Bullet Points: A Breed Apart
Rutger Hauer had a very unique career. Born in the Netherlands during WW2, Hauer would make a splash stateside in the early 80’s with his massive role in Blade Runner. From there, he appeared to take any role that interested him, regardless of box office potential. I really enjoy that about Rutger’s movie career. He had some really fun and exciting movies over the years and he also had some that were real stinkers. Each of his movies, however, were uniquely his and always had a certain charm that he was able to bring to his roles.
Synopsis: A conservationist and a widow meet a mountain climber hired to steal bald-eagle eggs.
- Dynamic duo: Two actors (Powers Boothe and Rutger Hauer) who are criminally underrated. Hauer plays the island recluse Jim Malden. He owns a private island with some rare eagles who are about to hatch some eggs. He defiantly and violently protects the island from outsiders while also living like some Robinson Crusoe-type surrounded by animals. Powers Boothe plays expert mountaineer Mike Walker. He is trying to raise enough money for an expedition in China so he takes a job from millionaire J.P. Whittier (Donald Pleasence) to steal the rare eggs from the island.
- Where’s the action: The poster would have you believe there is more action than there really is in the film. In fact, most of the action-packed scenes aren’t between Boothe and Hauer but between Hauer and the reckless hillbillies who keep trying to hunt on his island.
- Apocalypse Hauer: Jim Malden lives on the island after the death of his family (might have been his fault) and suffers from some effects of serving in the military during Vietnam. He isn’t full-on Col. Kurtz from Apocalypse Now but he isn’t playing with a full deck of cards either. Despite being so weird, a local market owner named Stella (Kathleen Turner) falls in love with him and becomes the centerpiece for the entire movie as both men attempt to woo her in their different ways.
- Egg-cellent: Donald Pleasence doesn’t play a large role but as a super rich collector of rare eggs he puts the whole thing in motion by offering a great deal of money to the Patagonia-wearing climber Mike Walker. Walker isn’t such a bad guy, though. No matter how punchable his face looks.
- Locals: The few times the film breaks out the action is when a group of locals keep messing with Jim or his island. Jim just cruises around his island on horseback carrying a crossbow (totally normal behavior) and when the dudes show up trying to hunt Jim sends them packing. Later, they attack Jim in Stella’s store. Then, in what is the biggest action sequence in the film, the morons and their friends attack Jim’s home on his island and send him into a serious John Rambo mode.
- I feel like makin’ love: Even though Jim is pretty crazy Stella and her young son are all about him. By the end of the film, Stella and Jim are bumpin’ uglies and Boothe’s Mike Walker is left to pick away at whatever other chicks are in the small town. You have to respect Walker’s drive. He was willing to drop his mission in order to get a little something-something.
The Verdict: A Breed Apart is a very odd movie. It’s not something you would expect a movie studio to allow to get made and I can’t imagine people were clamoring for in the theaters. That doesn’t mean that it’s bad, though. Rutger Hauer and Powers Boothe are especially likable and Kathleen Turner’s role probably doesn’t match her pedigree but I enjoyed the film for what it was. The action is limited, and the story isn’t that engaging, but you won’t walk away feeling like you’ve wasted your time. Fans of Powers Boothe and Rutger Hauer will probably enjoy it if they haven’t already seen it.
