Blown Away (1994)

Before he made the man-eating lion thriller The Ghost and the Darkness and the special- effects-laden Lost in Space, director Stephen Hopkins helmed this ludicrous and critically panned thriller pitting a cop on the Boston Police bomb squad (Jeff Bridges) against a mad Irish bomber (Tommy Lee Jones) who's still holding a grudge from their early years in the Irish Republican Army. A showcase for the explosive skills of demolitions experts, Blown Away has got some impressive action sequences, although the story is somewhat convoluted and mean-spirited. Suzy Amis (Titanic) costars as Bridges's endangered girlfriend, who becomes a target of Jones's destructive scheme. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Very Deep.

My philosophy in life is a little boom doesn't hurt anyone! as long as we stay clear...! December 24, 2007

DVD movie: BLOWN AWAY

The DVD movie: Blown Away, starring Jeff Bridges & Tommy Lee Jones arrived @ my shipping address in good condition. The DVD movie is in great shape. January 16, 2007

Sort of ok - watchable definitely

Ok - this would come under your typical action movie, where the effects and stunts are perfect excuses for seemingly glaring loopholes in characterization and plot. A bit of stereotypes too make their presence in this movie, in terms of character and situation. For example, the character that Jeff Bridges plays is often a bit artificially constructed - its like building it in blocks. So what we have is a kind of jerky movement of character-creation, from loving-husband-to-be, to superhero ultracool fireman plagued with an inexplicable revulsion to his job, to son of an Irishman, to detective blessed with omniscience, to I-see-flashbacks-in-black-and-white; you get the drift! The plot is your typical "I'm your friend, now back for revenge" & how Jeff Bridges overcomes all the hurdles and faces his tormentor. Throw in some pretty interesting camera angles (outdoors especially) and some interesting fireworks, you've got the movie wrapped up.

What makes this movie really nice and rescues it from a probable disaster is Tommy Lee Jones & U2. Jones' character is built right from the first scene where he escapes from prison till the very end. He also plays the role well, acting menacingly insane and dedicated to revenge. That he builds complex bombs with U2 in the background is a real interesting treatment & this movie is worth watching for just those sequences, if not anything else - especially if you're a U2 fan!

Blown Away - definitely watchable once, dont expect much and just sit back and relax and enjoy this movie. August 17, 2006

What a weird Irish accent

Am I reviewing the right film? Definitely not the Corey Haim film? Right, lets get started.

This was released at the same time as Speed, and did not fare as well. Which is understandable considering it doesn't have a certain Keanu Reeves in it. Instead we get the guy who will forever haunt my nightmares when he was naked during Starman, and a weird but funny, leprachaun-esque accent from Tommy Lee Jones. I challenge you not to smile when he's dancing around making a bomb (?) singing a U2 song.

Although not as fast-paced as Speed, it's a slow ticking bomb, just waiting for the right moment to explode. With a reasonable cast, including Suzy Amis, who I actually had to ask who she was. Duh, she only stars in my favourite film, Titanic! She's virtually unrecognisable.

The only thing I wasn't keen on about this movie was I did not think Jeff Bridges' character's background was well-explained. I didn't understand what happened in his past, or what really was the connection between him & Tommy Lee Jones. And the fact that he kept most of his past secret from his wife, Suzy Amis. Some relationship.

It's not a movie I'd particularly watch again, but it was enjoyable at the time. I'll always prefer Speed over this, but I'll stick to my Starman nightmares thank you. September 10, 2005

Not up to Hopkins' usual standards.

Blown Away (Stephen Hopkins, 1994)

Blown Away is a rare thing, a moment in Stephen Hopkins' career where he dips below the standard he has set for himself throughout his career. Blown Away is surrounded by better films in the director's oeuvre, coming just between the underrated Judgment Night and the mediocre, but fun, The Ghost and the Darkness.

Jeff Bridges stars as Jimmy Dove, a member of Boston's bomb disposal unit who has a shady past. That shady past, in the guise of Ryan Gaerity (Tommy Lee Jones), catches up with him after Gaerity escapes from prison in Northern Ireland and tracks Dove down, starting to play a deadly game of one-upsmanship with him while the Boston bomb squad tries to bring Gaerity down.

It'd be your typical fun, mindless thriller were it not for some really, really badly overlooked details, like Jeff Bridges' accent. It's about the worst it could be for a person trying to imitate half-Irish half-Boston. Tommy Lee Jones' brogue isn't all that much better, but Jones is playing such a stereotype that one's not really noticeable. (A mad Irish bomber who's obsessed with U2? Oh, please.)

Not a bad way to kill two hours if you want to turn your brain off, but you'll have to turn it farther off than normal for this one. ** June 2, 2005

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