Action Hero: Chuck Norris

"It's a go. Take them down!"

Americans hate terrorism. This is not an audacious statement considering America's "War On Terror" throughout the early 2000s and beyond, but terrorism has been loathed as far back as the '80s. Currently during the early 21st Century, an intricate system of intelligence is utilised to track down terrorists and an intricate system of weaponry is used to blow them to hell. Back in the mid-80s, the Americans didn't have the benefit of such advanced technology... Instead, they relied on Chuck Norris. In 1986's The Delta Force, the Chuckster is portrayed dispatching Arab terrorists using an array of Norris-esque weaponry, ranging from his martial arts skills to large bazookas to a motorcycle that fires rockets. The film is unbelievably cheesy, often unintentionally hilarious, and rather pro-American.

After an introductory combat sequence which demonstrates the skills of the American protagonists, the action moves onboard a large passenger airplane. A pair of Arab terrorists hijack this plane, taking all passengers hostage and ordering the captain to reroute to Lebanon. These terrorists claim to be freedom fighters for a revolutionary organisation, but their cause is unknown...they just have a thing against America. A group of elite American commandos known as the Delta Force - led by Col. Nick Alexander (Marvin) and Maj. Scott McCoy (Norris) - are sent in to save the hostages and restore American honour. Rather than trying their hand at the fine art of negotiation, the Delta Force cut to the chase and pull out the heavy artillery.

The Delta Force was released in 1986; one year after a real-life plane hijacking in Athens. (This was on a TWA plane. In the film the plane which accommodates the hijacking is an AWT plane... clever.) The first hour of this movie is mostly devoted to retelling the events of this hijacking, but the second hour (when the macho Americans show up) has little basis in reality. This final half sends the message home that the best way to execute foreign policy on America's part is to shoot or blow up all terrorist threats. All this gung-ho business is like a different film altogether. It's full Chuck Norris territory: lots of machismo, gunfire and explosions. It's all very patriotic with the Americans saving the day and the hostages singing the American anthem. That's the '80s for you.

Considering this is an '80s action film with Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin, one expects The Delta Force to be chock-full of terrorist ass-kicking goodness and brainless action. Alas, the meaty action doesn't commence until the first hour has passed. Even with a plenty of action as the climax nears, the unusually long runtime of over two hours will prove a serious test of anyone's Chuck Norris attention span. The running time might've been more tolerable if the film provided interesting exposition, a compelling story or meaningful character development...but The Delta Force provides none of this - it's instead packed with filler. Empty threats against obnoxious hostages and hollow, repetitive dialogue does not make gripping cinema.

The Delta Force also exploits blatant stereotypes - there's the disillusioned soldier who returns to action because of his noble sense of duty, the abuse of a kindly priest, and even a pregnant lady who could go into labour at any moment. Meanwhile the terrorists have no legitimate motive or objective. At times, the depiction of these Arab terrorists is borderline racist - they're single-mindedly scheming, vicious, and they look very grubby.

If nothing much else, The Delta Force can be admired for its star-studded cast. Chuck Norris, as usual, just plays himself. The bearded action icon usually delivers his dialogue in a subdued fashion with no great conviction...but he's still watchable. This film marked the final screen appearance of Lee Marvin. He's pretty badass, though he's never given a chance to test his acting abilities. Also in the cast is a Who's Who of B-Movie star-power: Martin Balsam, George Kennedy (star of those Airport films from the '70s), Robert Forster (sporting dark hair, dark skin, a little moustache and a thick accent as the head Arab terrorist), Robert Vaughn, Shelley Winters, Steve James, Bo Svenson, and many others. The direction by Menahem Golan is adequate, and Alan Silvestri's score alternates between intense and cheesy power pop.

All in all, The Delta Force is your standard American cheerleading propaganda flick, with Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin holding the pompoms. The action is at times thrilling and the novelty value of seeing the Chuckster in '80s mode never wears off, but that's all there is to this one. For a film which lacks anything even resembling an intricate story or deep characterisations, there sure is plenty of talking. And considering this is a Chuck Norris movie, this is a problem. There's a far more agreeable 80-minute actioner lying somewhere within this somewhat tedious 125-minute feature.

"Nikko was easy. Now it's your turn. One night you'll close your eyes, and when they open I'll be there. It'll be time to die."

