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SCMP Reporter

Truth, it is true, is always greater than fiction. Production notes for Extreme Justice (Pearl, 9.30pm) say the film, about a corps of police officers who hunt and kill the city's most violent criminals, was inspired by actual stories and circumstances in Los Angeles.

  It does not elaborate further, but in this increasingly dangerous world we all accept the existence of vigilantes or officially endorsed if unacknowledged bands of officers taking the law into their own hands and being protected by the very organisations they represent.

  Just look to Cape Town in South Africa where a group of admittedly extremist fundamentalist Muslims horrifically killed, in front of television cameras, a known drug dealer.

  One wonders how much support they would have garnered for their actions had they not been such fanatics.

  In Extreme Justice, Lou Diamond Phillips plays brash young Detective Sergeant Jeff Powers, who is suspended from the LAPD for violent and impulsive behaviour.

  Through his friendship with Detective Lieutenant Dan Vaughn (Scott Glenn), he is drawn into a band of cops who take the law into their own hands.

  As leader of the group, Vaughn uses his position to push to the limit every violent encounter between his officers.

  By refusing to allow criminals to surrender peacefully, Vaughn provides the police with an excuse to shoot to kill. Of course, this is Hollywood and it does not take long for the moral-minded Powers to begin questioning Vaughn's judgment, especially when the leader insists the squad simply observe a gang rape.

  It is easy to criticise the film for being too violent but just rerun the newsreel from Cape Town and we may have to reconsider.

  In reality, life does not always have pleasing endings.

     Whether being surrounded by or watching violence makes people violent is an ongoing debate.

  Jim Garbarino and Nancy Dubrow head a research team from the Erickson Institute in Chicago, where they study children who live in dangerous environments.

  Alarmingly, they have found that the more often children are exposed to violence the more they begin to practise the very violence they fear.

  The institute also works with children in violence-torn areas such as the Middle East and they are working to give children a safe haven in cities, helping them break the vicious cycle.

  Manhunter (World, 1.10am) looks at the work of the institute, as well as true crime stories, including Carl Terry, a killer who escaped prison, murdered again, and was given up by relatives.

     The one truth about Three Fugitives (World, 9.30pm) is that it is not as good as French director Francis Veber's first version of the film, Les Fugitives, with Gerard Depardieu.

  In his American debut, Veber cast Nick Nolte to play gruff reformed convict Daniel Lucas who gets caught up in an inept bank robbery and goes on the run with the robber (Martin Short) and his daughter, because of his resemblance to Depardieu.

  'I knew of Nick because people often compare him to Depardieu, a tough and handsome guy who exudes sincerity and strength.'   The comedy starts well but turns to farce as the film progresses; Nolte may be strong and sincere, but Short is unconvincing.

  Nolte, known for his moody nature and moody roles (Down And Out In Beverly Hills ), said: 'I got very strong for this film - strong enough that I could hold Martin with one hand and he couldn't get away.

  'I guess I bruised him in a couple of spots, but he was a good sport about it.'   I guess he was.



Truth that hurts