Eye of the Tiger

A Gary Busey Vigilante Movie pitting him against an army of biker dirtbags for their responsibility in the murder of his wife and trauma of his daughter..if that doesn't give a B-movie action fan a hard-on, nothing will. But, alas, Eye of the Tiger isn't quite the satisfying experience it could've been, and this particular revenge actioner doesn't rise above the obvious cliches that often accompany the genre.

Busey stars as Buck Matthews, a recently parolled convict(..put away behind bars by a corrupt sheriff portrayed by Seymour Cassel, really laying on the slime for this real piece of work)and Vietnam hero, who rescues a nurse from being raped by a pack of biker scum(..they have a reputation for this sort of activity). In retaliation, the biker gang explode through his home, murdering Buck's wife with him severely pummelled and subdued enough where he's unable to save her. Buck's daughter is so traumatized, she's shocked into silence, a kind of self-induced coma, her eyes staring in a daze. The worse thing this group could've done was wage a war with Buck, for vengeance will be his. Thanks to someone who owed him a favor, Buck is sent an armoured truck, bullet-proof, equipped with firing capability, including bullets and bombs. Buck will, first, make strategic attacks, picking the bikers off, little by little, with the big finale featuring him raiding their heavily guarded fortress, seeking his daughter who had been kidnapped right from her hospital bed. Assisting him(..albeit reluctantly)is JD Deveraux(Yaphet Kotto), a Sergeant of the town who plans to vacate in a few days, operating his Spearman plane from the air, dropping sticks of dynamite onto the biker's compound.

As you might often see Eye of the Tiger labeled, indeed this film features ludicrous plot problems. Seriously, would a town allow their sheriff to be this corrupt. I mean he practically wears his crimes like the badge pinned to his chest entitling him to serve and protect. The biker gang, led by Blade(William Smith, one of the more recognized heavies in the 70's and 80's;particularly memorable on television in the 80's), just disrupt the peace and operate their drug-running operation without any resistance from law enforcement and the desert town community sit idly by without voicing any concern. Buck's wife is killed, his house ransacked and destroyed, even his daughter lifted from the hospital without the sheriff's department lifting a finger to see that justice was sought for such heinous crimes.

But to be honest, the plot is developed this way just so that Buck can seek violent justice, pitted in a corner with no other alternative since the sheriff, his true rival other than Blade, will not help him. Cassel plays his sheriff one way, and that's as an underhanded asshole abusing his power, almost a dictator ruling over the town, repressing any vocal outrage which might exist. A funny scene has an intensely pissed off Buck infiltrating a bingo parlor game, seeking volunteers to stand up to their sheriff, with no takers..no uprising will occur within, so the plot will further establish that Buck will have to take matters into his own hands.

To enjoy a movie like Eye of the Tiger, you must accept some unbelievable situations such as the bikers interrupting the funeral of Buck's wife, driving by pretty much implicating themselves and the sheriff just grins! Another scene has a few bikers dropping off the casket featuring his wife's body at his doorstep! And, the idea that Busey could just drive through such a well guarded compound, snatch his daughter from a tower, get back into his truck, and drive out stretches credibility to the maximum degree. We are treated to the typical "face-off" between Buck and Blade as those who weren't killed watch in interest as the two exchange blows. One question I always asked myself is why the bikers allowed him to remain alive for such an extensive amount of time anyway. You'd think they'd realize the trouble he could cause.
Kotto is a welcome presence, exuding effortless charisma, providing at least one ally who will back up his pal, and Busey gets to play hero for a change which was nice to see. Busey, to his credit, really pulls it off, gaining our sympathy, but, honestly, it's pretty easy to root for him when you realize just what kind of vermin he's up against.

Wonderfully 80's, Eye of the Tiger, the film's title, capitalizes on Survivor's hit song, and I can just imagine those who come up with the idea to name the movie this with such enthusiasm seeing the marketing possibilities. The movie isn't as exploitative as it could've been, which might be a good thing because many aren't that keen on seeing the bikers raping female victims they pursue. It's also nowhere near as violent as these films often are, featuring mostly the hostiles dropping to bullets and explosions which hurl them in the air in slow motion.

There are two "highlights" including a beheading Herschell Gordon Lewis would've been proud of and the unappealing use of vaseline and a supposed stick of dynamite(..stuck up the ass of a biker in order for him to reveal key information Buck needs regarding where his daughter's being held)which should recieve howls from the attended audience.