Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 6-June-04
Spoiler Rating: High

F/X (1986)

Up until the last five minutes, "F/X" is a very cool movie. An inventive thriller with a compelling central character, it provides a nice reminder that action movies don't have to be really loud, really clichéd, or really stupid to entertain.

Aussie Bryan Brown (whatever happened to him?) plays a Big Apple immigrant named Rollie Tyler, a special effects artist with a successful movie career and an amiable, few-strings-attached romance with a pretty actress. His success puts him in harm's way, however, after he agrees to help the Department of Justice stage the murder of a notorious mafia don (Jerry Orbach) who is entering the Witness Protection Program. Once he has performed his duties, including preparing the necessary make-up and props and faking the shooting of the witness, Rollie discovers that the DOJ agents want him dead for knowing too much. Forced into hiding with a single friend to turn to (Martha Gehman), he fights for his life with the only weapons he's got --- special effects --- while his would-be killers and a cop with a nose for funny business (Brian Dennehy) try to track him down.

The great thing about "F/X" is that, while consistently engrossing, it never gets overly grim or nerve-wracking. It's like one of those potential nightmares that unexpectedly turns into a decent dream, because you locate the right escape route or obtain the right power that can save you. After a critical scene in which he comes face-to-face with death (his own and others'), Rollie becomes almost a superhero, equipped with a nifty utility belt and brave (or desperate) enough to use it against the villains. Before too long, you get the sense that he is more confident and determined than his adversaries (notably Mason Adams as the smarmy mastermind and Cliff De Young as his lackey), and the enjoyment comes from watching him transform from the hunted to the hunter. Admittedly, the plot skews a little too much in Rollie's favor, giving him as much luck as cleverness and providing Dennehy's character with an almost miraculous ability to get at the truth. Still, it adds up to an enjoyable impression of the good guy coming out on top.

Which explains why the last five minutes of "F/X" are such a letdown. After outwitting and outlasting the men who try to destroy him, Rollie suddenly reveals a new face not much different from theirs. He exchanges his air of righteous resourcefulness for the attitude of common, grasping greed, which comes as a very disagreeable surprise to anyone who has high standards for heroes. No doubt we're meant to appreciate that our man receives major recompense for his troubles (what a Reagan-era ending), but this actually diminishes the ability to appreciate that he overcame those troubles with previously untapped grit and ingenuity. With another conclusion, the effect of the movie might have been more special.

Copyright © 2004 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.