Ruckus

The copy of "Ruckus" that I own (an old-fashioned VHS tape ... still the best collectible) features something I've never seen before, not even in all my many years as a cult-movie fanatic. Before the opening credits, there's a message on the screen stating: "Ruckus has a similar theme as the well-known Sylvester Stallone movie, but got released more than a year before First Blood". Ha! Seems to me the distributors were sick and tired of hearing their film was nothing but a lame imitation of Rambo. It's definitely true that "Ruckus" and "First Blood" have the same basic plot, namely that of a bewildered and traumatized Vietnam veteran who isn't welcome in a sleepy little town, and where the local rednecks attempt to chase him away.

The resembling plot is where the comparison stops, though. "First Blood" is an intense and gripping action/drama, with complex characters and underlying messages, whereas "Ruckus" aims straight for slapstick and pretty much gets ruined by its combination of excessively dumb yokel characters and endless car chases to the tunes of banjo music. Dirk Benedict, in between his TV-successes "Battlestar Galactica" and "The A-Team" doesn't has to do much acting, as he's the strong silent type - mentally scarred by his experience as a POW - who likes to climb in trees and manufacture his own bow and arrows. The gorgeous Linda Blair is utterly wasted, unfortunately. The film doesn't have a few remarkable and unexpected strong points, I must admit. The two characters of which you assume they are the slimiest villains actually turn out to be completely anti-stereotypical. Richard Farnsworth (as the intelligent Sheriff) and Ben Johnson (as the town's rich industrialist) are guaranteed to surprise you.

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.

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.

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.

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.