Diehard Norris Fans Can't Afford to be Without This One
Sure, this is a Grade-B movie in almost every sense of the term, but it gives the ardent fan a good glimpse into the beginnings of Chuck Norris' eventually fruitful film and television career.
Admittedly, the plot is weak, the pace slow, the scripting thin and the action--at a dearth--borders on the comic, yet I find myself watching Good Guys Wear Black again. Why? Is it the one, monumental flying kick that Norris' character, John T. Booker, administers through the windshield of an oncoming car to his would-be assassin (a Vietnamese operative disguised with a blond wig and a Van Dyke!)? is it Norris' patently poor acting in the closing scenes, during which he tries to convey masculine anger through that slightly effeminate, nasality and sizzle in his voice? is it simply to see Lloyd Hanes smoking a cigar? or Jim Backus playing a doorman? or James Franciscus portraying a villainous candidate for U.S. Secretary of State? or the film's tired, 70's ideology? Who knows? This film's merit may very well stem from its lack thereof, which moves it into the more exclusive realm of "classic" Grade-B.
In time, Chuck Norris has carved out a well-earned and well-deserved niche for himself in martial arts entertainment. Movies like Good Guys Wear Black serve as a gauge to measure just how far he's come--which is a long way. So, if you truly want to trace this development in Norris' acting career, this film is a must-see along the way.
Love It
OK this is probably my favorite movie. It's very flawed and only for certain viewers. It's dated with poor film quality and bad acting. But I love it. The music, altho scratchy, is unique and builds off the visuals. The action is good - very good. Chuck has an excellent moustache and the supporting actors do their part. The moral of the tale is difficult to figure out at best, but you can feel the message even if you can't describe it. In my opinion, this film is (along with its runner-up, "Night of The Juggler") the Holy Grail of action B-movies.
CORNY CHUCKY AGAIN~!!
I do not like CHUCKY. And for some reason when Western people make Action movie, especially about Martial Arts, it gets CORNY~!!! Just like Kung Fu series.....Bruce Lee should have been in it, since it was HIS.
This 1981 Chuck Norris movie straddles the transition from the gritty police dramas of the '70s (like The French Connection and Serpico) to the heroic revenge fantasies of the '80s (like Sylvester Stallone's Rambo movies). Norris plays reckless cop Sean Kane; after Kane's partner is killed in suspicious circumstances, Kane turns in his badge. When his partner's newscaster wife gets killed after turning up some crucial evidence, her father, who is Kane's teacher in the martial arts, teams up with Kane to track down the criminals responsible. An Eye for an Eye gets a substantial lift from head villain Christopher Lee's silky, effortless menace, as well as from Richard Roundtree as a hardnosed police captain. The early scenes of tension and suspense are... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Steve Carver DVD Release Date: Released the 20 November 2001 Usually ships within 24 hours
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A typical Chuck Norris vehicle that relies on its karate scenes to salvage it. Norris in an early role demonstrates his limited acting range, but makes up for it with some effective fight scenes. While the plot is convoluted and never makes total sense, it takes the back seat to Norris' attempts to get revenge on his "brother" who has gone bad. The supporting cast goes from mediocre (Art Hindle, Lee van Cleef, Carol Bagdasarian) to worse (Karen Carlson, Larry D. Mann, Kurt Grayson). There are annoying narrative voice overs of Norris' conscience that are more annoying with the use of some kind of reverberatory effect. THE OCTAGON is not the best of the Norris library, but you could do worse. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Chuck Norris DVD Release Date: Released the 17 August 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Code of Silence offers an excellent synergy and balance often missing in action films--especially other Chuck Norris action films.
I agree with other reviewers that this film perhaps showcases Norris' finest acting. Yet he is very well cast as the lone, honest, resolute and uncompromising "good cop," Cusack, who confronts Columbian drug lords, the Mob and a dirty cop in his unit, all with equal aplomb--and comes out the winner in the end, even in the face of mounting, and nearly overwhelming, odds.
The fight scenes are well choreographed, too, with Norris delivering compact, effective and believable punches and kicks. He even takes a few himself, portraying a character capable of taking it as well as dishing it out.
For all the no-nonsense... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Andrew Davis DVD Release Date: Released the 21 November 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This is just one of those films you must see if you are a action / horror film fan. A classic! More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michael Miller DVD Release Date: Released the 04 December 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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`He hears the silence. He sees the darkness. He's the only one who can stop the killing.' That's the tagline for the drama action thriller A Force of One (1979), starring Chuck Norris. I have no idea what it means to `hear the silence', or `see the darkness', but I suppose it has something to do with being a karate man (martial artists in the late 70's apparently had yet to earn the distinction of being known as `martial artists', often referred to as `karate men', as illustrated within this film) ...or maybe some promotional person just thought it sounded cool. While this wasn't Chuck Norris' first starring feature (most accept 1979's Good Guys Wear Black to have that distinction), it was the first, decent film he starred in, and, along with his ever growing fan base, helped turn this... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Jennifer O'Neill DVD Release Date: Released the 17 August 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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