When criminals and baddies of every kind stalk the streets of Indonesia, only one man can stop them in their tracks: Rambu (O'Brian), of course. The man his enemies call Rambu is actually an unemployed dude with a wicked fashion sense named Alex Terambuan. But to criminal mastermind John White (Gavin, who is credited as "John Smith" in the end credits) and his hordes of goons, he is an "Intruder" into their evil business. So they kidnap, rape and murder his wife Ella (Warokka, credited as "Angela" in the end credits). At one point he even gets Rambushed by the bad guys (hence the Prerequisite Torture Sequence). Luckily Ella gave him a red scarf to remember her by before she was abducted. After he wraps it tightly around his forehead, Rambu goes out for revenge. Can anything stop a Rambu on the rampage? Find out today! The great and mighty Peter O'Brian returns in his second film after the awesome The Stabilizer (1986) - and The Intruder has the same kind of utterly winning, infectious, nutty charm. The entertainment value of this movie is off the chart, as it delivers the goods and then some starting with the great opening scene and not really ever letting up. The whole outing has energy (sped-up fights will do that), exotic flavor, and general insanity that viewers just have to love. Why he has a cricket ball (?) that returns to him like a boomerang is just one of the many brain-teasing questions this movie will confront you with.As we will learn from Rambu, only suckers don't undo the first 4 to 5 buttons on a shirt. Actor Craig Gavin has only ever appeared in two movies in his career - and both of them were playing villains to Peter O'Brian's heroes. Who could forget him as Greg Rainmaker in The Stabilizer? Seeing as how both movies were made in 1986, we suspect he uses the same white suit here as he did there. It's a shame he wasn't in more movies, he could have had a career. But as for The Intruder in general, even the dubbing is enjoyable on its own. You could watch this movie with your eyes closed and still have a great time. But if you did that, you'd miss all the great hair, clothes, high-quality explosions, and references to a certain Stallone movie that shall remain...well, not nameless, but let's just say one vowel different.It's always great when filmmakers are so proud of a name they came up with, they say it excessively throughout the movie. A classic example is Best of the Best 2 (1993), where the name "Brakus" is said countless times. Here, it's the same thing, the name "Rambu" is uttered endlessly throughout the movie by just about every character. And the more they say it, the funnier it gets. While American audiences may only know director Jopi Burnama because Troma took one of his movies and re-dubbed it into the unfunny Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (1982), that's a shame, because he may just have an Arizal-level of talent but no DVD distributors want to take a chance on his output. Where's Mondo Macabro on this? Rambu remains a sparkling gem in the rare 80's international action canon. Don't be afraid to draw 'second blood' and seek it out soon.
... View MoreI have asked my self frequently, which movie, in at cost(price)-benefit(entertainment)ratio, have succeeded the most? The Intruder! I will keep i short, cause after i have been screening the brilliant comments that have been submitted, i have really nothing more to add. But i have to say, that the mean character of Charlie is something special. I wonder how he, one day after another, can step out of bed and think "...today i'm gonna beat the crap out of Rambu..." and actually believe in it. I think he is a role-model to all goons! And then of cause the man with the white hat: shot dead, blasted to oblivious and so on. I've lost count, but i estimate, that he dies every 10 minutes. Funniest movie ever!
... View MoreThis is possibly the most daunting task I have ever undertaken. My unbridled love for this film urges me to write a review, yet as a mere mortal with only an A-Level B in English, I fear my poorly worded ramblings will not do this work of art justice. The Intruder, known simply to its admirers as "Rambu" follows the exploits of "Alex Termabuan, aka Rambu", an "unemployed bum" who "loves justice and hates crime". If one were to have a criticism of this film, it could be that possibly the best scene is the opening one, but such arguments could go on for days, nay, weeks, and would be quite fruitless. I think i'll avoid going into massive detail on the film, or i'll be here all day. Know this, this film affected not only myself, but my friends/co-appreciators so much that recently, we took the liberty of actually calling Parkit Films in Indonesia, in the hope of speaking with legendary director Yopi Burnama. Unfortunately, after being patched through to the "English speaker", it emerged that she could say only "yes" and "ok". But fear not, we have been thwarted only temporarily, and the logistics of a trip to Indonesia in search of Cast, Crew and Memorabilia are being examined. Not only does this film make me laugh out loud every time I watch it, my conversations are littered with quotes from the film, and it's a great hangover cure. As described by a fellow fan Bob, Rambu is "a hard-hitting,action packed, psychological thriller." Anyone interested in viewing this film will find it almost impossible to find, so please do not hesitate to contact me. Also, legendary fans Shep and Bob actually produced a theme tune to the film, containing the backing music and a plethora of the best quotes from the film. Other reviews will hark back to classic scenes, such as the "tennis ball projectile", or the battle of the Tuk-tuk's versus the motorcycle's. I simply don't have the time to go into detail on my favourite scenes. This review is merely to pay homage to what is the greatest film I have ever seen. Thankyou for reading, I'm off to watch it again.
... View MoreBefore I begin, let me make it clear that I am a serious film critic. I take cinema very, very serious. It is my only passion, and for that reason alone it is my whole life. Like any normal film fan, I appreciate a good action thriller once in a while. Of course, I don't stand for any old witless piece of celluloid: I'm talking solid, well directed action pieces. And so it is that I recomend the 1986 techno-thriller 'The Intruder', directed by action maestro Jopi Burnama. This is his 'Citizen Kane'. It is a action masterpiece of such adept style and class, I am bewildered that it never recieved a) critical acclaim b)recognition c) public adulation or e)a wide theatrical release. Let me tell you more... We begin with the leading man, Peter O'Brian a.k.a Rambu. Peter is an actor of such subtle craftsmanship and charasmatic magnitude that he literally blows the screen apart. You find yourself unable to take your eyes of his stunning phyique and unable to process his acting chops. He is magnificent in this, his first leading role. Brian is ably supported by the great Craig Gavin (as the evil John Smith) and the sultry Dana Christina. The opening pre-credit set piece is quite simply explosive (when was the last time you saw gangster befowled by a flying outspan orange?). Rambu has the uncanny and envious ability to turn your average citrus fruit into a boomerang-like killing device. It is a credit to actor Brian that he did all his own orange throwing, no double was employed. The glorious mid section set-piece when Rambu takes on the entire Columbian drugs cartel using only a three wheeled golf cart is astounding. Never before has one man made 6 miles-per-hour seem so hair-raising. And so to the dynamic climax, where Rambu wears a belt. He also hits a filing cabinet with a lamp, then proceeds to kiss the wall. It is a show stopper that brings to mind the climax from Joseph Lai's 1988 opus Platoon Warriors, starring Mike Abbott and Mark Watson. Although this film lacks the pace of Godfrey Ho's masterpiece, it passes the time perfectly. If you can track this underated gem down, watch it. It could change your life*.*Probably won't. At all.
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