Silent Rage (1982) review

SILENT RAGE 1982

Chuck Norris (Dan Stevens), Ron Silver (Dr. Tom Halman), Steven Keats (Dr. Philip Spires), Toni Kalem (Alison Halman), William Finley (Dr. Paul Vaughn), Brian Libby (John Kirby), Stephen Furst (Charlie)

Directed by Michael Miller

The Short Version: Karate master and all around Tough Guy Chuck Norris battles an invincible slasher in this martial arts-horror mash-up, one of the 80s most bizarre combos. Mad scientist machinations are mixed with Voorheesian style 'stalk and kill' shenanigans, and topped off with American style 'fist n' kick' action. Amazingly, the script manages to find room for romance between Chuck and actress Toni Kalem. Truly a one of a kind motion picture experience and the only Frankenstein Monster vs Karate movie ever made.

The mentally disturbed John Kirby finally goes off the deep end killing two people with an axe before being subdued by Texas sheriff, Dan Stevens. Managing to break free of his handcuffs, the psycho is gunned down after another scuffle with officers. Near death, three scientists decide to test a new healing serum on Kirby, but they get more than they bargained for when their creation comes off the operating table. Now an indestructible killer, Kirby goes about murdering anyone he comes across to get a rematch with sheriff Stevens.

In the annals of American action hero cinema few were as quirky as this 1982 number from the guy who directed the MACON COUNTY LINE style thriller JACKSON COUNTY JAIL (1976), and the horror spoof NATIONAL LAMPOONS CLASS REUNION (1982). Chuck Norris did another similar movie in 1988 entitled THE HERO AND THE TERROR. In that one, Norris tangled with a giant serial killer played by Jack O'Halloran (Non in SUPERMAN 2). An even kookier Karate Kop movie that also starred Chuck Norris came in 1994's HELLBOUND wherein Norris battled it out with demons from Hell led by Christopher Neame (Johnny Alucard in DRACULA AD 1972). For this 1982 excursion, Norris battles what amounts to the Frankenstein Monster with the personality of Michael Myers.

Horror movies were all the rage in the early 80s, particularly the slashers popularized by HALLOWEEN (1978) and the ensuing snowball effect caused by FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980). Both those franchises had very profitable sequels in 1981, a banner year for slashers. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Chuck Norris, arguably the quintessential American action star, was making major bank with his Tough Guy persona molded on western movie machismo. The big screen three-punch combo of GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK (1978), A FORCE OF ONE (1979), and THE OCTAGON (1980) grossed approximately $20 million a piece, successfully putting Norris on the action movie map. An eventual Macho-Monster mash was a stroke of mad genius.

Written by Norris's friend Joseph Braley (who also scripted GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK), the plot has Chuck playing a Texas sheriff (the first of his cowboy roles) clashing with a trio of scientists who allegedly work for the betterment of mankind, but end up creating a literal monster in the process. Following the slasher template, Braley includes a few of the mainstays like the POV shots (as well as some steadicam), the unstoppable killer, and a shock ending. 

 
The script devotes a surprising amount of time to a romantic angle for Norris. Amazingly, it never disrupts the flow of what is essentially a horror movie with action cliches inserted into it. Defying the typical slasher machinations inherent in Braley's script, Chuck gets naked with the lovely Toni Kalem on a few occasions, so the 'have sex and die' motif doesn't apply considering Chuck's burgeoning superstar status. You also won't see Chuck impersonate Dr. Loomis by running around screaming "I shot him six times!" in between confrontations where the psycho is filled with bullets, thrown out upper story windows, run over, set on fire, and on the receiving end of Chuck's knuckles and boots.

