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Blind Fury [1990]
RRP: £4.99
Our Price: £2.50 (subject to change)
Poor
Review date: 2008-03-31 Rating: 4 out of 10
This is really rather poor. Rutger Hauer does a pretty good blind man but his magical sword powers are way over the top. What this reminded me of was the Clint Eastwood "Every way..." films where Clint continually humilates and beats the living daylights our of a gang of hells angels. The trouble is those films weren't taking themselves very seriously. I got the impression that this was.
There are a few a nice humerous exchanges between Hauer and the young lad, but overall this was a disappointment. I strongly recommend renting first. If you must buy, only buy if its very cheap.
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Reviews
I LIKED THIS
Review date: 2007-11-27 Rating: 8 out of 10
BLIND FURY is one of those guilty pleasure films. The late Chicago film critic Gene Siskel cited it as such during a broadcast of the show he co-hosted with Roger Ebert several years ago. It is not a great film, but has real moments of warmth and humor that are hard to ignore. It's difficult to explain, but what could have been just another vapid action film, is fleshed out by good performances, a self effacing sense of humor, and solid direction.
During the opening credits, we meet Nick Parker (Rutger Hauer). Having been blinded during a firefight in Viet Nam, he is taken in by a local hamlet and nursed back to health. The villagers also teach Nick the art of the sword, we get several scenes of his progress in which he becomes a master. Jump ahead twenty years, as Nick wanders down a country road, walking stick in hand. He is on his way to visit an old friend from the war. After a silly scene involving switched hot sauce, Nick arrives to find that his friend, Frank Devereaux (Terry O'Quinn) does not live there anymore, having left for Reno. Well, Nick meets Frank's wife and son Billy (Brandon Call). Enter Slag (the Randall 'Tex' Cobb), who has come to kidnap Frank's son, to force Frank into making designer drugs, so that an evil Reno casino owner can pay off his debts. Anyway, after a especially violent debacle, Nick is sworn to protect Billy, and off they go to Reno to rescue Frank.
Admittedly, BLIND FURY is plot heavy, and a lesser film would have sunk under the weight. But the film never gets overly involved with the story, never really takes it to seriously. This is director Phillip Noyce's follow up to DEAD CALM, a tense thriller that put him on the map (he would go on to helm PATRIOT GAMES, SLIVER, THE SAINT). It is a campy ode to samurai pictures and westerns, war movies and ninja chop-em-ups. Noyce sets the right tone and keeps the action moving. Observe the scene, near the end of the film: there is a tense moment when Billy throws a sword to Nick. The sword sails in the air, in slow motion, the music builds and the sword slips right through Nick's hands. It is a wonderfully funny moment.
Another important aspect is the character of Nick Parker. As played by Rutger Hauer, Nick is a simple man, not a super hero. He reacts through instinct to the situations he finds himself in, and uses mostly evasive techniques (similar to Jackie Chan), to defend himself. Hauer does a good job blending the realities of blindness with the Hollywood clichés, which makes scenes in which he drives down one-way streets, and the like, very entertaining. The film makers also keep the violence in a backlit, comic book style, never becoming overtly graphic (the antithesis of something like KILL BILL, where the characters dance through geysers of arterial spray). BLIND FURY is an enigma, it is not wacky enough to be considered cult, it does not deal with important subject matter, yet it is still somehow affecting. It will be cast into the discount bins at your local mall, left to languish in obscurity. But for those who will give it a chance, you may be surprised by this standard action fare raised to a higher level by a talented cast and crew. 8/10.
BLIND SOMETHING
Review date: 2007-10-22 Rating: 4 out of 10
Not Rutger's crowning moment i'm afraid.
As a blind Vietnam war veteran, Hauer comes to the rescue of an ex-comrade and his family, threatened by a mafia-like gang.
Rutger is deadly with a Samurai type sword and can gut flies in half with his superfast reflexes and superhearing (yes i've had enough aswell). It's an okay film but if you have the chance to go out instead..... GO OUT.
Although a B movie...it reeks of class
Review date: 2005-12-02 Rating: 8 out of 10
This movie is awsome, its as simple as that, you have to overlook the fact that its a B movie and that you could easily pick holes. What matters is that Hauer is a complete baddy, he is subtle but deadly...Don't be put off this movie, it is very entertaining.
MARTIAL ARTS CANDY WITHOUT A LICK OF PLOT
Review date: 2005-09-06 Rating: 6 out of 10
You've heard. It's unabashedly 'inspired' by Japanese programs like Zatoichi. But undiscriminating fans of kung fu and the like will still enjoy all the cornball antics around the theme of a blind man saving his friend's son from redneck goons around the American hinterland.
For what it's worth, the faux action stuff is pretty snazzy even if it flies in the face of all sanity. Our vision-impaired but charismatic Ray-Charles-meets-Bruce-Lee protagonist drives cars in narrow city lanes at top speed, fends off a bunch of gunmen (machine guns, no less) in a paddy field with nothing but a sword, wears a watch for reasons only he has fathomed....well, there's a lot to test your incredulity.
Thankfully Blind Fury doesn't gun, or sword, for much and gets there without bumps. Nothing I'd stampede to rent but would probably stick to if it were on cable.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Rutger Hauer
Noble Willingham
Terry O'Quinn
Lisa Blount
Brandon Call
Creators:
Rutger Hauer (Primary Contributor)
Terry O'Quinn (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014138275099
Binding: VHS Tape
Number of items: 1
Format: Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound,
Release date: 1997-07-07
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Running time: 82 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1990-03-16