It’s very much a product of its time—an ’80s action thriller with charm, personality, and a slightly ridiculous premise that it fully embraces.
This week I took a look at F/X, the 1986 action thriller starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy, alongside Cliff De Young, Mason Adams, and Jerry Orbach. Revisiting this one was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me, since I first saw it back in the late ’80s and hadn’t returned to it in decades.
To set the stage, F/X comes from a time before CGI, when practical effects artists were responsible for creating everything from exploding heads to fake gunshots using latex, rubber, and squibs. The movie builds its entire premise around that idea by asking a clever question: what if the government hired a special effects artist to fake someone’s death?
Bryan Brown plays Rollie Tyler, a movie effects expert who’s recruited to stage the public assassination of mafia boss Nick DeFranco (Jerry Orbach) so he can be placed into witness protection. The hit is convincing enough to fool everyone—until things inevitably go wrong. Rollie suddenly finds himself on the run, forced to use his skills to stay alive and clear his name. Meanwhile, Brian Dennehy plays Leo McCarthy, a sharp police investigator who senses that the case isn’t quite what it seems and starts pulling at the loose threads.
What really makes F/X work is the dual-story structure and the likability of the two leads. The film takes its time developing their characters and relationships, which goes a long way toward keeping you invested. There’s also a strong sense of humor running throughout the movie, and honestly, that’s what saves it. A lot of what the film asks you to believe is pretty implausible, even by ’80s standards, but the movie knows this and more or less asks you to turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.
That approach mostly works. While some of the special effects haven’t aged particularly well and now look a bit quaint, the performances and the playful tone keep the movie entertaining. It’s very much a product of its time—an ’80s action thriller with charm, personality, and a slightly ridiculous premise that it fully embraces.
If you’re looking for an action movie with a clever hook, some twists, and a good sense of humor, F/X is definitely worth checking out. It’s also an interesting reminder of how filmmaking—and special effects in particular—have changed over the years.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
