Directed by: Joseph Zito
Written by: James Bruner
Cinematography by: Joao Fernandes
Music by: Jay Chattaway
Cast: Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, Lenore Kasdorf, James Hong, David Tress
1984/ 101 min/ color/ English
Having escaped from a Vietnamese prison camp, Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) is determined to prove to the world that there are still US POWs in ‘Nam. But, no one believes or listens to him, so he does what any other action hero would do: he decides to go in and save them! With the help of his former Army friend (M. Emmet Walsh), he returns to ‘Nam to kick ass and rescue American soldiers.
You know, as a kid I recalled liking this film, but looking at it now, man does this film fucking suck. Joseph (THE PROWLER) Zito must have been asleep when he directed this crap, cause the pacing is lazy, and the film lacks any real suspense. As the movie moved along, I found myself giving less and less of a shit as to what was going on onscreen. The end left me saying, “That’s fucking it?!” Zito would later re-team with Norris in the flawed but nonetheless enjoyable INVASION U.S.A., which looks like a masterpiece when compared to this dreck.
Preventing it from it being a total loss, there are some entertaining moments provided by Mr. Norris (well, very few of them anyways). And there are copious amounts of naked, hot, Thai chicks that will keep you from wandering off somewhere else.
RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PT. II came out a year later and would blow this fucker away. In short, that film is the king of the “Let’s go back to ‘Nam and save the POWs movies”. Despite what memories you may have of this, it is best left missing somewhere far, far away. *1/2 out of ****
