Les poulets

By reading comments left by others, I can tell they never read the book "Fuzz" by Ed McBain. I think this is the WORST adaptation of a book I've ever seen. Ed McBain's stories are great! This movie was one TOTAL let down.

In response to other's comments: the final shot with the hand in the water is because the Deaf Man was supposed to survive and come back to terrorize the 87th Precinct several more times. If this movie was any good, perhaps they had a sequel in mind. Also, Eileen McHenry's (Burke, in the book), played by Welch, rape scene seemed almost gratuitous whereas in the book, the rapist was successful and this became the root of her troubles and ambitions in the future of the series of 87th Precinct books.

This movie showed NO storyline. It was merely scenes (poorly shot and directed) pieced together to form a not-easy-to-follow plot. All these scenes lacked so much detail and explanation, that the viewer was left wondering what was going on. For example, while in the park on stakeout, the blind man with the dog was really a cop (who later shot himself in the foot). This character was never introduced in the movie.

Had it not been for Reynolds and Welch (sex symbols of the time) I don't think anyone would have noticed this movie was in the theaters.

I was expecting a decent police drama out of the movie "Fuzz." With the talents of Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner, and Raquel Welsh, viewers would anticipate a memorable picture. But considering the acting talent involved, the film is a near disaster with several plot-holes and mood changes in scenes and story lines that confuse, alienate, and annoy the viewer.

To the best that I can make out (as I was half-asleep waiting for anything to happen in this picture) Yul Brynner plays a deaf man who has orchestrated the assassination of several high ranking political officials and other selected targets. Bert Reynolds and Jack Weston are the cops who dress up as Nuns. ("NUNS?") to try to stop them, against a backdrop of a discombobulated police station and staff that makes Barney Fife look like an organized lawman! What a mess! There is absolutely no continuity to this film or plot development. You would think that some of the random shooting events would place an element of dramatic suspense, giving the viewers some reason to see this picture. However, in the next scene it's a comedy, than in the following scene it turns serious again. Fuzz is a perfect example of a movie that is only removed from being a 1, because I have given an extra point to the recognition of the actors, and another point for perhaps two good scenes that I liked in the whole movie. However, that's it. Fuzz in my judgment scores a VERY GENEROUS 3.

If the script would have stuck to ONE quality serious element, with concern about a strong issue from the cast, Fuzz could have been a passable police film. However, with too much going on at once, a weak and extremely confusing script, and a picture who's writers look like they crammed material from at least three different movies into this one, Fuzz is extremely fuzzy and never comes into focus.

If one goes to the movies a lot, it is often a bit more interesting when one has read the original work first. Ed McBain was also known as mystery writer Evan Hunter when he wrote the first of many stories surrounding his famous 87th Precinct. The series centered mostly around the reoccurring characters in his Police Station. This compilation series became the basis for the Hollywood movie called " Fuzz. " In the film, Burt Reynolds plays Det. Steve Carella, Jack Weston is Det. Meyer Meyer while Tom Skerritt plays Det. Bert Kling. With the arrival of newcomer Det. Eileen McHenry (Raquel Welch) the precinct sets out to solve a trio of baffling crimes. Formost in their sights is the mad bomber (Yul Brynner) out to extort millions from high city officials by threatening to kill them if they don't pay up. Although there is a serious attempt to convey real police drama concerning juvenile assaults, multiple arson and serial rape, the comic atmosphere and jovial levity, renders all efforts moot. Interestingly, the drama was attempted, but the end result proved more humorous than serious, rendering the movie a silly exercise with no solid resolutions. The surprising appearances of Albert Popwell as Lewis and Yul Brenner as a heavy, meant it was not a total loss. ***

With the last shot leaving very much in doubt whether the crime wave that has struck the 87th precinct is truly over, my guess is that the producers were anticipating a Fuzz 2. The need for one never arose however.

A very good group of players just can't quite get this film to come together. Fuzz reminds me of a Police Academy film with two many pretensions. In fact the Boston PD may just be where those Academy graduates end up.

The main plot of the film involves a master criminal, the Deaf Man played by Yul Brynner who is blackmailing the city of Boston so he won't kill any of their top officials. He calls his threat into the precinct with detectives Burt Reynolds, Tom Skerritt, Jack Weston, and Raquel Welch are working. When they don't believe him, Brynner kills a couple of city officials to make his point.

A couple of other story lines involving a search for some punks setting homeless on fire and a rapist and somehow and through some Clousseau like luck this crowd actually solves all the cases. You have to see the film to see how they do it.

Best scenes are Raquel and Skerritt in a sleeping bag while on stakeout with Skerritt getting terribly distracted and Reynolds and Weston as nuns observing them and a possible perpetrator. That's for the main cast members, but when painters Gino Conforti and Gerald Hiken who are busy painting the precinct while all this is going steal the film whenever they're on screen. In fact in the old days some studio would have teamed these two permanently for a series of films.

Fuzz is the harbinger of Police Academy films to come.

This is billed as a Burt Reynold's vehicle but he is actually part of a great cast in this Ed McBain 87th Precinct comedy-thriller. The police in Boston are searching for an extortionist dubbed "The Deaf Man" who is demanding cash or he kills a high ranking city official. Reynolds along with Tom Skeritt and Jack Weston are the cops on the case. The film really has a great ensemble feel and, I hope, accurately predicts the goings on inside a police station. Raquel Welch co-stars as a female detective out to snag a rapist. Yul Brynner, who must have been having lots of fun at this point in his career, is "The Deaf Man." His screen time is minimal but he does a good job. Familiar faces pop up in nearly every other scene with guys like Charles Tyner, Albert Popwell, Tamara Dobson and a very young Charles Martin Smith in small roles. The film's only major problem is that it neatly wraps up everything in the end. Seriously, every crime the cops are investigating is solved in one scene that relies heavily on convenience.