User reviews

Cage is an entertaining action pic from the 80's.

The plot: Billy (Ferrigno) is a 'Nam vet who tragically gets shot in the head on a mission. He survives but now is mentally challenged. He goes through a lot of grueling physical therapy and eventually becomes a productive member of society. He only has one friend, fellow vet Scott Monroe (Brown). Then slimy gangsters show up. They kidnap and brainwash Billy to go into the dangerous world of cage fighting. Scott must rescue his friend by going into the ring himself.

Cage is the only movie that delves deep into the idea of "Retard Strength". This politically incorrect idea would never be made today. The fight sequences are brutal and predate UFC by decades. Cage was ahead of its time. Another movie of this ilk is called "Shootfighter" it stars Bolo Yeoung. Lou Ferrigno puts in a sensitive performance as exemplified in his first fight scene when he jovially introduces himself to his mean opponent, with the now-immortal line "Hi!, I'm Billy!" Billy doesn't want to fight and he is a sweet-natured man. But the gangsters attempt to corrupt him to be a fighting machine. Let's not forget about Reb Brown and his classic yell. (e.g. "Strike Commando" and every movie Brown has been in.) "Cage" apparently had so many fans clamoring for more "Cagey" goodness a sequel was thankfully released 5 years later! Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett For more insanity, check out: comeuppancereviews.com

Cage (1989) was another one of those low budget "buddy" action flicks that were produced during the 80's thanks in large part due to the films such as 48hrs. and Lethal Weapon. This one stars Reb Brown and Lou Ferrigno as to former Vietnam Vets who happen to run a local dive bar. Reb takes care of Lou because he saved his life in 'Nam. But Lou was shot in the head and is now pretty soft. Although he's huge, Lou has the brain of a child. One day some ruffians throw their wait around in the bar and Lou and Rebb beat the tar out of them. But payback's a mother. They crash the bar leaving Lou and Reb with nothing. That is until these two thugs come into the picture (one of them's a real nice guy) who have a plan in mind.

The film's a waste of time. Maybe if they went all they way and made a hard core action flick instead of trying to tone down the gruesomeness of the situation perhaps it could have worked. Alas, it doesn't and the audience is left holding the bag. Oh well. It's too bad because you have all the elements for a great B-movie. Better luck next time, I guess.

Not recommended.

xxx

I rented this film to see what might be a bloody, non stop action movie and got this overly sentimental and super cheap low budget action-drama that makes Kickboxer look like Die Hard. Lou and Reb are in Vietnam and as Lou saves Reb from the gooks, he gets shot in the head in what is easily one of the worst effects ever. The Vietnam scenes are shot in someones backyard, I swear! Lou is now brain damaged and Reb and him live together and own a bar. Super homoerotic. Lou is convinced to fight in a cage for money and Reb goes on a killing spree to get him back. There is no good fight scenes at all, the punches are two inches away from a person. Characters personalities change in matter of seconds. One guy is a bad and in the next scene he's good. The acting is horrid and the music is some overly sentimental Frank Stallone sounding song that would make you sick. I hated this film.

This is much better that I thought would be. Whats more Lou Ferrigno is actually pretty good in this, not just at flexing his pecs but he puts in quite a touching performance as Billy. Billy saved his friends life and in that process took a gunshot wound to the head. Subsequantly he became mentally challenged and has the mind of a boy his friend who he saved now looks after Billy and they are the best of mates. The scene near the beginning set in the hospital as the two war heros recouperate is slightly on the homosexual side with so almost loving looks between the two guys, some holding of the hands and a vomitously sappy love song playing over the opening credits, this made me worry that the film would be cheesy than a truck load of stilton but it sorted itself out after that scene. These tournement based films were very common around this time with the likes of Van Damme breaking through to the likes of Don the Dragon, Billy Blanks and Gary Daniels also coming in further down the market. This is one of the better ones, with a good central relationship and also a good standard of fights although the direction from Lang Elliot is strictly routine. Anyway overall this is surprisingly worth a watch with Lou doing a surprisingly efficient acting job. Although why he sported such a dodgy hair cut throughout the 80's only Lou will know.

What seems just another banal action film is a story of friendship has depth, feeling, and yes, it still kicks ass...

The cage fights, occurring within an illegal underground club run by the Asian mafia known as Tongs, serves as a sporadic glimpse into what's to come while most of the film deals with two Vietnam Vets, Reb Brown as Scott and Lou Ferrigno as Billy, both shown in a Vietnam era prologue...

Billy saves Scott's life by grasping his hand in an ascending helicopter to keep him from falling - after being shot in the head. The loss of blood causes brain damage...

Cut fifteen years later, after a corny opening credit montage guided by music a lame song too weak for the upcoming testosterone-driven action... The reality is, Scott owns a bar and takes care of Billy like a mildly retarded son.

