Runtime: 101 minutes
Directed by: Joseph Zito
Starring: Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, David Tress, Lenore Kasdorf, James Hong
From: Cannon
Exactly as silly and jingoistic as I wanted for a motion picture viewed on the 4th of July. Yes, this was something watched before… many moons ago, meaning a few years before I even joined Letterboxd a decade ago. Chuck Norris isn’t my favorite 80’s action hero (and I definitely don’t agree with most of his personal beliefs, either) but given that I haven’t been 100% this week and did not want to view something already reviewed here by me, this schlock filmed in the Philippines fit the bill.
Norris plays Braddock, a former Vietnam War POW who returns to the country with members of the American government over the belief that there are still prisoners of war held by the Vietnamese. Of course they deny it, and of course Braddock is a lone wolf who investigates on his own. It’s the 1980’s and the Cold War is still quite chilly, so Vietnam is portrayed as a country full of evil A-holes who have giant pictures of Lenin in all their government buildings… for some reason, I am skeptical that this was an actual sight in 1984 Saigon.
Lord knows this is not epic like Rambo: First Blood Part II-allegedly, Golan/Globus saw James Cameron’s script for that film and as Cannon did not have the rights for Rambo, a ripoff was commissioned instead. Be that as it may, this had enough to entertain me & declare this as “fine.” Chuck Norris has never been offensive (on screen, I mean) but the acting highlights definitely were James Hong and M. Emmet Walsh. Pacing and plot can be carped about, but the big explosions, some nice stuntwork and macho attitude emblematic of the era made this passable for me. Your affinity for 80’s action will determine how tolerable this is for you.
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