Breaker! Breaker!

Breaker! Breaker! (1977)

Runtime: 85 minutes

Directed by: Don Hulette

Starring: Chuck Norris, George Murdock, and a bunch of actors you'll have never heard of before, as I sure haven't

From: AIP

Somehow even stranger and even more late 1970's than I remembered. At least 15 years ago this film was watched on television, yet most of it had long left my mind. Its presence on Tubi gave me the idea to give the movie a second shot. Turns out, the plot is on the slight side-a redneck town in California is full of criminal activity-a den of inequity-and is run by a “Judge” who uses big words but is portrayed as a buffoon. The brother of trucker Chuck Norris goes missing so he visits the town looking for answers. Along the way is a peculiar setting along with at times peculiar shot selection/editing choices.

This is a cheap amateurish production (where the director's primary work in the industry was as a composer; that's pretty rare. Imagine if Jerry Goldsmith ever directed a feature film) where there are only two cast members of any note and unlike George Murdock, Chuck Norris has never been mistaken for a master thespian. Yet for all its faults and silliness, I was still entertained by a production where the villains have little in the way of redeeming qualities, people get beat up, and crap gets destroyed. Note the bizarre aspect that this “town” of Texas City, California is an old Wild West set. That is a rather unique way to use Western backdrops that likely were collecting cobwebs by the latter half of the 70's. Speaking of that time period...

What a time capsule this is of the late 1970's. Truckers, CB's, a twangy “Country and Western” soundtrack, martial arts, colorful shirts, and best of all... a bitchin' 70's van adorned with a golden eagle on the side. This is mild compared to all the period redneck/revenge exploitation films but if you wish to watch a wacky Chuck Norris adventure emblematic of its time, Breaker is just acceptable enough for me. That's a 10-4, good buddy!