Prismark10 The Miami Vice influence is heavy in this silly cheesy film. Michael Mann is the producer. Director Paul Michael Glaser also directed several episodes of Miami Vice and you will spot several Mann regulars in this movie such as Martin Ferrero and Stephen Lang.Lang plays a military survival expert and former Vietnam veteran in the Florida everglades, an improbable native Indian. He has created a program to rehabilitate a small bunch of juvenile delinquents in this hostile environment, one of them even gets bitten by a snake. However the group of youths after some complaining soon bond in the Everglades.After that the youths move to a house in Miami, however they fall foul of the local drug lords who rule the area. The group led by Lang wage war against the violent gangs.There is a lot of mid 1980s music here as well as the title track sung by Bob Dylan. The film is uneven in pace, I could never buy these bunch being somehow rehabilitated and united in the Everglades, never mind becoming a fighting force in the streets of Miami.

Scott LeBrun Trashy, brainless, and oh-so-80s action melodrama stars Stephen Lang ("Avatar", "Don't Breathe") as Joe, an American Indian & Vietnam veteran who runs a program to reform troubled youth. Five punks - Ruben (Michael Carmine), J.L. (John Cameron Mitchell), Carlos (Danny Quinn), Moss (Leon), and Dorcey (Al Shannon) - are dragged out to the Everglades and deposited there, where Joe teaches them survival instincts and teamwork. Once back in Miami, the gang is *somewhat* more mature, and they go up against vicious drug runners including Cream (Laurence Fishburne) and Nestor (James Remar).To be honest, "Band of the Hand" is a hard slog for a while, since it's hard to give a damn about our protagonists for an extended amount of time. (This IS an overlong movie.) But things improve as "Band of the Hand" progresses, and debuting feature director Paul Michael "Starsky" Glaser gives this production a certain amusing amount of 80s excess. It bears the mark of its executive producer, 'Miami Vice' creator Michael Mann. It's noisy, it's silly, it's violent in a sometimes cartoonish way, and it's got a hip soundtrack. The centerpiece of said soundtrack is a priceless, catchy rock ditty written and sung by Bob Dylan, with Tom Petty's band The Heartbreakers backing him up.The acting suits the material. Top billed Lang is fine in a low key portrayal. The young cast is lively, with a cute Lauren Holly playing Carlos' love interest. Remar is okay as our primary villain, and other familiar character actors like Paul Calderon, Bill Smitrovich, Michael Gregory, and an unbilled Martin Ferrero all turn up as well.This is a decent, fun movie overall, even if the script ain't so hot. As was said before, it goes on a bit too long, but for the most part, it's *not* boring.Seven out of 10.

kclipper This is one of those late-night paid cable network flicks that attempted to cash in on the success of "Miami Vice" and its cool but criminal look and style. Violent 80's movies like "To Live and Die in L.A.,", Manhunter, and Vice Squad seem to stand out along with "Band of The Hand" for their unique portrayal of the sleaze and the slime of the big city criminal underground of the 1980's. Especially with the cocaine craze sweeping up through the upper class southern states. This good little movie brings back memories of flashy clothes, sports cars, and suntans for those who appreciated this genre.This stars Stephen Lange (who I recently realized is Colonel Quaritch in "Avatar") perfectly casted as a militant survival expert who invents a program aimed toward helping violent juveniles by forcing them into the Florida everglades to survive by their own means, and what they learn along the way is respect and comradeship. Everyone from gang members to a small-time cocaine pusher to a whacked-out pyromaniac find their way back to the city and launch a full-scale war against a big-time drug dealer/pimp (played by a young Larry Fishburne) who is tied to an even bigger bad guy (intensely played by James Remar) who is also involved in Voodoo magic to further his criminal empire.. The band and their leader must learn to become one fighting force in order to take down the villains despite their differences.. Its a great blend of action adventure, survival in the southern bayou, exploitation and good old fashion 1980's crime mania. Watch as seemingly hopeless characters are transformed into urban superheroes that discover unity against the odds. The performances are well done, and the action is enough to keep you interested throughout. Also features an amazing soundtrack with music by Bob Dylan with The Heartbreakers. 80's enthusiasts rejoice!!!

Stryker-2 This has to be one of the stupidest premises ever... Maybe this is a decent movie later on, but I wouldn't know. After about 15 minutes I had to change the channel because the entire concept of dropping five hardened juvenile delinquents off in the middle of the Everglades with only one guy to watch them is stupid beyond words! This wouldn't be legal for adult prisoners, much less teenagers. Also, they give the kids a knife! Since if any of the kids got so much as a snake bite they'd be sued for millions (even in the eighties), this just doesn't work. Cheesy B-movie horror flicks are more believable. If you can swallow the stupid premise, this one might be worth a look. Me, I give it a zero out of ten. Pure stupidity... not worth the waste of time.