Contagem Regressiva

This movie was made during the period (early '90s) in which Hollywood was absolutely in love with blowing things up. The more explosions, the better, seemed to be the prevailing attitude.

At least they weren't overdone in this film, as they were in so many others. However, the accents might have been overdone as none of the stars - Jeff Bridges,Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, Suzy Amis and Lloyd Bridges - sounded like a true Bostonian.

It's especially odd to hear Jones attempt his Irish-Boston accent, although he's more adept at it than the younger Bridges. Jones plays an Irish terrorist in this revenge movie, wreaking his havoc in Boston. The film's best asset is the suspense it builds for the two hours and the fact it keeps you interested the entire way, right from the opening scene.

The negatives are too much profanity and a contrived story in spots, particularly at the end when the fight between Bridges and Jones goes on forever as does the scene with Jones trying to save his wife. It's just too much. A lot of modern-day action films just don't know when to quit, and this is a prime example. Yet, it's definitely worth at least one look.

How did "Speed" ever get better reviews than this? Whilst De Bont's runaway bus is certainly good, "Blown Away" is by far the better bomb movie as it relies on suspense driven thrills rather than big budget stunts to deliver the kicks. Admittedly the film starts slowly but the pace steadily keeps increasing until the final half-hour where things (literally) explode in one of the best fight scenes ever put on celluloid. Stephen Hopkins plays every scene for as much tension as he can (I defy you to watch the kitchen scene without cringing at every slomo) and displays a De Palma like understanding of virtuoso camerawork. Jones menaces away as his usual psychotic prankster (think Two-Face with an Irish accent) and J Bridges is good but never truly called on to do anything special. Amis, Whitaker and the rest of the support are perhaps a little under-used but the film is never about them. This is about Jones and Bridges in a deadly, vengeful face-off and the final showdown is everything you could ever want from an action thriller. Watch it and enjoy.

"Blown Away" obviously suffered in comparison to "Speed" since both films were released the same year during the same summer. I never really considered this a pure action film more than a suspense thriller. Things aren't blowing up every 10 minutes and the characters are more deep and interesting here than in a lot of your mindless action romps. I found Jeff Bridges desire to resume a normal life in Boston after his questionable "IRA-like" activities back home in Ireland appealing and his lovely fiancee played by Suzy Amis very likeable. Tommy Lee Jones has a great Irish accent and the lunatic he plays is great fun to watch. Lloyd Bridges as Jeff's uncle and Boston cop Forest Whittaker are equally appealing. My home-town newspaper, "The Dayton Daily News" gave the film 3 stars. I'd say that's about right.

No sequels please!

Mad bomber formerly associated the IRA escapes from prison and appears in Boston to exact revenge to the man who put him there in the first place - bomb expert Jimmy Dove, a loving family man, with a dark past...

If this plot seems easy to predict, it is. but it is defended by the superb action sequences filmed, the excellent explosions and also by the great acting by Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. The standout goes to Jones, who gives an on-his-own performance as a deranged bomber at war with Jimmy Dove. And although the storyline has a few plot holes, it still manages to carry on as if nothing happened. Director Hopkins, who helmed the gory 1990 sequel to the 1987 action hit Predator, shows his potential for making action sequences as realistic as possible. One example is the abandoned ship explosion. That has what I think the biggest live action film explosion ever! On the MGM DVD the picture is a clear anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen with super good Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, thus packing a punch for you home theater system.

Overall, solid entertainment, you're not looking for anything like To Kill A Mockingbird, now are you? A treat for action fans and a must have for home theater enthusiasts.

7.65/10 for entertainment, 6.7/10 overall.

Delton

Tommy Lee Jones wants Jeff Bridges and anybody he knows "Blown Away" in this 1994 film, also starring Suzy Amis, Forest Whitaker and Lloyd Bridges.

Bridges, caught up in the Irish trying to get the English out of Ireland, worked with Jones in Ireland, but when one of the bombings goes bad, he splits, and Jones gets arrested. Jones escapes from an Irish prison and traces Bridges to Boston, where he plans on getting revenge on Bridges, his family, and the entire Boston Police Bomb Squad.

This movie really needed to be seen on the big screen because of all of the special effects - huge, frequent explosions.

The accents are all over the place, but the performances are good, with Lloyd Bridges on hand as a bearded character actor. It was a little too stereotypical for this viewer.

The script is by the numbers and derivative, but the actors and the tension engendered from defusing bombs attached to people helps hold interest.

Okay, but see it on a large flat-screen TV.