Blind Fury (1989)

Rutger Hauer as a blind Vietnam vet and master swordsman

This was inspired by the Japanese film “Zatoichi Challenged” (1967), but I’m sure Marvel’s Daredevil was an influence as well (the character debuted in early 1964 and so had been around for 25 years when this debuted). There’s also some influence from Eastwood’s “The Gauntlet.”

It’s surprisingly good with fleshed out characters, quality locations, lots of action and an effective sense of humor. Blonde Lisa Blount is a plus on the female front, along with a couple of other peripheral casino women. The mighty “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” would borrow from it two years later. Yet it’s inexplicably obscure.

It runs 1 hour, 26 minutes, and was shot in Houston, Reno and Squaw Valley in northeastern California (renamed Palisades Tahoe in 2021).

GRADE: A-