Retro Review: Blind Fury (1989)

The concept of a blind action hero is fascinating to me. The thought of someone without sight being able to one-up someone who can see, and do so with dazzling combat abilities, is one of the coolest things going.

So my teenage self was very excited when TV spots and movie trailers appeared for Rutger Hauer's blind swordsman movie, Blind Fury. The film never hit local theatres, but I eventually caught up with it on VHS, and loved it. Was it perfect? No. But it was a lot of fun, and featured some very cool action scenes, the hotness of Lisa Blount, and Sho Kosugi. 'Nuff said!

It's thirty-two years later. How does Blind Fury hold up? Stick with me!

Phillip Noyce's fun little movie is still, well, fun! And yes, it's still far from perfect. Viewed now, it's clear the studio heavily cut the film to the shortest run time possible without losing the story, or removing the cool fight scenes. I'd love to see a director's cut, because I'm sure a lot of character stuff was left on the cutting room floor. But taken as is, Blind Fury remains a hoot.

Hauer is always good, and clearly had a fun time playing a blind ass kicker. And he's pretty darn convincing. His fight choreography is smooth, but looks like the kind of fighting a blind man would do. Does that makes sense? My favourite scene finds him squaring off against a half dozen bad guys in a darkened dance hall. It's quick, but awesome.

Yes, Lisa Blount is still hot, but I think a lot of her character was cut from the movie. Too bad, as she was always a talented screen presence. And Sho Kosugi has a brief cameo, but his scene is also the final fight, and it's worth the price of admission alone.

Blind Fury is a great 80s diversion, and I highly recommend it as a Friday Night Beer Movie. It was, and remains, a Good.

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