Although filmed in 1980, Super Fuzz did not receive a wide release in America until 1981. People were still hungover from the excitement of the previous year's "Empire Strikes Back". "On Golden Pond" was a hit. "Chariots of fire" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" were hot. Sadly, "Super Fuzz" was lost in all the excitement. Dave Speed's just an ordinary guy. An ordinary guy who can catch bullets in his mouth. Who can run faster than a car. Who can levitate....no, Dave Speed is definitely NOT an ordinary guy. Caught in a nuclear explosion he develops super powers, telekinesis and mind control among them. He uses his abilities to catch crooks, to the complete disbelief of his partner Sgt. Dunlop (brilliantly underplayed by Ernest Borgnine). The snappy dialogue between these two is the stuff of legend. And the special effects are refreshing. No fancy computer graphics here, just old-fashioned ingenuity from the f/x crew. Check out the scene with the levitating coffee cup. Amazing. Unfortunately for Speed, there is a catch to all of this. Sometimes his powers completely fail, but he doesn't know why. One of the great joys of Super Fuzz is trying to figure out what Speed's Achilles heel is . If you've never seen this movie , read no further. SPOILERS- "The Usual Suspects" got lots of press as a tightly wrapped mystery, but to me Super Fuzz stands taller. What causes Dave to lose his powers? The color RED. Anytime Speed sees red his super powers are lost. Director Sergio Corbucci paces himself, never giving too much information away, stringing the audience along. From the subtle scene where the camera zooms in on red flowers 'til they fill up the screen, to the bright red interior of the smuggler's truck. I spot something new everytime I see this movie. And let us not forget the acting of Terence Hill. He threw himself into this role with such De Niro intensity that Hollywood gossip has it that years later he still flinches at the color red. Super Fuzz has action but it is not an action movie. It has laughs, but it is not a comedy. It has romance, but it's not a love story. It is a slice of life more satisfying than anything I have seen in years. Without hesitation, I tell you that Super Fuzz is mandatory viewing for any serious student of film. I give it a 9 out of 10.
Review of Super Fuzz
