LONE WOLF MCQUADE
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
As a child of the 80s, I have fierce love for the genre films of that time. I grew up on a steady diet of Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Van Damme. However, for some reason, the films of Chuck Norris never factored into this. I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t see any of Norris’s films – especially his more famous ones like “Delta Force” and “Missing In Action” – but I’ve always felt bad about it.
Now, with the release of “The Expendables 2” looming, 20th Century Fox has released some of his films on Blu-ray for the summer. One of them is “Lone Wolf McQuade,” which was partly the inspiration for his popular television series “Walker Texas Ranger.”
“Lone Wolf McQuade” tells the story of Texas Ranger J.J. McQuade (Norris) whose daughter accidentally witnesses a military arms hijack as well as the murder of a close friend. When her life is threatened by the crime kingpin Rawley Wilkes (David Carradine), McQuade goes on the offensive to take him down.
Not only is this one of the more notable films in Norris’s career, it also is a bit of a landmark movie because it features an on-screen battle between him and “Kung Fu” star David Carradine. (I also confess, rather sheepishly, that I never watched either incarnation of this show on television.) For the martial arts action fan – or at least the fan of white guys doing martial arts – this is a pretty big deal.
Like many of the tough guy action films of the 80s, the plot is thin and quite formulaic. However, with a screen legend like Chuck Norris, this is to be expected. Norris plays the stoic cop pushed to the limit well, and this role has served him as an action icon for decades. The big difference between Norris and many of his contemporaries (at least until Van Damme and Steven Seagal came on the scene) was that he was as good with his fists and legs as he was with a gun. This adds something more to the character than just the simple tough guy cop.
“Lone Wolf McQuade” is an enjoyable ride for the modern western that it is. Like many films from this era, the first two acts drag a big, and ironically feel like a television pilot. However, it’s that final act, which includes plenty of gunfire, explosions and the aforementioned mano-y-mano with Norris and Carradine that really sell the movie. Who cares if Carradine is wearing a Cosby sweater in the process.
The Blu-ray transfer isn’t great, featuring some incredibly grainy shots and a somewhat muted color palate. It also doesn’t include any special features beyond the theatrical trailer. However, it’s still fun to watch the movie in the high definition format.
CODE OF SILENCE
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars)
Along with “Lone Wolf McQuade,” 20th Century Fox has also released a new Blu-ray of the Chuck Norris action film “Code of Silence.” Like “Lone Wolf McQuade,” this film features a cop on the edge. However, unlike “Lone Wolf McQuade,” “Code of Silence” deals with more urban and realistic problems.
Norris plays Eddie Cusack, a Chicago cop who cannot be corrupted. When he threatens to expose a police cover-up by breaking the blue code of silence, Cusack is shunned by his own department. This puts Cusack in the middle of a bitter feud between drug kingpins, leaving him as the only guy to take them down.
“Code of Silence” is directed by Andy Davis, who went on to direct “The Fugitive” several years later. While that was the high point of his career, you can see him cutting his teeth on the Chicago cop thriller with this movie. This film still suffers from some of the cliches of the day, especially the evil drug kingpin played by Henry Silva.
Additionally, Norris doesn’t feel quite at home in the role of a big-city policeman, not like he does as a Texas lawman. Leave these roles to other tough guys of the 80s and head into the jungle or the desert. Chuck Norris, for all his martial arts bravado, just seems too warm and cuddly to be the gritty Chicago cop.
However, the real sticking point in this movie is the bizarre introduction of a souped-up police robot named “Prowler” that looks like Johnny-5 on steroids. Made prior to “Robocop,” Prowler feels like a precursor to ED-209, but is entirely out of place in this otherwise down-to-earth “Serpico” style police drama. Sigh... this was the 80s when “Star Wars” pushed all movies to include a robot, no matter how silly it was.
Still, like the other tough guy action movies of the 80s, there’s some really nice action moments. The slow starter aspect of this movie is smoother than most as the story actually builds. By the end, especially if you can look past the ludicrousness of Prowler, there’s a solid third act which blows a lot of shit up.
This Blu-ray comes with no special features, aside from the theatrical trailer. As for the transfer, like a lot of these catalogue titles that are coming back from the DVD graveyard, it could look better. Most of the scenes come out better than “Lone Wolf McQuade,” though there are still times when the grain becomes overpowering.
