As a big fan of the film, Blade Runner, I've always liked Rutger Hauer. His smooth delivery and charm made him a perfect foil to Harrison Ford's Deckard. Over the years, I'd always hoped to see Hauer make a return to the big screen, so I was very pleased to see him featured in Sin City and Batman Begins. One of the last big screen feature roles that Hauer took on before he starred in a string of "direct-to-video" flicks was 1987's Wanted: Dead or Alive.
For those of you that have never seen the film, it's not exactly Lethal Weapon, but it is one of the more underappreciated action films of the decade. Hauer plays a lone wolf type who makes his living as a bounty hunter, working for the police department on the side. After a string of terrorist incidents plague Los Angeles, Hauer is called upon to find the man repsonsible, played by KISS bassist, Gene Simmons. Simmons hardly says much during the film, and it's no small wonder. As much as I like Simmons as a rock star, he's a far cry from anything resembling an actor. However, he's easy to hate just based on his heartlessness throughout the film.
The movie has many great action sequences, including a great finale that boasts one of the most explosive endings to a film I've ever seen. Those of you that have seen this one know what I'm talking about.
I'm really rather surprised Hauer never caught on as an action star after seeing this film. He's such a slick actor with a very unique style. It's almost criminal he wasn't used more as an anti-hero or villain throughout the 90's.
Though there were slow points in the film, the great action sequences and Hauer's character made the film worth while. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the genre, or Hauer for that matter.
7/10
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