On B List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Blown Away (1994)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
9/10, 7/20
9/10:
The best part of Blown Away is the intensity of Jeff Bridges' eyes before an explosion.
How he does it is sublime as evidenced in the movie poster. However, the rest is rubbish.
Since when does a conflict escalate to mano a mano if there's a terroristic attack in a major city, especially
with the use of bombs? This never happens as it's almost always handled by the local bomb squad along with the help of
the FBI, the ATF, the national guard, and the military.
The story behind the relationship between Ryan Gaerity and Liam McGivney (cute Irish names) has always been unclear to me.
I've never understood it, no matter how many times I've seen Blown Away. The dialogue is ridiculous,
making for a bad impromptu Irish skit show.
There's a particular scene, or rather two of them, when Gaerity was praying to himself while being next to the impact of
bomb. Don't you think that's rather cutting it too close? By the way, why does he wait until the last second to kill Jimmy
Dove's woman and her daughter? Just get it over with already.
All in all, the trailer of Blown Away is more exciting than the film.
7/20:
I've got to love the sight of Jeff Bridges' eyes every time there's an explosion.
Other than that, Blown Away is a mediocre film that moves slow and has many contrivances. Then, when there's a bomb
that's ready to blow, the action is fun to watch. Ironically, it happened during the Boston Marathon in 2013, so where was Jimmy
Dove when the city needed him?
Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones are terrific, but the quality of the material lets them down many times over. Forest
Whitaker is wasted big time, and it's weird to see Cuba Gooding, Jr., in a tiny role. I don't think Jeff and Lloyd Bridges
had ever appeared together in a film before, so it's a nice treat.
All in all, Blown Away is worthwhile only to see Jeff Bridges' reaction to an imminent explosion.