Blind Fury

Directed by Phillip Noyce, Blind Fury follows Vietnam vet Nick Parker (Rutger Hauer) as he springs into action after an old army buddy (Terrance O’Quinn’s Frank Deveraux) is kidnapped by a vicious crime syndicate (led by Noble Willingham’s Claude MacCready). It’s a solid premise that’s employed to entertaining (if somewhat forgettable) effect by Noyce, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by Charles Robert Carner, delivers a brisk actioner that benefits consistently from Hauer’s charismatic, engrossing turn as the affable protagonist – with the actor’s stirring work certainly matched (and heightened) by an eclectic supporting cast that includes Randall “Tex” Cobb and Nick Cassavetes. (The latter, cast as a dimwitted henchman alongside Rick Overton, adds a good amount of welcome comic relief to the proceedings.) And although the movie’s midsection suffers from a somewhat hit-and-miss quality, with certain interludes packing far more of a punch than others, Blind Fury builds towards a satisfying climactic stretch that ensures it finishes on a decidedly positive note – with the final result a perpetually watchable piece of work that receives plenty of mileage out of Hauer’s endlessly engaging performance.

*** out of ****