This is arguably one of, if not Chuck's busiest movie. He's constantly preoccupied with something, yet his demeanor never changes. His facial expression is one of perpetual enlightenment. Even when he's called upon to throttle whatever obstacle is in his way, Norris goes right back to that confident, carefree look on his face. One of the highlights of SILENT RAGE is the sequence where Norris's expressionless style overcomes a bar full of obnoxious bikers. After earlier telling them to get out of town, Norris, evoking a less talkative John Wayne (a type of role he essayed in FORCED VENGEANCE from the same year, perfected in LONE WOLF MCQUADE in 1983, and expanded upon in the long running series, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER), enters a local bar to find the gang still hanging around; literally having noosed up the barkeep. The breaking of bones and bar stools follows. If there's one scene that hearkens back to the westerns of yesteryear, it's this one. A touch of comedy is provided in the form of Norris's deputy played by Stephen Furst.

Most everybody will remember Stephen Furst best as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman from the comedy classic, ANIMAL HOUSE (1978); a role he reprised in the short-lived TV series from 1979. Showcasing a penchant for comedy, Furst was fantastic as the devious blue team-leader in MIDNIGHT MADNESS (1980), a film role that capitalized on his fat boy film star status. THE UNSEEN (1980) was his first horror role where he had no room for comedy whatsoever. SILENT RAGE (1982) was another horror feature for him, but one that allowed Furst to play a comedic character, and one that was goofy, pitiable, and lovable all at the same time.

While Chuck coddles his ineffectual, yet likable deputy, sterilizes a bar infested with a biker gang all by his lonesome, and rekindles a relationship with his ex-girlfriend, science deems it necessary to test a revolutionary serum on a maniac. This serum, when perfected, could be the cure-all to any number of maladies. Unfortunately for the scientific minds involved, common sense never figures into the equation that turning a deranged madman into a deranged superman isn't the brightest of ideas.

Dr. Spires (Steven Keats) is the brains behind the project, and the Dr. Frankenstein of the trio (the other two played by Ron Silver and William Finley of PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, EATEN ALIVE and THE FUNHOUSE). Braley's script, as enjoyably preposterous as it is, fine tunes all its wacky elements, giving them all time to breathe. Keats' character is given sufficient time to spiral down into madness--he may of already been there from the start, but it really begins to show about 40 minutes into the movie. 

John Kirby (played by Brian Libby, who previously worked with Norris in THE OCTAGON) is the monster. He only speaks a few lines at the beginning like, "Doc, I'm losin' it...", just before going outside, grabbing an axe, and using it for a purpose other than chopping wood. It's not explained why he never speaks for the rest of the movie, but that's where the title 'Silent Rage' comes in. He also spends the bulk of his silent rampage stalking victims while hunched over like a gorilla. Towards the end, he walks totally erect while stalking Toni Kalem in a hospital (shades of HALLOWEEN 2). Libby did most of his own stunts, as is extremely believable in the role. Often looking wild-eyed, the scenes where he kills with a total blank face are among the films chilling moments.

The unusual and unsettling score reinforces the horror motif. Curiously, there are no action-driven musical pieces; all action sequences have no musical accompaniment. The score is made up strictly of suspense cues. 

 
At the time, Norris was really excited about this movie. He was growing tired of doing martial arts movies and wanted more serious roles. That he was starring in a film about a Karate cowboy sheriff trying to stop an unstoppable maniac puts serious strains on that proclamation. Still, it's very polished and, despite capturing the feel, it never quite turns into a purely exploitation movie, which would have been very easy to do. Chuck Norris kicking ass in a full bore Drive-in style movie isn't a bad idea, though. Any movie with a tagline like "Science created him. Now, Chuck Norris must destroy him!" demands any action-exploitation fans undivided attention.

This review is representative of the Columbia DVD. Extras and Specs: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Trailers for other films.

