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
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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!
This film is okay from what I remember of it. Unfortunately, it is not all that much seeing as how it has not come on television in many years and I have never seen a DVD of it. Heck, I never even knew the title of this movie and had the hardest time finding it on this site. I remember it having a bit of humor in it so I had added comedy to part of the search criteria and that is what threw off my search for the longest. Then I looked up Dirk Benedict as I was sure he was the guy and I finally found this title. Like I said I remember this one being a bit humorous at times, but like in Rambo it is about a Vietnam vet being treated badly by a small town. Which like I have said before in my review of "First Blood" and "Tank" makes little sense to me. There may have been a hatred of veterans of wars by those on the coasts and such, but usually the small towns embrace those who serve their country. This one though has him more of a drifter and looking rather filthy so I can see it a bit more here as rednecks do tend to act stupid like the ones that started the whole mess at that restaurant. The movie is a bit one note, usually involving the local law and such trying to capture the guy then he ends up busting some heads. Nothing like what is seen in "First Blood" where traps are set and spikes get stuck in a dude's legs. Somewhat good movie, but it needed some work too.
Two years before "First Blood", there's "Ruckus". A Vietnam veteran(Dirk Benedict who was fresh off from "Battlestar Galactica") arrives at a small town. He is trying to get back to civilization when the local rowdies decided to harass him. He uses his techniques from his military days to even the score.
Dirk Benedict would years later play a lieutenant in the army TV show "The A-Team" where he is more of a slick than a soldier.
Linda Blair plays a mother and widow of a Vietnam veteran who asked the veteran if he had known her husband.
This movie is more of the comedic version of "First Blood". Not a satire. Just comedic. Yes, there's a lot of action, and a lot of slapstick. This movie is just plain funny. It has opened up a door to future entertainment.
It was great fun.
3 out of 5 stars
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.
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.
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.
- How long is Ruckus?Powered by Alexa
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- Big Ruckus in a Small Town
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