story during the 1980s was Miami Vice. He executive produced and acted as showrunner, with the series following the dangerous - and stylish - undercover police work of Don Johnson's Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas' Tubbs.
Miami Vice's slick visuals and use of music gave it a cinematic sheen that was very unusual for TV shows of that era. One of the recurring directors on the series was Paul Michael Glaser, best known as Starsky from Starsky & Hutch. It was this link that saw Mann hire Glaser to helm Band Of The Hand, which is one of the most unique action films of the 1980s. The story sees five teenagers set to be tried as adults for their various crimes - which includes robbery and manslaughter - unless they complete a grueling survival program led by Stephen Lang's (Don't Breathe 2) tough Vietnam vet. After they just about complete the course, Joe takes them to Miami, where they come into conflict with local drug dealers.
Band Of The Hand, on the surface, has the trappings of the typical 1980s action flick. It's got the MTV editing - which is little surprise, given Mann's influence - a soundtrack filled with hits from the likes of Prince and Bob Dylan and plenty of setpieces. What makes it different is its structure, which is part Lord of the Flies, as the disparate group of youths learns to work together to survive the Everglades before it switches to something of a mission movie. It's as much about the titular group seeking redemption, helping their local community and learning to overcome their pasts as it is about action.
Band Of The Hand also benefits from a great cast, with actor Stephen Lang leading the way as the stoic Joe - though the character being Native American is not an element that has aged well - in addition to a young Laurence Fishburne and James Remar playing villain roles. The movie was a box-office dud upon release and received bad reviews, but while it's been largely forgotten now, it has a small cult following and is worth rediscovering. Glaser soon bounced back from its failure by helming Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man.