The Octagon (1980) review

THE OCTAGON 1980

Chuck Norris (Scott James), Karen Carlson (Justine), Lee Van Cleef (McCarn), Art Hindle (A.J.), Tadashi Yamashita (Seikura), John Fujioka (Isawa), Kurt Grayson (Doggo), Richard Norton (Kyo/Longlegs), Yuki Shimoda (Katsumoto), Gerald Okamura (Instructor), Aaron Norris (Hatband)

Directed by Eric Karson

The Short Version: Chuck's fifth major role is his most ambitious up to that time about ninjas training recruits for an international terrorist ring. Fight scenes are generally impressive even if the storyline is just too damn big to be pulled off as successfully. Karson's film is enjoyable enough, but often feels like a more violent than usual television miniseries edited down to 100 confusing minutes. Some viewers might be irritated by the onslaught of half-rendered characters and ideas in what could have been Chuck and Van Cleef kicking ninja ass, but instead prefers being Bond on a budget.

Former martial arts competitor Scott James discovers that ninjas are alive and well in the 20th century after he is attacked by several of them upon accompanying a dancer home from a show. Having been trained in the art since childhood by an adoptive Japanese father, James believes his step-brother, Seikura, must be responsible for training the black-clad killers. Meanwhile, mercenary McCarn attempts to recruit Scott to take down a terrorist organization located in South America where applicants are trained to be assassins. 

 
Chuck Norris differed from many of his colleagues and contemporaries in that he fought a variety of villainous types, and not just your standard America-hating terrorists and drug kingpins. Perusing his resume, one can point out, "Oh, that's where Norris was turned into Indiana Jones"; to "this is where Norris went up against an indestructible slasher"; or "isn't that the one where Chuck plays a shape-shifting mountain man?"; and "yeah, that's that time Chuck battled it out with demons from Hell". For THE OCTAGON, this is the one where Chuck rumbles with ninjas. Chuck's varied oeuvre would seemingly rub off on some of his Tough Guy colleagues over the years -- Schwarzenegger ended up battling the Devil and Rambo was once plotted to do battle with a genetically engineered monstrosity in a fifth entry that never came to fruition.

With each succeeding film Chuck Norris's status as an action hero icon grew; and as each film got bigger, Norris's stone-faced acting style garnered an equal amount of negative critical attention. It didn't really matter, though, as Norris became larger than life in the eyes of the audience. His lack of thespian skills was frequently trumped by his fighting skills; which is what you go to see a Chuck Norris film for in the first place. Largely responsible for cementing the American style of martial arts picture, Norris was the first such 80s action hero when the terminology became a marketing juggernaut.

In THE OCTAGON, Chuck plays Scott James, The Man With Two First Names. It's unclear what his profession is, we only know he was raised in Japan, is proficient in the ninja arts, a war vet, a martial arts champ, and isn't much on conversation. He does talk to his subconscious a lot, though, via this process called 'Echoplex'--a technique that seems to annoy virtually everybody who has seen the movie. It's not that intrusive, only it's occasionally difficult to ascertain what's being said with the echo effect. Hearing his thoughts is actually a pretty neat idea since most of the Tough Guys in all your finer beat'em ups have little to say. It's most successful at humanizing his character, and counteracts nicely with Norris's invincible persona that was in its infancy at this time.

The first theatrical feature of Eric Karson, the script by Leigh Chapman (from a story by Paul Aaron) has far too much scope than can be handled within an already overlong hour and forty-four minutes. It's like watching a HK movie based on one of the voluminous novels of Gu Lung or Jin Yong; it's an overwhelming amount of exposition to cram into a motion picture narrative. The difference with THE OCTAGON is that it's not based on a novel. By the time you're becoming somewhat comfortable with a character, another is introduced, or killed off. The editing is choppy at times, incidents are referred to that we never see, and with so many characters being juggled at once, it's difficult to keep up with who's who and what's what. With fifteen minutes shaved off, a few less characters, and more emphasis on the main villains, and THE OCTAGON might be more than a minor recommendation in martial arts cinema.

