Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Wordiezett So much average

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Scott LeBrun Overall, "Eye of the Tiger" basically gets by thanks to its cast. It's a pretty routine revenge saga of one good man (here played by Gary Busey) going up against forces of evil who institute a reign of terror in his peaceable small town. The antagonists in question are a lethal biker gang who of course aren't happy when Buck Matthews (Busey) intervenes when they attempt to rape a nurse (Kimberlin Brown). So they retaliate by invading Bucks' house and murdering his wife (Denise Galik), traumatizing Bucks' young daughter Jennifer (Judith Barsi) in the process. Fed up with an ineffectual jerk sheriff (Seymour Cassel) who's out to get *him*, Buck takes the fight to the bikers, but at least he won't be completely alone: his good friend J.B. Deveraux (Yaphet Kotto) joins him, albeit reluctantly.Taking its name from the famous Survivor song popularized by its use in "Rocky III", it's very nicely shot (by Peter Lyons Collister), who creates some great visuals using the headlights on the bikers' motorcycles. Its small town atmosphere is enjoyable; it was filmed on location in Valencia, California. The stunts are good, Buck is equipped with a badass truck, and there's plenty of explosions to ensure the audience remains interested. There's also a real mean streak here that gives the movie some much needed edge. For one thing, the bikers dig up the wife's coffin and parade it in front of Bucks' home. For another, Buck displays some ingenious ruthlessness, sticking a lit stick of dynamite up a bikers' ass to get him to spill information.The acting and directing talent involved guarantees some curiosity value. Richard Sarafian of "Vanishing Point" fame guides a cast including the spirited Busey and such consistently solid performers as Kotto, Cassel, and Bert Remsen. It's also hard to resist any movie with the almighty William Smith in a bad guy role, and he's perfectly cast as Blade, the leader of the gang. The final fight between him and Busey is worth waiting for.Despite its predictable nature, this is a watchable B movie. For some viewers, it may not matter that it's not inspired stuff. Sometimes formulaic action fare is all you want, and that's what "Eye of the Tiger" delivers. Fortunately, at the very least it's never boring.Seven out of 10.

Anthony Bannon (bannonanthony) It was 1987 when I first heard of this movie. It was the very first time I'd heard of Gary Busey and a trailer for this movie was the first time I ever heard the famous Survivor theme song. I hadn't seen the whole thing until about 2003 though. But, being a fan of mindless 80s action movies, I'm glad to say I was not let down when I finally came to own a copy of this movie.It's sad that Busey never really made it as a leading man, because in this film he gives an absolutely fantastic performance as the wronged man Buck Matthews. Unfaily sent to prison by corrupt sheriff Seymour Cassel for killing a man in self-defence, Vietnam vet Buck is released and heads home. Things have gone decidedly bad since he was gone as the town is now in the grip of a sadistic, drug-running motorcycle gang headed by AIP veteran William Smith. Needless to say, the sheriff is on the gang's payroll and also happens to be Buck's parole officer, so things don't look good for our hero.The film is, of course, a revenge picture as Buck engages in single handed combat with the gang after they kill his wife and traumatise his daughter. He even has his own special vehicle for the task: a weapon-laden pick-up truck sent to him by a Latino drug lord whose life he saved while in the slammer. Yes, it's THAT kind of film.But it is actually pulled of rather well by writer Michael Montgomery and 'Vanishing Point' director Richard Sarafian. The action sequences, though sometimes grisly (a wire decapitation), are handled well, especially Buck's final assault on Smith's stronghold when good cop Yaphet Kotto finally decides to step in and help him. Kotto, Cassel and Smith all turn in excellent performances, with Cassel being particularly slimy as the crooked cop. It's very satisfying when he gets his comeuppance. The final fight between Busey and Smith is very well-handled.Although the famous Survivor song is a bit overused, it seems very appropriate for the movie's action. The original music score by Don Preston is very rousing as well. I can honestly say that while Busey is excellent at playing villains like Mr. Joshua from 'Lethal Weapon' and Commander Kril from 'Under Siege', he shows here that if you give him decent enough material, and overlook some of his personal problems, he can carry a film and make it enjoyable. I enjoy 'Eye Of The Tiger' thoroughly as a great 80s action 'missing gem', and I recommend it to my fellow IMDb users with confidence.

ManBehindTheMask63 Gary Busey plays an ex-nam vet and recently released convict (he is innocent...he was framed) Buck Matthews. He returns home to his family only to find that the town has become over run by a deadly biker gang that sells drugs all over the world. The sheriff has been paid off, so there is no law and the biker's get away with murder (literally!). So when Buck decides to rescue a woman from getting raped by the bikers...the bikers wage a war against him, killing his wife and destroying his home. So Buck decides to take the law into his own hands and seek revenge for this wife and protect the town. It's a pretty simple plot that's fun to watch. The acting is excellent and it is interesting & cool to see Busey play the lead hero for once. The action is decent, with lots of chases and a hand to hand fight scene against the head baddie at the end. The film has good budget and the movie was put together well. The song "Eye of the tiger" is obviously used during the opening credits and at the end when he goes on his vengeance spree. Overall, it was a cool flick that was made cooler by the fact that Busey was the lead action hero. There's a nice decapitation scene in there too.

megoobee Remember the "The A-Team" TV series back in the 1980's? Remember how cheesy the acting, story and special effects were? I do and I couldn't help but compare this movie and the old TV series. Interestingly, Yaphet Kotto was even in an episode of the "The A-Team" as a head gangster boss if my memory serves me. In any case, the plot is just plain silly - a whole town cowers in fear of the bad guys and simply go about their lives like nothing is wrong. Hey, how about calling the FBI or ATF? The town folk sit around and play bingo while the bad guys kill, rape and destroy things. Of course, the bad guys find the wrong person to pick on with Busey and the violence begins. Busey's wife gets killed and it's time for vengeance. Someone needs to smack the writers on their heads. Busey's dead wife is barely back in the ground (you'll know what I mean if you haven't seen the movie) and they try to create a love interest for him. (roll eyes) So to wrap this up, this movie is more or less an episode of "The A-Team" (good guys save town from baddies) but with killing, rape and profanity. Keep the little ones away from this terrible film.