This quirky tale of thugs, slugs and martial arts is worth a look for those tired of mainstream, run-of-the-mill fare. Here, the central conceit is that all-action hero Rutger Hauer is blind. You'd think he would therefore be helpless too, but far from it...in fact, he's deadly with his sword and can easily take on a gang of bad guys single-handedly, unaided. The secret to Hauer's success is that he was trained in the jungles of Vietnam to cut a melon into quarters with his sword, in training scenes worthy of an early Van Damme vehicle! Another interesting thing this movie has to offer is a previously-undiscovered penchant on Hauer's part for physical comedy. I've long suspected that Hauer is underrated as an actor and here he proves the fact, by firstly being a totally convincing blind man, and secondly by being frequently funny when the script calls for it. On top of this, he's charismatic, an all-round nice guy and adept at playing either good guys (as here) or bad (THE HITCHER) depending on the film, effortlessly moving from side to side and creating either monstrous baddies or lovable heroes.

Although the plot of this movie is predictable in the extreme, the blindness of Hauer's character makes for several unexpected comic moments, such as the scene around halfway where he drives a van at speed through a busy city - absolutely great stuff, topped off by fine comic interplay when an endangered fellow driver shouts to Hauer "are you blind?!" before realising that yes, indeed he is. The action, when it comes, is also clichéd but good, from the opening non-lethal bar-room fight between Hauer and a gang of thugs (just how many times have we seen that, anyway?) to a moment where he outwits a gang of bad guys in a cornfield. Come to think of it, the odd locations are what makes the action most memorable.

The best scenes are saved for the finale, in particular a great moment when a load of bad guys gang up on Hauer on a disco floor, only for the lights to go out and him to get the upper hand and massacre them all in violent, bloodthirsty ways. There's also a superb one-on-one battle between Hauer and Japanese martial arts star Sho Kosugi, excellently staged.

The supporting cast give mediocre performances, despite there being quite a few familiar faces on view (including Nick Cassavetes, Terry O'Quinn as Haure's Vietnam buddy, Noble Willingham and Randall "Tex" Cobb). Most of the villains are clichéd and uninspired, while some of the rednecks have some really dumb scenes which drag the film down a notch or two. Surprisingly, the bonding between Hauer and the young boy should be vomit-inducing but isn't, perhaps due again to Hauer's wry portrayal of the blind but very definitely not disabled. Fantasy fans will also probably notice Meg Foster (she of the incredible glowing eyes) appearing briefly as a mother. BLIND FURY is predictable stuff saved by some good action and the charisma of Rutger Hauer. Definitely recommended for action fans looking for something a little different.

Nick Parker (splendidly played by Rutger Hauer) gets left behind by his good buddy Frank Devereaux (the always fine Terry O'Quinn) during combat in Vietnam. Nick loses his eyesight in an explosion, but luckily is found by a bunch of nice villagers who teach him how to fight with a sword. Many years later Nick goes in search of Frank. He discovers that Frank has run afoul of evil Las Vegas mobsters led by crusty casino owner MacReady (a marvelously cantankerous Noble Willingham). Nick comes to Frank's rescue. Frank's bratty son Billy (an effectively obnoxious Brandon Call) tags along. Director Phillip Noyce, working from a bright and inspired script by Charles Robert Corner, maintains a brisk pace throughout, stages the stirring action scenes with rip-snorting aplomb, and spices up the proceedings with a wickedly funny line in quirky dark humor (the definite comic highlight occurs with a lengthy car chase in which Nick recklessly drives a van!). Moreover, there's excellent acting from a bang-up cast: Lisa Blount as Frank's sweet girlfriend Annie Winchester, Randall "Tex" Cobb as scruffy, brutish goon Slag, Meg Foster as Frank's estranged ex-wife Lynn, Charles Cooper as MacReady's affable business partner Cobb, and ace martial artist Sho Kosugi as a deadly, formidable hired assassin. Nick Cassavettes and Rick Overton are hilarious as dim-witted redneck flunkies Lyle and Tector Pike. Hauer makes for a very credible and engaging oddball hero. Both Don Burgess' sharp, polished cinematography and J. Peter Robinson's funky, syncopated score are up to snuff. Better still, we've even got a welcome and touching additional human element concerning friendship and forgiveness. A real treat.

This movie gets a thumbs up from me, not because it is a GREAT FILM, but because, when you put it next to similar movies--Chuck Norris or steven Segal movies-- it is superior.

the action sequences are tightly directed and exciting. the humor works. but most important, Rutger Hauer is the main character. When is everybody going to figure out that this guy is a great actor? He is always natural, can be funny, pathetic, intense, anything. He's truly on the level of,say, Gene Hackman, he just can't seem to get into many A-level projects.

Blind Fury is a funny-exciting-goofy type of action film, kind of like a Jackie Chan film, and Hauer's presence raises the whole thing an extra level.