Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (film)

Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an American television film based on the Marvel Comics character Nick Fury. It was first broadcast on May 26, 1998 on Fox. Directed by Rod Hardy, the film stars David Hasselhoff as Fury, a retired super spy who is approached to return to duty to take down the terrorist organization HYDRA, who threaten to attack Manhattan with a pathogen they have reconstituted known as the Death's Head virus. Lisa Rinna plays Contessa Valentina "Val" Allegra de Fontaine, and Sandra Hess plays Andrea von Strucker / Viper. It was released on DVD on September 30, 2008.

Plot
Nick Fury, retired, is approached to return to duty to take down agents of the terrorist organization HYDRA, led by the children of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, an old enemy of his. HYDRA has reconstituted a pathogen known as the Death's Head virus, and threatens to attack Manhattan with it, barring payment of US $1 billion.

Cast

 * David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury
 * Lisa Rinna as Contessa Valentina "Val" Allegra de Fontaine
 * Sandra Hess as Andrea von Strucker / Viper
 * Neil Roberts as Alexander Goodwin Pierce
 * Gary Chalk as Timothy Aloysius "Dum-Dum" Dugan
 * Tracy Waterhouse as Kate Neville
 * Tom McBeath as Director General Jack Pincer
 * Ron Canada as Gabriel Jones
 * Peter Haworth as Arnim Zola
 * Scott Heindl as Werner von Strucker
 * Adrian Hughes as Clay Quartermain
 * Campbell Lane as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker
 * Terry David Mulligan as The President

Differences from comic
The differences between the comics and the film included HYDRA appearing with black Men in Black-type suits, rather than the green uniform from the comics. Andreas did not appear, but Andrea did have a younger brother named Werner (in the comics the twins had an older half-brother named Werner). The two had no apparent mutant powers. Andrea was codenamed Viper. Peter Haworth appears as Dr. Arnim Zola, an elderly HYDRA chemist responsible for the creation of the Death's Head virus. Baron Strucker's body is shown frozen in a chamber. In the final scene of the movie, he is brought back to life. In comics, Dugan has red hair, moustache and a bowler hat. None are present in the movie. In this movie, Gabe Jones' character was combined with Sidney (The Gaffer) Levine who was the SHIELD scientist in the comics.

Reception
The film received a mixed reception.

Home media release
Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. was released on DVD on 30 September 2008 exclusively at Best Buy stores.