Search - S.I.S. on DVD

Gritty and action-packed, a good pilot preparing those for t

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 02/19/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Gritty and action-packed, the "S.I.S." made-for-TV movie definitely showed us a glimpse of what to expect for the television series currently airing on SPIKE TV.

Los Angeles, the City of Angels.

Beyond the glitz and glamor is a city that has its share of crime and for one high profile murderer and thief named Vic, only the L.A.P.D.'s covert squad known as the Special Investigation Section (S.I.S.) can take him on.

Things are going good as they have a tip that Vic and his henchman will be robbing a jewelry store. Led by their team leader Melville, a shootout with the thugs ensues and the S.I.S. have managed to capture Vic. But instead of arresting the criminal, Melville ends up playing a game of shootout with the criminal and giving the criminal's thugs in a getaway vehicle some time to bail him out. Another gunfight ensues, one of the S.I.S. members are killed and Vic gets away.

Having one of the top killers getting away, the L.A.P.D. is not exactly happy with the S.I.S. team and are considering disbanding the group.

As for Melville's team, with the death of one of their own, because of the mistake, they don't know if they can work with Melville. The S.I.S. team consists of:

* Matt Nable (Melville Atkinson) - A no nonsense cop who does what he can to catch the bad guys. Unfortunately, sometimes his way of trying to make the bad guys fear him and resorting to methods not approved by the L.A.P.D. has given him a bad name among criminals.
* Omari Hardwick (Donovan Rivers) - Melville's partner. Levelheaded and believes in luck. He carries a lucky rabbit's foot with him.
* Colleen Porch (Jayne Sorenson) - A mother who is trying to balance life as a member of S.I.S. and raising her son.
* Keith David (Assistant Chief Joseph Armstrong) - The head honcho of the S.I.S., under intense pressure and scrutiny by his peers of the L.A.P.D., he tries to keep his team in line, knowing that his team can't afford to make any more mistakes.

Meanwhile, Vic and his team continue to murder and rape innocents and continue their jewelry heists. While the S.I.S. has its problems, another police officer named Billy is about to kill himself.

After shooting an innocent girl, Billy and the L.A.P.D. are being sued. As for Billy, his depression worsens as the image of the girl he accidentally killed haunts him. With Billy about to attempt suicide, he gets a call from the assistant chief Joseph Armstrong of the S.I.S. who needs a new member for their group and to be given a second chance. Meanwhile, lawyers for the slain girl's family has an investigator following Billy to have any information that will aid their case against him.

With a new member in their team, Melville and Billy must work together quickly to catch Vic and his henchman before they kill again.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"S.I.S. Special Investigation Section" is featured in 1:78:1 anamorphic widescreen and in English 5.1 (Dolby Digital) audio.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are no special features but there are trailers for other film and television series.

Currently, "S.I.S. Special Investigation Section" is airing on SPIKE TV. This DVD features the made-for-TV film that aired in August of 2008 and overall, the film is gritty, dark and really showcasing how cold the criminal Vic and his followers are.

The film succeeds in making you hate Vic as he, his girlfriend and brother just rob people and when they get their address, go to their homes and rape and kill the people living in the residence. These people are very sadistic and have no remorse.

So, you pretty much root for the S.I.S. but unlike many cop shows where there are heroes ala "Lethal Weapon", the S.I.S. are officers who have their faults and just hope they have what it takes to take on criminals.

If anything, the film is more of a primer for the TV series. The film doesn't end with a conclusion, it's more of a "get a taste of what to expect from the upcoming TV series and watch if you want to know how it ends".

The film's storyline was very dark and gritty. Definitely not a film to expect any happy moments because the characters themselves are gloomy, their careers are deadly and for some characters, their lives are just as gloomy and you just hope by the end of the film, something good comes their way. But by the film's end that hope for something good doesn't come. In fact, the film is without a final conclusion and it might tick some people off who watch and find out that they will need to stay tuned to the television series to find out how it all ends.

Nevertheless, after watching the film, I did like the potential of "S.I.S. Special Investigation Section" and if the dark, gritty and suspenseful storyline is continued in the television series, then I'll definitely give the series a try."