Although, the characters that really drive the film's plot are two shifty but likable Italian thugs played by Michael Dante and Mike Moroff who, cornered by an impending debt, stir up the pot in several ways, eventually tricking Ferrigo's gentle giant Billy to partake in cage fighting...

Both serving as not only plot catalysts but comic relief, going back and forth as if annoyed siblings...

Eventually, about an hour in, an enraged Scott seeks Billy, wielding a shotgun like only Reb Brown can, hunting down a gang the Italians used as a patsy...

And Brown has never been better, showing intensity in place of his usual macho cool while Ferrigno nails the role as a friendly man-child who, when pushed too far, all but turns green in that cage: where only the winner survives...

Meanwhile James Shigeta makes a terrific head villain, running the illegal bouts with an iron fist, shifting rules as they go as the always dependable character-actor Al Ruscio, as an Italian mobster, adds his own weight to elevate the already topnotch, underrated vehicle that is CAGE, starring two muscular studs held-up by the strength of top-notch surrounding performers.

Cage was a movie that I have wanted to see for many years. Since I was 10 I have seen it at the video shop with its brutal looking cover. Last night I took the plunge back into the world of low budget video violent nastys.

Cage, however must rank as one of the most original movies I have ever seen. Film Snobs and pretentious Surrealists would never see it. Drama Buffs would avoid it like the plague and it will probably never be screened anywhere but the cheapest cable channel. That, however is the shame of the film world. This film has movie moments equal to any film (save Tarkovsky), It has some moments of totally original drama, brutal violence, extreme surrealism and a performance by Lou Ferrigno that renders him completely unrecognisable from all his other films and from himself in particular.

How is a film like this made. Who knows, who really knows. The only thing that I could think of is that the director and writer were trying to say certain things for themselves through a film genre which is completely alien to those types of sentiments.

The plot is a relatively simple one to pitch. Two friends are seperated by gangsters and one is forced to fight in an underground human cockfighting type of tournament. The other friend penetrates the underground world of gangs and violence to rescue him. Sounds familiar doesnt it, SOUNDS VERY FAMILIAR in fact. However from conception to filming a miracle of independent vision has taken place. From the use of music and lighting, to the acting and story devices and emphasis given to different motives in certain scenes. Cage has all the conviction of independent filmaking woithout any of the posturing and pretensions that "Label" independent movies have.

If you have any interest in where films can go. Watch "Cage". It is a sad, sad thought that in this age of independent filmaking we have become less imginative in where we go with the filsm we make. The more inventive the editing techniques, the more sophisticated the lighting and post production, the less original and full on films are becoming.

For not being like any movie I've seen before and taking me completely by suprise. I give Cage a 10.

Underground Idealism has another champion.

I expected to get some laughs from a movie I thought would be like Schwarzeneggers Commando or something like that but I was amazed at what it actually is, a movie about a powerful friendship between two vietnam veterans (Lou Ferrigino and Reb Brown), one of them saved the other while getting shot in the head and now hence he has the mentality of a boy. Reb Brown being the one Lou saved he now repays his debt by taking care of him.

At the same time two low mobsters have lost money fighting on an illegal cage match and need a new fighter. They run into Brown and Ferrigino and later persuade Ferrigino to wrestle out in the cage because he doesn't understand what it actually means. Brown try to find him to save his one and only friend and it all ends in a terrific climax. Good action and some reasonable good acting.

Is somewhere between a six and a ten.

Lou Ferrigno at his BEST!

Lou Ferrigno has done it all. He was The Hulk in the 70's, Hercules in the 80's, and a hulking cage fighter in "Cage". Put in a coma after Vietnam, Billy Thomas(Ferrigno) and his buddy, Scott Thomas(Reb Brown) are about to help run a bar in California. If you thought that war was traumatic, try an arson attack that killed the owner. The associates behind the attack gets Billy and have him trained to be a fighter against the reigning champion. Scott goes on every end to find Billy. Not only did he dethrone the champion, they would end up with the money to rebuild the bar. Lou Ferrigno did well with the research on behalf of the veterans who experience the trauma of war and recouping. But I do know that Ferrigno is deaf. Most people don't know that. A very good movie. A keeper! 4.5 out of 5 stars!

If you like Bloodsport, this is a must see, I love this film and it's sequel, Lou's real voice was used unlike most of his other films back then like Hercules or Sinbad, he does a fantastic job for the role he was given, I think the storyline is great and Reb Brown and James Shigeta as well as other in the cast did very well. Lots of great cameos, to me it's a fun and at times grabs your heart sad film and I've watched it a few times over the years, Amazon is the best place to watch it, most streams or videos look terrible, the vhs tapes aren't too hard to find, the dvds are extremely rare and as of right now no Blu-rays have been released, hopefully they someday release a double feature!

Low budget but good first action film for Ferrigno.