Chuck Norris, it would seem, is America's leading brand of all-purpose pest control. Whether it be Russians, mobsters, thieves, ninjas or Satan himself, the bearded superhero possesses the ability to save America from every threat that rears its unpleasant head. 1985's Invasion U.S.A. is a prime example of what the Chuckster can achieve when left to his own devices. Utilising an impressive array of weaponry to dispense his own patented style of vigilante justice, the lethal hero works to protect America from hundreds of heavily-armed Russian soldiers who have unexpectedly stormed the country's sandy shores.

Following the plot (if you will) of Invasion U.S.A. shouldn't be difficult whatsoever. It's as basic, generic and pedestrian as they come, allowing even the terminally stupid to enjoy the proceedings without ever being required to overexert their limited intelligence.
Basically, an army of Russian terrorists led by Soviet agent Mikhail Rostov (Lynch) invade America. Meanwhile, Mr. Norris stars as ex-federal agent/karate expert/alligator wrangler Matt Hunter who's asked to take down Rostov and company by the agency he formerly worked for (leading to a "We really need you this time" scene). Initially he declines, but (as you'd expect from a mid-80s action flick) the bad guy makes the common mistake of taking a bazooka to Hunter's home and killing his friend. Thus, the stage is set for one man against hundreds...and this is fine, because it's 1985 - it's the time of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and the one-man army genre.

What ensues is a full-scale (in Miami at least) attack on American civilians as Rostov's troops take to the streets with weapons aplenty (their preferred choice of human destruction being the trusty rocket launcher). The National Guard eventually shows up to control to the civil unrest and defend the streets (though not effectively). The backdrop of Invasion U.S.A. is the grand standoff between the USA and the USSR, but the story more or less only amounts to a local mano-a-mano grudge-match between Hunter and Rostov. The thought-process behind Rostov's decision to seek vengeance upon Hunter is murky, but it has something to do with Rostov being unable to get a good night's sleep.

Did I mention Hunter is psychic? I should have, 'cause he is. Whenever the terrorists are about to strike, Hunter shows up to spoil their efforts and kick ass. The script (co-written by Chuck himself) provides an ample amount of these situations, with the simplicity of the plot, characters, and production values reflected in Hunter's terse catchphrase "It's time to die." For sure, Invasion U.S.A. is astonishingly bare-bones, but it's entertaining to watch while the film alternates between scenes of terrorist nastiness and of Hunter doing cool, manly things. Norris occasionally speaks ("If you come back in here, I'm gonna hit you with so many rights, you're gonna beg for a left"), but the film's key focus is on the action set-pieces. Shit continually explodes and the body count continues to rise, reaffirming that Chuck Norris - and, by extension, America - is not to be fucked with.

The consistent tactic of Invasion U.S.A. is to build sympathy for helpless stock characters (like two lovers on the beach or a family erecting their Christmas tree on an idyllic suburban block) before they're mercilessly slaughtered by the terrorists. Therefore when the Chuckster kills the terrorists responsible for this massacre, we cheer and applaud.

By the time he starred in Invasion U.S.A., Chuck Norris had appeared in movies for over a decade. However, he still hadn't picked up on the whole acting thing yet. The key requirement for a one-man army is to not only remain calm & confident under pressure, but to be careful not to demonstrate a huge array of facial expressions - one expression does nicely, and two is a bit of a stretch. For most of this film, Norris sports a very bland facial expression. He only smiles twice - when he sees his pet armadillo acting stupid, and when he's watching an old black and white film on TV (a 1953 sci-fi picture called...Invasion USA!).

The plot's straightforward nature is also mirrored by Chuck Norris' wardrobe. He's simply a bearded action hero dressed in blue jeans, a low-buttoned denim shirt, duel leather shoulder holsters, black gloves and (most importantly) an Uzi for each hand.

Richard Lynch seems to be having a blast playing the mastermind behind the slaughter; delivering a thick layer of faux Russian cheese that will either leave you amused or offended.

Now...flaws? Sure, there are heaps. Invasion U.S.A. had the potential to be a truly epic action film, but budgetary constraints mar this potential. Trucks are shown heading to several American locations, yet the action is restricted to Miami. The abrupt ending will leave you wanting so much more. Naturally the dialogue is usually flat as well. In addition, the whole thing is cheesy, stupid, preposterous and often hilarious (intentional or otherwise).