The ninja is a big part of Chapman's script, yet these silent assassins--outside of Kyo--aren't given much back story, or given enough to do to be a truly threatening force. There's more correlation with the ninja to terrorist groups than some ancient Japanese society of assassins. When Chuck Norris discovers the cloaked killers are afoot, there's no attempt at an explanation as to what a ninja is. Outside of a few brief mentions (Lee Van Cleef's "if you saw ninja, you saw a ghost" is the extent of the mystery factor), Ninjitsu feels like a secondary scripting addition with no historical significance written for them sensational or otherwise. It would take a few years before the black clad Shinobi would be better served in an American production, and THE OCTAGON is taking baby steps.

In later westernized ninja movies, there was always that plot device that ninja are extinct, or that there's no such thing as an American ninja (like in REVENGE OF THE NINJA and AMERICAN NINJA). There had been two movies prior that had ninja in them with the James Bond favorite, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967) and Sam Peckinpah's THE KILLER ELITE (1975). Before that, Japan had already featured them with such film series' as SHINOBI NO MONO (1962-1966) and LONE WOLF & CUB (1972-1974). It might of snowballed with Cannon's mediocre ENTER THE NINJA (1981), but THE OCTAGON laid the American blueprint.

You could also say THE OCTAGON is a precursor to the far superior AMERICAN NINJA from Cannon. The later film with Michael Dudikoff shares some similarities to the Norris picture. Norris never wears the identifying clothing, but his character was raised by a Japanese martial artist played by John Fujioka who played essentially the same role in AMERICAN NINJA. Norris's Japanese step-brother played by Tadashi Yamashita also played the main villain in AMERICAN NINJA (1985). 

Only Norris knows who the ninja are, and only he can defeat them. All the chatter and flood of exposition that goes nowhere is forgiven by the finale when Norris enters The Octagon, squaring off with an assortment of shadow warriors before facing Kyo, the silent ninja killer played by Richard Norton (who did double duty as the character Long Legs) in his big screen debut. This then sets up a final confrontation between the two brothers.

Chuck and his brother Aaron choreographed the action in THE OCTAGON. It's well done, especially the climactic set piece in the title training camp. All the patience lost during the previous 80 minutes is restored in the last 20. Thankfully the camera stays back with very few close ups and edits that would hinder the choreo in most American martial arts pictures that came after it. 

Interestingly, and in major contradiction with Hong Kong made martial action pictures, American Karate and Kung Fu films went in a different direction by the dawn of the 80s; feeling that dance-like choreography didn't look impressive enough, the thought process was to focus on a limited set of maneuvers to heighten realism. The action in THE OCTAGON stands out in that there's some of that HK style in there, most noticeably in the fight between Norris and Kyo. Norris doesn't just go in and wipe the floor with Kyo, who, incidentally, is the only villain in the picture who is built up with any lasting menace.

The other ninjas seen in the film were all students of Norris; this made things easier since you couldn't see their faces and they could be used over and over again.

Living, eating and breathing martial arts for some 60 years, Tadashi Yamashita holds 10th Degree Black Belts in Karatedo and Kobudo. First bursting on the movie scene with 1974s THE KARATE (best known here as BRONSON LEE, CHAMPION), Yamashita displayed a unique look that rivaled Japan's then reigning martial arts star, Sonny Chiba. He never achieved the same level of big screen fame of Chiba, but did headline two sequels to his initial KARATE flick. He did co-star with Chiba in WAY OF THE EVIL FIST in 1977 (SOUL OF CHIBA). Yamashita is best known here for playing the Black Star Ninja in the box office hit AMERICAN NINJA (1985). Some of his other films include SEVEN (1979), THE SHINOBI (1980), SWORD OF HEAVEN (1985) and GYMKATA (1985). He contributed to the action in THE OCTAGON, helping future action star Richard Norton (in his debut) look good as Kyo.

