A Breed Apart

What starts off looking like a potentially enjoyable nature film dealing with a bit of a disturbing story ends up a rather tedious adventure that exposes the worst of mankind while showing the best of the animal kingdom. The flight of a majestic eagle opens the film, and that grand spread of those long wings is truly haunting. But then we get to the disturbing aspect of the film. The presence of Donald Pleasance is truly creepy as the sickening obsession with his character to get his hand on some bald eagle eggs has him hiring Powers Boothe for the job, to venture Into the Woods, get to the top of a remote class and steal the eggs to bring back to him. When he gets there, he encounters single mom Kathleen Turner, reclusive Rutger Hauer and a group of hicks who end up stalking them, turning the expedition into a violent nightmare. Yes, the countryside setting of this film is gorgeous, and there are a few breathtaking moments. They come across town apparently wounded deer, shot by a hunter and left for dead, and treated with a flask of alcohol and some rope used as stitches. The beautiful deer seems to realize that it is being taken care of and doesn't flinch during the procedure, allowing them to take care of it without trying to get away. But you don't find out if it did indeed got better, and the cutaway takes you to the next scene. The reclusive Hauer and Boothe get drunk in a cabin in the woods (I was never sure whose it was) and all of a sudden, Hauer is seen with a baby bear on his lap. How it got there is never explained, and when Bauer falls over drunk, the bear is still attached to his waste. A sex scene with Boothe and a local girl, Jayne Betzen, comes out of nowhere and really has no point in being included in the first place. The way Pleasance speaks his lines is really disconcerting, and he plays his part as if he's a villain in a James Bond movie. Certainly, he's present to represent an entitled billionaire who gets what he wants without regard to the world around him, and he's never out in nature to be taken care of it. When Boothe calls him in regards to a murder charge that is tossed at him regarding the battle he had with the bumpkins stalking him, Pleasance basically tells him to get out of that no matter what it takes and go on with his mission. Turner is always worth watching, and her kid is cute too, but that's not enough to explain some of the missing footage from the missing reel that never arrived. One rule of thumb for filmmakers. If you don't have the whole film as intended, don't call it a done project. So much potential wasted because of behind-the-scenes business that was never completed.

Trailer—A Breed Apart

Hotshot mountaineer Booth ventures onto private nature reserve owned by nutty Vietnam vet Hauer, with the intention of stealing some priceless eagle eggs. Good story is bolstered by a memorable turn by Hauer and some lovely scenery, but it's a shame that Turner is wasted in a thankless role as Hauer's love interest. Music score by Maurice Gibb of Bee Gees fame.

I was excited to see a movie with, Powers Booth, Rutger Hauer...AND Kathleen turner??? What I saw was a disgusting pile of trash with hurried synthetic music score, delivered by Maurice Gibb (of the bee gees clan), and the most horrid directing possible. The film shows, real inhumane treatment of animals. In opening sequences they show piles of real dead birds, obviously freshly hunted. In another scene, they show a boa constrictor going after, either a parrot, or some type of South American bird. Anyone how knows anything about this part of the world knows that they are more than likely, Mortal enemies. Trash film, that was hurried out.

Why would I watch the movie now that the person who so carefully crafted the storyline on this page has just as carefully given away every single aspect of the movie? If you are going to write a synopsis, then don't give away all the major plot points. Hint, give clues, talk generalities, but don't spoil THE WHOLE DAMN THING! What is wrong with you people?

After declaring myself not a Philippe Mora fan, mostly based on "According to Occams Razor", which is a mockery of a movie, and 'Pterodactyl Woman From Beverly Hills", which is just pathetic, I was totally surprised as to how much I enjoyed "A Breed Apart" . The North Carolina location photography is very good, and the acting by Rutger Hauer is especially intriguing. He is a mystery man, protecting the animals on his Blue Ridge Mountain island. His hermit like tranquility is threatened by poacher Brion James, and another intruder, Powers Boothe, helps Hauer run off Brion and his gang. Kathleen Turner being romantically rejected by Hauer, decides to play the jealousy card, with decidedly mixed results. Meanwhile Boothe is using both Turner and Hauer to try and complete his mission of stealing two Bald Eagle eggs for $250,000 promised by egg collector, Donald Pleasance. Well worth a look. - MERK

Although the film lacks a strong story line, the actors do well in their roles. Most of the reading of the story comes from "between the lines" and the actors abilities to present the story to us. I think the editor did a good job of putting together a reasonable film even though he was missing a reel that got lost in transit. Admittedly if he had had all four reels, the final cut would have been improved. Still I enjoyed watching this film even though I had to fill in some blank spots with my own thoughts as to how some things tied together. A little popcorn, some spare time, and lets watch 'A Breed Apart'. The scenery is fine.

Director Philippe Mora (Howling 2, Pteridophyte Woman from Beverly Hills) helms this curious little film that has Vietnam vet Jim (Rutger Hauer) living on a secluded island up against egg poachers and the mountain climber that Whitier (Donald Pleasence) hires to steal bald-eagle eggs. Kathleen Turner also stars as Stella their love interest. And no 80's movie would be complete without Brion James as a bad guy. A missing film reel was lost to time, but rather than trash the whole movie, the editors choose to cut around it. This explains why the film seems so scatter-shot, characters motivations are not always clear, the plot is muddled. However what remained is still watchable enough, Eye Candy: Jayne Bentzen gets fully *; Kathleen Turners shows T&A