Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Blind Fury Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 23, 2022

Phillip Noyce's "Blind Fury" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include an exclusive new audio commentary by Charles Robert Carner and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It was nice to hear screenwriter Charles Robert Carne giving Rutger Hauer the credit he deserves. The Dutchman was a tremendous character actor and he is unquestionably the biggest reason Blind Fury works as well as it does. Hauer effortlessly alters the tone of Blind Fury and makes it attractive in some very particular ways that younger and older viewers can appreciate. The classic Zatoichi films that inspired Phillip Noyce to direct Blind Fury had an almost identical appeal, but they were set in a drastically different period environment. Ponder this. What other actor could have done what Hauer does in Blind Fury during the 1980s? I cannot think of one. Can you?

Hauer plays Nick Parker, a blind Vietnam vet looking for his best pal, Frank Deveraux (Terrance O'Quinn), who has gone missing. It has been more than two decades since the two were separated in the jungle where Parker lost his sight. In Florida, Parker meets Deveraux’s wife, Lynn (Meg Foster), and learns from her that they have parted ways and his pal has become a target for a powerful gangster (Noble Willingham). After Lynn is killed, Parker and his pal’s boy, Billy (Brandon Call), head toward Reno, Nevada, where the gangster is getting ready to close a big drug deal in his casino. But the deal can only be done if Deveraux can deliver a top-quality drug mix in a secret room in the casino where he has been held hostage for weeks.

Blind Fury is a prime example of a very good genre film that could have been made only during the 1980s. Why? A couple of reasons. First, it carefully manages the rated-R material to make it appear as completely harmless PG material. Hauer makes the transformation look incredibly easy, but Carne confirms that he and especially Noyce worked extremely hard to get everything right. (During the production, Hauer apparently made hundreds of different suggestions on how to blend the serious and the funny and frequently clashed with Noyce, who wanted the film to have a very flexible personality). In other words, right from the get-go, there was a very particular concept for Blind Fury that multiple people were committed to. Second, even though the influence of the original material from the Zatoichi films is never lost, Blind Fury does not look like a homage to a great classic and its main protagonist is not a copycat. The 1980s produced many similar genre films, with the Indiana Jones films arguably being the greatest ones. Also, there is top-quality action in Blind Fury done by actors and gifted action choreographers rather than digital artists and computers. The 1980s were the last decade when this type of work was still seen as absolutely necessary to give even a smaller genre film proper appearance and atmosphere. It is why Hauer spent many hours working with a blind judoka and learning how to use a sword.

The weaknesses of Blind Fury are all related to the editing choices that were made in the cutting room. For example, the jumps from Vietnam to Florida and Reno are quite abrupt and leave the impression that some less-than-impressive footage was removed at the last minute. Also, there are a few wider panoramic shots that seem out of sync with the rest of the visuals. Still, virtually all of the action footage is very nicely shot, with the fights where Hauer deals with the gangsters looking seriously impressive.

The supporting cast is excellent. Former heavyweight contender Tex Cobb plays the most repulsive gangster. Japanese star Sho Kosugi appears at the end of the film and challenges Hauer in an outstanding duel. (This fight should have been a little longer). Nick Cassavetes and Rick Overton play a couple of whacky killers.

Noyce worked with cinematographer Don Burgess, who went on to lense such blockbusters as Forrest Gump, Spider-Man, Contact, and Cast Away.

Blind Fury Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Blind Fury arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. Unfortunately, this is one of the weaker older masters I have seen emerge from the major's vaults. The biggest issue on this master is the presence of sharpening that produces quite a bit of edge-enhancement. There are a few areas here and there that tend to hide the sharpening rather well, but most of the time it is very easy to see and becomes distracting. Also, because of the sharpening, grain exposure isn't convincing. In fact, most of the time the grain tends to appear like exacerbated digital noise, which is why in various areas fine nuances are problematic. Highlights are unconvincing as well. Color balance is decent, but if fully redone in 4K and properly regraded, the entire film will have a much better and significantly more vibrant color scheme. Image stability is good, but I noticed some shakiness in multiple areas. All in all, while this is a serviceable presentation, at the moment Blind Fury does not have the solid organic appearance it needs to look as convincing as it can on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Blind Fury Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is outstanding. I have a hard time believing that there is any room for meaningful improvements. If the folks at Sony Pictures remaster Blind Fury in 4K, they will likely redo the audio as well. However, I can't see how they can offer better audio quality -- on the current lossless track, sharpness, clarity, depth, and balance are excellent. I did not encounter any transfer-specific anomalies to report in our review.

Blind Fury Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by screenwriter Charles Robert Carner and moderated by filmmaker and Kino Lorber producer Douglas Hosdale. I listened to the entire commentary and was very pleased with the information Mr. Carner was able to share. He confirmed everything that I suspected about Rutger Hauer's contribution to Blind Fury and why he was crucial for its identity. Also, there are very interesting comments about Phillip Noyce's take on the classic Zatoichi films as well the tone of Blind Fury.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Blind Fury from TriStar Pictures. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Blind Fury Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As I was listening to the excellent new audio commentary screenwriter Charles Robert Carner recorded for this release of Blind Fury, I began wondering what other character actor from the 1980s could have played the blind vet and not made it look like a poor contemporary replica of Zatoichi. I could not think of any suitable names. Rutger Hauer was the perfect choice for the part and this is why Blind Fury so easily changes its tone and remains a very entertaining film. I do not want to sound nostalgic, but these are the type of genre films that disappeared at the end of the 1980s and I miss them the most. They are perfect to see very late at night and relax with before you go to bed. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older and unfortunately pretty average master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. If you decide to pick it up, it will have to be for the new audio commentary and when it is heavily discounted. RECOMMENDED.