 
Unfortunately, Yamashita is wasted in his role of Seikura. He does so little in the film aside from walking around looking like he's got a small rock in his shoe. He does get to briefly show off one of his classic katas with the Kama, a sickle weapon. After a significant amount of buildup, the final confrontation between him and Norris, his onscreen Anglo brother, is also a letdown. All the energy was seemingly used up for Kyo-Norris duel; so Yamashita gets shortchanged in his fight. A shame. Yamashita is still in great shape, and very active in martial arts today.

Lee Van Cleef is something of a mercenary guardian angel, dropping in and out of the narrative with regularity. He's conspicuous in his absence during the big finale. Previously a huge star in Europe, Van Cleef came back to America to supporting roles like this one, and in films like ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1980). In another AMERICAN NINJA similarity, Van Cleef played one as THE MASTER, the short-lived series from 1984. Heavily doubled, Van Cleef wasn't believable at all in the role, but it was great to see him in a lead role at that point in his career.

THE OCTAGON was another hit for both Norris and American Cinema Productions, although his next picture would be for another company. While his star was rising, his sole excursion into the land of the ninja would become a minor footnote in action cinema. A missed opportunity on a variety of levels, Karson went to war with OPPOSING FORCE in 1986, and worked with ninja Sho Kosugi in his last 80s hurrah, BLACK EAGLE (1988). With more fumbles than touchdowns, Karson and crew still play a good game. For the most part, only Chuck and ninja fans will get the most out of THE OCTAGON (1980).

This review is representative of the Scorpion Releasing Bluray. Extras and Specs: 1080p, 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen; introduction by Eric Karson; Making of The Octagon; interview with Tadashi Yamashita; commentary with director Eric Karson; original theatrical trailer.

Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) review

 

LONE WOLF MCQUADE 1983

Chuck Norris (J.J. McQuade), David Carradine (Rawley Wilkes), Barbara Carrera (Lola Richardson), Leon Isaac Kennedy (Jackson), Robert Beltran (Kayo Ramos), L.Q. Jones (Dakota), R.G. Armstrong (Tee Tyler), Dana Kimmell (Sally McQuade), Daniel Frishman (Falcon), William Sanderson (Snow)

Directed by Steve Carver

The Short Version: The essence of 'Hairy Man' movies is this, the best Italian western made in the USA starring a beer-guzzlin', attitude totin', sawed-off shotgun shootin' Chuck Norris as a 'take no shit' Texas Ranger with a fistful of V8 (that's Violence to the 8th Power) for Mexican bandits and bloodthirsty arms dealers. The main event is David 'Caine' Carradine from KUNG FU vs. Chuck Norris, the pissed off Yeti. It's hot as hell in Texas, but one's never sure if that's sweat rolling off of Norris or testosterone seeping from his pores. Chuck is definitely amuck in one of his hairiest, most entertaining adventures ever.

After a hard day of throttling Mexican bandits, lone wolf J.J. McQuade becomes entangled with a midget mobster and his partner in crime, Rawley Wilkes, a ruthless arms dealer aligned with global terrorists. McQuade gets in over his head once Wilkes targets his daughter and anyone close to him. McQuade, his inexperienced partner, and a federal agent defy orders to take down Wilkes and his men before they can ship out whole warehouses of weapons into the hands of foreign radicals.

It's kind of difficult for any red-blooded American male to watch LONE WOLF MCQUADE and not walk around afterward with their chest poked out, grunting and groaning for a few hours till the inner hairy man has dragged his knuckles along the ground on his way back into the cave. One of exploitation cinemas finest filmmakers is partially responsible for just how much fun LONE WOLF MCQUADE is. The guy that brought you the likes of BIG BAD MAMA (1974), DRUM (1976), AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981), and BULLETPROOF (1988) was behind this modern day western, and one of the chucksters best movies.

If Dirty Harry were a Texas Ranger, he'd look a helluva lot like J.J. McQuade. And McQuade takes the Dirty part seriously, often looking like soap and water are not his friends; speaking of which, McQuade isn't very friendly much of the time. His best pals are his fists, feet, his guns, and his trusty pet wolf. He also has a love affair with beer; Texas brewed Pearl Beer to be exact. He smiles one time in the movie -- something you don't see Chuck doing too often; most likely that was due to him having just drank a beer.

