The name of David Hasselhoff is often mentioned during debates about cultural differences between various nations in the modern world. His enormous popularity in Germany and lack of popularity in the USA often serves as an illustration of how, despite all attempts to create a uniform global culture, certain celebrities can be viewed differently in different countries. Explanations of Hasselhoff's popularity and unpopularity rarely deal with his acting abilities. This is partly due to Baywatch, Hasselhoff's best-known achievement, becoming a global hit due to reasons other than acting or Hasselhoff himself. Instances when Hasselhoff's abilities can be judged without unnecessary distractions are rare, and Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a 1998 television film, represents one of them.
This television film was based on the series of popular Marvel comic books. In it, Hasselhoff plays Nick Fury, a former top operative of S.H.I.E.L.D., an ultra-secret government service. After the end of the Cold War, Fury has retired, but his services are again sought by his former colleague Countess Valentina de Allegro Fontaine (played by Lisa Rinna). The world is again threatened by evil, and only someone like Nick Fury can deal with it. Andrea von Strucker (played by Sandra Hess), the daughter of a Nazi criminal and Fury's arch-nemesis, has re-established her father's terrorist organization and stolen his body in order to extract a deadly virus that had claimed his life. With the virus brought to New York, she starts blackmailing the US government, while Fury starts working on a plan to thwart her plans.
David Hasselhoff is the most interesting thing about Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Here, he plays a character completely different from those that brought him fame. With an eyepatch on his face and a grumpy, often very violent character, Nick Fury resembles cynical antiheroes like John Carpenter's "Snake" Plissken more than comic book superheroes. Hasselhoff is surprisingly convincing in that role, but his partner Lisa Rinna is rather bland. Sandra Hess, on the other hand, is good as the female arch-villain, something rarely seen in films coming from "politically correct" Hollywood. The special effects in the film are good, at least for television standards, and the script is tolerable, despite the ending that hints at this film being nothing more than a pilot for a TV show. Although that series later never materialized, Nick Fury is a solid piece of entertainment that can be recommended even to those who aren't particularly big fans of Hasselhoff or the original comic books.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on March 13th, 2004)
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