A Vietnam veteran passing through a small town is harassed by local bullies but he fights back, using his wartime skills, and triggers a full-scale police manhunt.A Vietnam veteran passing through a small town is harassed by local bullies but he fights back, using his wartime skills, and triggers a full-scale police manhunt.A Vietnam veteran passing through a small town is harassed by local bullies but he fights back, using his wartime skills, and triggers a full-scale police manhunt.
Clifford A. Pellow
- Homer
- (as Cliff Pellow)
Bennie E. Dobbins
- Joe
- (as Benny Dobbins)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I was too young when I first saw this movie to connect it to First Blood, knew they were similar but didn't realize until way later that this was likely born of the circulating First Blood script. Don't hold that against it though. While it does get much sillier and the repetition of the same song over and over is quite noticeable this movie is very much a product of its time and a great, fun flick from 1980. It's very much flawed but Dirk Benedict makes Kyle Hanson a very likeable protagonist. The villains are terrible, like rejects from a Smokey & The Bandit movie and the violence is more of the A-Team type with no one being injured beyond the likes of a schoolyard brawl but it is still a good time and I will always remember it as a childhood favorite. Check it out at least once and try to judge it on its own merit!
It is the same story as in First blood with Sylvester Stallone, but this film is much better and the storyline has been a lot better. I like this film a lot and it is one of the best actionfilms I ever have seen. If you like it too send me a comment.
Dick Bendict is a loner who still has trouble getting over the horrors he faced in the Vietnam war. All he wants to do is be by himself and try to move on, but a group of hoodlums take it upon themselves to terrorize him after a beautiful widow (Linda Blair) takes an interest to him.
Well, you can give this credit as being the film that First Blood ripped off. It is entertaining and Richard Fransworth is excellent as always and Linda Blair turns in a rather appealing performance capturing the right balance between being lonely yet madly in love. This is one of her better vechiles, but other then Fransworth's and Blair's good turns there really isn't anything special or praticully distinguishable about this film.
Well, you can give this credit as being the film that First Blood ripped off. It is entertaining and Richard Fransworth is excellent as always and Linda Blair turns in a rather appealing performance capturing the right balance between being lonely yet madly in love. This is one of her better vechiles, but other then Fransworth's and Blair's good turns there really isn't anything special or praticully distinguishable about this film.
Should be enshrined in a vault for future generations to enjoy.Best study of small town southern people I have ever watched on the screen.Every character in the movie has at least one counterpart in my home town.Should be watched over and over to really enjoy.
Having read "First Blood" I told everyone what a tremendous movie it would make. Imagine my surprise when I watched this movie. The hero's name was different but there was no doubt that this was the same story. Linda Blair had been added as a love interest but the battle against the small town sheriff by a disturbed Vietnam vet was definitely the story of John Rambo later made famous by Sylvester Stallone. I have spent years trying to convince others that this movie existed. It didn't help that I forgot its name. Fortunately I did remember it starred Dirk Benedict. Although not a great movie, it does satisfy the "machismo" ethos. In a way, Stallone's version was a let down. The book has a much grimmer ending than either movie. If Stallone-Rambo had suffered the fate portrayed in the book there could have been no sequels.
Did you know
- TriviaTo stay in character, Dirk Benedict felt it was important to remove himself from the rest of the cast and crew as much as possible during the shoot. Therefore he spoke as little as possible and secluded himself in his hotel room at night.
- GoofsShots of Kyle driving red pick-up that he escapes in are shown mirrored back-to-front in several shots - the steering wheel is clearly on the wrong side.
- Quotes
Jenny Bellows: [turns around and sees Kyle standing in her living room, gasps] Can I help you with something?
Kyle Hanson: [points up on the wall] I didn't know your husband.
Jenny Bellows: I told my father I didn't think you did.
- SoundtracksWHAT CAN YOU DO TO HIM NOW?
Written by Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran
Sung by Janie Fricke
Tree Publishing Co.
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- Big Ruckus in a Small Town
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