Synopsis:
A Texas Ranger (Chuck Norris, Good Guys Wear Black) who is known for his unorthodox methods is determined to stop a ruthless criminal (David Carradine, Bound for Glory) from selling a gun arsenal he has stolen from a U.S. Army convoy.
Reaction & Thoughts:
“When I finish this job, you’re gonna need more than a priest and a doctor.”
I’ve never been a Chuck Norris fan. Of all the 1980s action stars — Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, etc. — he is the one I find the least interesting. In my book, Norris’s limitations as an actor are hard to overlook. Although he did get better with time, I still find Norris irritatingly dull.
In a cruel twist of fate, my mom was a huge Norris fan, so she literally made me sit through most of the action star’s movies. Truth be told, some of these movies aren’t really bad at all. I remember enjoying Lone Wolf McQuade as a teen, and after rewatching it this week, I’m now sure this is my all-time favorite Norris movie.
It is strongly directed by Steve Carver (Big Bad Mama), who keeps the momentum going and delivers a genuinely exciting finale. There are other good points about the film, including a fantastic, Ennio Morricone-like music score by Francesco De Masi (The Inglorious Bastards). The terrific soundtrack made me think of the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s, which this movie somewhat resembles.
Okay, here is the big shocker: Norris is very good as the taciturn Texas Ranger obsessed with taken down an arms dealer. But, as you might have expected, he is out-acted by David Carradine, who’s deliciously evil as Norris’s nemesis. It’s a cardboard villain that Carradine makes interesting by sheer force of will. And the long-awaited kung-fu battle between Norris and Carradine is very exciting to watch.
The supporting cast is filled with wonderful characters actors. Barbara Carrera (Never Say Never Again) sizzles on screen as Norris’s love interest. L. Q. Jones (Casino) is a delight as a salty old timer. Leon Isaac Kennedy (Penitentiary) is an FBI agent. Robert Beltrán (Eating Raoul) plays Norris’s sidekick. Sharon Farrell (It’s Alive) plays Norris’s ex-wife, and R.G. Armstrong (Dick Tracy) plays Norris’s boss.
Conclusions & Final Thoughts:
Lone Wolf McQuade is an action packed thriller. Not only does it look and sound great (especially for a low-budget Chuck Norris movie), but the movie is full of well-orchestrated action sequences. Although I’m not enamored with Norris, I must admit that I had a pleasant time watching the martial arts actor beat the living daylights out of the baddies — it’s a fun action movie! Color, 107 minutes, Rated PG.
Theatrical Trailer:
Diary of A Movie Maniac 
Sadly a common problem with martial arts action heroes in films is that they may not be able to act as well as they can do their own fighting stunts. When I look back on how I watched action films in the 80s with stars like Chuck Norris, mainly out of curiosity for whatever the fight sequence should be like or what quotes or puns the action star may have, I can understand why Chuck had found an obvious niche at the time. But soon and most originally thanks to Bruce Willis in Die Hard, it was a lot easier to appreciate the more humbled and vulnerable action stars.
Thank you, Eric, for your review.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think Norris benefited from Bruce Lee’s sudden death. After Enter the Dragon, Lee was on his way to become the greatest martial arts star of all time. Norris (and Jackie Chan) filled a vacuum. But, you are right, Norris couldn’t compete with Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson, who are genuinely good actors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember liking Chuck Norris a little better in 1986’s Firewalker, where he and Louis Gossett Jr. made a pretty interesting team.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think Firewalker was the last Norris movie I saw. I lost interest in him after that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was more impressed by Louis Gossett Jr. in Firewalker.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I had a four-pack of Norris films, and this was one of the ones included…but at first I couldn’t remember which it was: the Chicago one, the desert one, or the the airline one. Ah, the desert one! But even after reading your review, I couldn’t remember anything about it, save for a) the desert, and b) the fight scene at the end. In fact, I couldn’t even tell you which Norris film that I’ve seen is my favorite…I remember NOTHING about them! Which perhaps proves your point: maybe these films – as well as Norris – are just irritatingly dull.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Chicago one, the desert one, or the airline one”
That’s a funny way to describe those films! I think that the “airline one” (Delta Force) was Norris’s last hit. Anyhow, Norris was smart enough to realize that the jig was up, and moved to TV with great success. I never understood the fascination. Bruce Lee was charismatic, Schwarzenegger is a likable guy, etc. Norris? He is just okay.
LikeLiked by 1 person
After The Delta Force, I pretty much lost interest with Chuck Norris. I didn’t watch his Walker: Texas Ranger series. But I remember finding the promos for it interesting.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I watched Delta Force for its all-star cast (Lee Marvin, Robert Vaughn, George Kennedy, Shelley Winters, etc.). Truth be told, I didn’t care for it.
Walker: Texas Ranger was good for what it was: a recycling of Lone Wolf McQuade (I believe the movie’s producers tried to sue the creators of the TV show).
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Conan O’Brien spoofs of Walker are hilarious. Look them up on YouTube. He pulls a lever and a scene from the series plays totally out of context. It’s great (and yes I have seen many an episode of Walker).
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’ll check them out. Tanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person