Fúria de Vencer

I am actually IN this movie (I was an extra in the racing scenes - that's me in a tan dress with a parasol, listening to the band play, and again up on a lock gate, watching the racers - and my father and brother were extras in it too, my dad played a nineteenth-century bookie!), so I would really like to be able to give it an excellent review. I have to be honest, though - the script is pretty bad, Nicolas Cage had very little to work with here, Christopher Plummer is wasted, and even the racing scenes are cut badly so they're not very exciting. It was much more fun to film than it is to watch - I'd say only seek out this one if you're a big Nicolas Cage fan and are intent on seeing every film in which he's acted.

Found this to be a most fascinating film and a sport I wonder, if anyone does today?? Ned really had some fortitude to go forth and not be struck down by bullies, which obviously were in this profession back then. I believe he was awesome to become a Champion rower on 3 continents. Wonder if anyone in this class today can do as well? Its truly a workout to stay in shape for such competition. I believe Cage did an excellent job in this film even if he was only 22 years old!!

Nick Cage was only 22 when he made this period piece. Chariots of Fire (1981) must have been in the back of his mind. Ned Hanlon was not a big enough name to interest the viewer, and he was a naive young man. But it was a nice, but not remarkable movie. He did build his pecs up for this-- he always gets into his character.

This is a fairly mundane movie.

A sports movie celebrating someone's achievement should feel like a celebration, this doesn't. Its not offensively bad or anything but fails to reach any great heights.

Cage may have been on Valium for this one!

I saw this in a theatre out of pure curiosity back in 1986. The ads gave no indication what this was about--it just showed Nicolas Cage with his shirt off showing his VERY nice chest. It was a dull true story of Ned Hanlan who was a world class sculler--or something like that. It takes place in the 19th century (the ads didn't mention that either) and I usually hate period pieces--that didn't help me like the movie more. The only good thing about this was Cage--he WAS good and his body looked fantastic. But, unless you're interested in sculling, you'll probably be bored silly.

There was one unintentionally hilarious scene in which Cage tries to rip open a woman's shirt--and it wouldn't rip! He fumbles with it before he finally gets it off. The audience I saw it with was laughing hysterically.