I don't fully get why I didn't adore this movie, because it has so many things that I enjoy. Firstly it has Gary Busey in one of his few lead roles, but he's so good at playing action villains ("Under Siege" would be his highlight) that you don't really buy him as the straight man. This is most obvious in the infamous bingo hall scene, where he gets to do a long monologue that just doesn't go over at all. This isn't what Busey is good at, and a more competent director would have used his talents more and hid his limitations better. Secondly you have my favorite villain cliché of the 80s: an oddball motorcycle gang that rules a small town. Sadly we only really get to know the leader and everyone else is just an extra standing around doing nothing, which seems like a missed opportunity to me. But the biggest letdown was probably just the lack of action. Logically you'd assume that Busey is going to kill every single biker thus saving the town, but if that's what you expect you're in for a real anticlimax. There are some explosions and gunfights here and there, but you just keep waiting for Busey to go postal which never happens. In fact, for a Vietnam veteran (which in action movies usually makes you Superman) he's really not that tough at all. If the motorcycle gang had any common sense, this movie would be twenty minutes long. "Eye Of The Tiger" isn't the worst movie I've ever seen, but damn I expected so much more.

A war veteran Buck Matthews is released from prison and targeted right from the outset. Buck saves a nurse from being raped and pillaged from a bunch of crazy bikers, but it comes with a price. They get revenge by invading his house and killing his wife, leaving his daughter traumatized. With the help of his friend J.B (Yaphett Kotto) , Buck will look to gain retribution by any means necessary. Despite that he has a reputation of being off his rocker, I love Gary Busey. The man's intensity knows no bounds. I really like exploitation films and decided to check this one out. It has some things you most likely wouldn't see these days, including the bikers literally driving inside of the home of Buck. Another controversial moment is when the Bikers surround Busey and others at a funeral. That was definitely pushing the envelope and I loved it. I wouldn't exactly say I was enthralled with this film. It lags in some places and it isn't anything that is gonna be remembered by even the biggest exploitation fan. You've seen it MANY times before and done better at that. It isn't original in the slightest. It does have enough action and a plethora of explosions to keep you toasty. Gary Busey is great as the lead. His calm demeanor gives way to the intensity we've come to know and love from Busey in the second half when he's out for revenge. You can't go wrong with the Busey, even when he's dealing with mediocre scripts like this one. Yaphett Kotto is OK, albeit a bit corny at times. Seymour Cassell plays a corrupt sheriff to perfection.Final Thoughts: You're not gonna regret anything if you decide to avert this movie. If you're a Busey fan, an exploitation fan, or an action fan, chances are you'll find at least a few things to enjoy about it5.3/10

This breath-taking and all guns blazing vigilante flick from 80s is something to look for. Note: If you are fan of films like First Blood, Commando, Lone Wolf McQuade and Death Wish 3 this is a must-see. Gary Busey is tougher than ever in this film, this was his effort to make it bad-ass like Stallone and Norris and he really nails it, teamed with always solid Yaphet Kotto. Talking about mean villains in action flicks, the biker gang here really is something. Conclusion is of course over-the-top final battle action. The biggest surprise is that this movie ain't Cannon Films production, it sure has same feel in it. Don't know what's the point of naming the film after that Eye Of The Tiger song, it's cool title, but song was embodied with Rocky pictures so much already at the time when this came out in 1986. That original track actually plays also in the film if someone wonders. But anyway, absolutely fantastic action classic from the 80s is the case.

I recently purchased this, well not purchased, but my dear mom was nice enough to buy this DVD at Ross today for the low price of just $4.00. At first, I actually had no freakin' idea that this was on DVD to begin with. I thought the only available copy was the OOP VHS from USA Home Video (Which is now Lions Gate). It had a cooler cover than the DVD, but before I get back to the movie, I would just like to make a little rant about how the big Hollywood studios (And the greedy sharks that own them) keep changing the cover art (Or force the art department to do so) for DVD releases. This one's a good example. The cover art for the original VHS of this movie made it look fun and imo, somehow dramatic, but this cover looks like it's been made over at MGM using Photoshop. It just doesn't make the movie look good to a buyer. It seems like these studios could really care less about nostalgia and just only care about making it appeal to today's youth. I guess you could also say that the cover for this made it look like a Transporter Rip-Off or a John Woo- type movie from 2001. Anyway, back to the movie. It's about a Vietnam Vet/Ex-Con (He had been convicted for a crime he didn't commit) named Buck Matthews (Played by Gary Busey in as I stated, quite possibly his best role.) who had just been granted parole and he goes back to his hometown to move on with his life and his family, his wife Christie (Played by Denise Galik) and Jennifer (Played by Judith Barsi from the awful "Jaws 4: The Revenge", may god rest her poor soul). We then see Buck at the police station, where he meets the corrput sheriff (Played by Seymour Cassel) and meets up with J.B. (Played by Yaphet Kotto) Also, Buck encounters a biker gang (The leader Blade, being played by the always awesome William Smith from "Maniac Cop") attacking a nurse, and saves her life and he becomes a town hero. However, it isn't long before the gang attacks Buck's house and kills Christie. Then, the movie starts to move into Death Wish territory. I do not feel like going further for the moment (I really don't want to spoil anything for anybody), but I will say the rest gets more exciting every minute. That's just my opinion though. As for the DVD itself, there really isn't much, although MGM did do a good job with the very beautiful widescreen quality. There is a trailer, but that's pretty much it for extras. There could have been like a director's commentary or even a commentary by either Busey or Kotto or all 3, but I really don't know.