As the decades roll by, there will always be a place for gormless action movies like these. They act as fun reminders of an era during which the intellectual appetites and expectations for Hollywood actioners were at an all-time low. Invasion U.S.A. is a perfectly entertaining guilty pleasure. They just don't make ambitiously cheesy movies like this anymore.

"The misfortunes of war!"

As soon as the movie industry felt the dust of the Vietnam War had settled, a deluge of Vietnam-related movies started pouring in. There were films such as Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter and Platoon which handled the source material respectfully. But the mid-late 1980s was the era of bazookas, guns and superhero-style action heroes. Once First Blood was released, a string of films flooded the market that attempted to transplant the history of the Vietnam War into the '80s action format. Furthermore, the subject of American soldiers left behind in Vietnam functioned as a catalyst for several '80s action flicks (Rambo: First Blood Part II being the most prevalent). The Chuck Norris vehicle Missing in Action was one such movie. This isn't the most egregious entry in this particular sub-genre, but it's hardly a classy fare. This is just your typical Chuck Norris romp: there's action, nudity, one-liners, stunts and a few moments of pure fantasy. And best of all, it's fun!

For this film, the Chuckster plays an American officer named James Braddock who spent several years at a Vietnamese Prisoner of War camp and believes there are still American soldiers being held captive in Vietnam. The plot, such as it is, involves Braddock returning to Vietnam in an attempt to locate a POW camp. With assistance from an Army buddy (in the form of M. Emmet Walsh) and an assortment of weaponry, Braddock ventures deep into the jungle to free the American MIAs.

Cue perfunctory explosions, action sequences, and lots of 'all gooks are villains' propaganda. The other actors featured in this movie function as mere props for Chuck Norris to dispose of in whatever way he sees fit. The only character who's even mildly developed is Braddock since the supporting characters merely make an appearance to move the story along before curiously vanishing. The film's attitude towards Vietnamese soldiers and officials is borderline offensive since they're depicted as unequivocally shifty, villainous and deceitful... But on the other hand, this is the 1980s! This is the age of cartoonish stereotypes!

The Chuckster is grudgingly assisted here by a woman at the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam (who seems like she was intended to be a love interest, but no real romance ever occurs...), and an ex-colleague who hooks him up with a bunch of backstreet arms dealers. Inexplicably, these arms dealers possess a large cache of machine guns as well as a helicopter and a bulletproof raft in a tiny storage room. It's also peculiar that Braddock just happens to have the thousands of spare dollars necessary to purchase all this expensive equipment. But then again, a viewer isn't supposed to question the plot - Missing in Action is about the action and violence, not a sensible storyline or anything deep.

And my word, it delivers in the action department with commendable aplomb. Gear yourself up for an unrelenting onslaught of rousing shootouts, car chases and explosions, with Chuck Norris in the midst of it all in regular Chuck Norris mode. Director Joseph Zito (who later collaborated with the Chuckster for Invasion U.S.A. in 1985) manages the action adeptly, though these aren't the most spectacular set-pieces you'll ever witness. Jay Chattaway's accompanying score is of the usual '80s standard; combining the tense with the cheesy (though patriotic music is in surprisingly short supply). All of this stuff combines to generate an engaging escapist romp guaranteed to leave a smile on the face of any action fan.

It's possible to watch a Chuck Norris vehicle like Missing in Action and come away with the misimpression that the bearded hero has not said a word. He occasionally talks, of course, but his eloquence is strictly physical. Norris (with his minimalist, taciturn acting style that often earns him substantial criticism) has never displayed any genuine acting ability, but he's skilful enough to carry a simple, bullet-riddled, crowd-pleasing action movie like this one.
Norris' celebrated martial arts skills don't feature very prominently in this escapade. Instead, he mostly relies on machine guns or grenades. The iconic moment of Missing in Action depicts Norris rising out of a river in slow motion (looking suitably ferocious in green fatigues and a matching headband, along with his M-60) and blowing holes in three soldiers who made the grave mistake of laughing at him.

The moral of this story is clear: if a government denies a widely-believed possibility, they run the risk of Hollywood green-lighting a string of B-Grade films about it. Those who genuinely hate Missing in Action, perceiving it as jingoistic or racist propaganda, are missing the point of the film completely - it was never intended to be anything provocative or liberal...it's just a good old-fashioned guy flick featuring Chuck Norris who's a formidable adversary for the Vietnamese enemy.

Interestingly, if one watches the credits you'll see a certain Jean-Claude Van Damme listed as a stuntman.