Plot: What’s it about?
Kyle Hanson (Dirk Benedict) is a loner and he prefers to wander from town to town, with no real home or friends. But Hanson isn’t sick or crazy by any means, he is just scarred from his experiences in the Vietnam conflict and can’t seem to find his place in normal society. So he passes from town to town and gets what he needs in each, but he never bothers anyone or causes a scene. So when he strolls into another small town to grab some food, he doesn’t expect much of anything to happen, but he was wrong on that issue. He stops at a local diner to eat and because of his worn exterior and dirty clothes, some town bullies decide to make him their newest target. Soon enough, the bullies harass Hanson and when they try to use force on him, they quickly realize the error in their ways. Hanson uses his training to fend off the bullies and thinks the ordeal is over, but that’s not the case. After getting word of the bullies being beaten up, the citizens have begun a manhunt to find and punish Hanson. With the entire city looking for him and no one to turn to, Hanson needs some help in the worst way. But even if someone offers him assistance, will he be able to overcome his fears and accept it?
If this storyline sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. This film shares a close resemblance to First Blood, but this is not a clone by any means, as this one came first. I prefer the Stallone version overall, but there’s no reason you can’t have them both and live in the best of both worlds. I like the whole “loner taking on a bunch of local bullies” idea and as such, I think Ruckus is more than worth a look, especially if you share my enjoyment of movies like this one. Of course there some violence when Hanson confronts the mean folks, but it isn’t presented in a brutal fashion, so I doubt anyone will be too upset by it. Heck, I would like to have some seen more over the top action, but this one settles on more of a laid back approach. But no complaints in the end, as Ruckus delivers the action I wanted and the emotional content I never knew I needed. Plus, when you add in a solid supporting cast with the likes of Richard Farnsworth and Linda Blair, and music by Willie Nelson, all the bases have been covered in this movie. This is a fun movie and Anchor Bay has given it a nice treatment, so if you’re at all interested, I recommend this movie and disc.
This film was written and directed by Max Kleven, who has directed a few other films, but is best known for his work in the field of stunts. As a writer Kleven delivers a decent script, but it seems like the focus is too much on the emotional side of this story. With a story like this one I think the emphasis should be on the action, but here we see more of the characters and backstory instead. This isn’t a bad thing in the end, but on the whole I would have liked more action injected into the film. The movie still works on all levels though, so I think Kleven proves his worth by the end credits. As a director, Kleven uses a simple style, but it works very well for this material. I think Kleven comes out well on both counts and I think this was terrific debut for him. If you want to see more films by Kleven I recommend Deadly Stranger, The Hunted, and The Night Stalker. The lead here is played by Dirk Benedict, who many of you will remember as Face from Tv’s The A-Team. Benedict (Scavenger Hunt, Body Slam) turns in a solid performance here, as does costar Linda Blair (Hell Night, The Exorcist). Blair’s character doesn’t garner quite enough screen time if you ask me, but she still does a fine job. The supporting cast includes Matt Clark (Return To Oz), Jon Van Ness (The Hitcher), Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story), and A.J. Blake (Beyond Death’s Door).
Video: How does it look?
Ruckus is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is an older, low budget movie, but it looks much better than I expected. Some wear and tear is evident on the print, but nothing distracting or too extreme, so no serious stuff. The compression seems flawless, as I could spot no signs of pixel breakup, shimmering, or edge enhancement in the least. The colors look natural, so don’t expect rich hues, but that’s the intended effect and flesh tones look warm and consistent also. No troubles with the contrast either, as black levels are well balanced and detail is always quite high. Once again, Anchor Bay has given an overlooked film the visual treatment it deserves.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono track handles the dialogue driven scenes well, but seems too limited when it comes time for the action to heat up. But as far as mono tracks go, this one replicates the audio just fine in the end. The music (by Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran) is very appropriate for this material and it sounds good here, no distortion is present at all. The action scenes sound good, but again lack the power and range a full surround track could offer. But the effects are clean and distinct, so real complaints overall. The dialogue, even when whispered, is loud and clear and shows no serious problems.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as an audio commentary track with writer/director Kleven and stars Benedict and Blair. This is a fun and relaxed commentary, in which we learn how much fun these folks had making this movie. It’s nice to listen to the stories and memories these people share and I pleased this track was included.
