F/X (1986)

(Second viewing, On Cable TV, May 2022) I last saw F/X back in the… early 1990s? and didn’t recall much of it (the sequel, for some reason, was fresher in mind) but the premise was distinctive enough to stick: what if you had a rather standard thriller, but with a hero that was a practical movie special-effects wizard? With a central idea like that, it’s no surprise if you occasionally have to be indulgent while the film puts its set-pieces together: things are manipulated so that the hero gets the chance to demonstrate his skills rather than evolve naturally. But that’s cool, because part of the film’s pleasure in being fooled by a trick, then seeing how it was executed. Bryan Brown (not disguising his Australian accent) is quite good in the lead role, whereas Brian Dennehy sports a distracting moustache and comes into the film far too late. As far as contrived thrillers go, though, F/X is quite enjoyable. The protagonist shows sparks of intelligence in how he deals with the situation, even when the film anticipates Home Alone in a final act that has the protagonist fatally pranking the bad guys in their own house. The special effects material remains the most fascinating part of the film, but it still moves at a decent pace and still keeps our interest despite a mixture of familiar elements and outlandish gimmicks. The conclusion is not bad, with a spirited use of Imagination‘s “Just an Illusion” as envoi over a sweeping helicopter shot. Somehow, I don’t think CGI specialists are quite going to make as compelling a kind of hero in any future remakes.