Chuck Norris, the archetype 'Macho Man' and hands down the hairiest action hero ever, is in full-on pissed off Yeti mode as the title angry Ranger that prefers to work alone, but gets saddled with an eager, younger partner (EATING RAOUL's Robert Beltran) in the hopes of keeping the maverick in check. McQuade eventually warms up to the guy and the two work well off each other. There's an attempt at a mentor/apprentice type relationship, but it's never elaborated on to any degree. The same applies with McQuade and his devoted pet wolf. There's little interaction between the two, so when the film gets deadly serious later on, the dramatic punch enabling McQuade to seek revenge is weaker than it could have been. 

 

Still, Carver and his crew fashioned a fitfully fun little movie that feels like a sequel was intended before this picture saw release. One never came, but LONE WOLF MCQUADE did inspire eight seasons of WALKER, TEXAS RANGER (1993-2001) a decade later. Carver's film pays homage to DIRTY HARRY (1971) and an even bigger nod to Italian western movies. The opening sequence is dragged out much like a Leone film -- short on dialog and long on music via a fantastic Francesco De Masi score. The requisite closeups are here, too.

Machismo, the core element in Tough Guy cinema, is metaphorically represented almost exclusively through Norris, a walking slab of testosterone. Much of this macho overload radiating off of Chuck Norris's body likely came from the zenful mind of one John Milius, the undisputed king of American made manly movies. He's credited as a spiritual advisor.

LONE WOLF MCQUADE's manliness is exemplified in a few scenes. One such moment occurs when Chuck wields a sawed-off shotgun that gives the appearance he's got a firm grasp on his manhood, partaking in a Buford Pusserish moment of 'walk tall and carry a big dick'. Another sequence has McQuade paying a visit to the Dr. Miguelito Loveless of this movie -- a midget mafiosi named Falcon, lover of video games and illegal guns. Both he and Chuck pull pistols on each other and Falcon is preoccupied with who has the bigger barrel. 

Another scene focuses on romanticism but manages to lace it with a bit of dirty innuendo. The Chuckster is rolling around in the mud (where McQuade is likely most comfortable considering his unkempt home decor and vast collection of trash) with Barbara Carrera. As they slather around in slow motion in the mire kissing passionately while Francesco De Masi's Morricone worshiping score soothes the savage beast, Barbara caresses a hose that is ejaculating a stream of water. The scene preceding this is priceless, and if you didn't know better, you'd think they were a married couple.

McQuade comes home and finds Lola cleaning up his piss stain of a house, and almost immediately becomes disgusted because he can finally see the walls and floor. Unable to recognize bottles of vitamins that now adorn the top of his fridge, he swipes them off in anger, opens the door and yells, "Where's my beer?!" Scenes like this are frequent in LONE WOLF MCQUADE and offer Norris a chance to do a bit of deadpan humor, parodying male chauvinism. Beer is extremely important to McQuade. Beer to him is what spinach was to Popeye. 

One of the best, if wholly unbelievable scenes (that also involves beer) has our hero buried alive in his supercharged Dodge Ram. McQuade awakens to assess the situation and upon realizing he's buried under six feet of earth, decides to drench himself in beer. Upon doing so, he nitros the hell out of his truck till it rises from its grave. After all that, Chuck emerges, shotgun blasts some bad guys and collapses. His partner rushes to his aid and Chuck asks for another beer.

David Carradine -- Caine in KUNG FU (1972-1975) -- is the main villain. He's the type of cigar-chompin' sadist that drives a Benz bearing a front license plate that says 'Carate'. Carradine isn't the most imposing villain Norris ever fought onscreen, but considering how popular he was, the marquee value was notable. Carradine had played many memorable roles and occasionally inserted a bit of martial arts into the non-martial arts parts he played. Carradine's Wilke's is the braggadocious type (it would seem Carradine was just playing himself) who takes an instant dislike to McQuade; not just because he's a Ranger, but because he has a reputation for being a Tough Guy. Upon first meeting him Wilke's says coyly, "I understand you're very good with your hands and feet."

Wilkes loves his cigars. In virtually every scene he's smoking one. It's comparable to McQuade and his beer that he obsesses over. The difference is Wilkes doesn't appear to derive strength from a cigar the way the Ranger does from his Pearl Beer.

Everything in the film leads up to a highly anticipated big fight at the end between Norris and Carradine. Even the poster advertising hyped this match-up. Both men were martial arts icons; well, more so Norris than Carradine. Both men's characters were somewhat similar to their real-life personalities; more so Carradine than Norris. The fight itself is fine, but not nearly as good as it could have been. Norris was very smooth and powerful in the earlier fights, but for this one, he seems to be catering to Carradine's limitations. The only master shots during this fight are when the combatants are sizing each other up. There's a lot of editing when Carradine is seen with the upper hand. There's even a shot of Carradine attacking where the camera is sped up! When Norris is on the offensive there are no cuts to make him look good. He didn't need any. Carradine just isn't a very good foil for Chuck Norris, but to see them square off was a pretty big deal back in the day.

The rest of the cast are equally fabulous in terms of name value. The casting department amassed some great people for this film, all of which should be recognizable to genre fans.

Barbara Carrera is the object of two men's affections, is an accomplished horse rider, and packs a mean right hook. She's married to the sleazy Wilkes, but ends up falling for, and sleeping with the much hairier McQuade. This adulterous behavior is kind of surprising for a hero like the one Chuck is playing, but it is alleviated somewhat upon learning Wilkes forced her to marry him; yet, predictably, she doesn't divulge this information till the last minute to keep McQuade in pissed-off Yeti mode a bit longer.

Dana Kimmell plays Norris's daughter, and if he'd been with her in FRIDAY THE 13TH 3-D (1982), Jason wouldn't have stood a chance. 

Speaking of Jason Voorhees, Kane Hodder, the stunt performer/actor who became the most popular actor to don the hockey mask, worked on this production as a stunt man.

Robert Beltran had just finished EATING RAOUL (1982) before becoming a Texas trooper whose time with McQuade is a rite of passage. By the end, he too has embraced his inner hairy man, and McQuade has left the lone wolf part of his personality behind him and embraced having a partner.

Leon Isaac Kennedy was Too Sweet in the PENITENTIARY films. Like some of the other supporting players, he isn't given a whole lot to work with, but his presence is welcome. He completes this unique multi-racial triangle of law enforcement -- McQuade is the gruff Texas Ranger, Kayo is the green local cop, and Jackson is the federal officer who isn't above cutting some red tape to get things done.

Texas native and cult film favorite L.Q. Jones is another Ranger, and when he's receiving an award near the beginning, he looks a lot like Colonel Sanders. Jones, most often seen in westerns on the big and small screen, is one of the good guys here; although the probability is high the word 'dead' is branded on his forehead underneath that mop of hair.

Genre stalwart R.G. Armstrong is as grumpy as he's always been. He's McQuade's superior; and considering the lone wolf seldom listens to orders, I guess I'd be grumpy, too. Armstrong is always a welcome face, and the man was everywhere back then.

LONE WOLF MCQUADE is a highly entertaining action movie. There's some great stuff in B.J. Nelson's script, even if some angles would have only made the movie even better had they been fleshed out. At nearly 110 minutes, there's entirely too many things going on. It does benefit immeasurably from a stunningly boisterous music score by Francesco De Masi, and any Chuck Norris fan worth their Pearl Beer will enjoy seeing him in arguably his most colorfully over the top Tough Guy role.

This review is representative of the MGM Blu-ray.