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Title: Firewalker (1986) Post by: Chadzilla on March 08, 2001, 07:45:54 PM Chuck Norris, Lou Gossett Jr., and Melody Anderson go hunting for treasure in Latin America, much non-merriment and non-excitement is had by all in this 'action/comedy'. This was 'directed' (and this term is used oh so loosely) by J Lee Thompson, the man behind Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, and The Guns of Naverone. Oh yeah, he directed a whole lot of cinematic sludge for Cannon in its oh so brief life as a 'major independent' producer/distributor (1985-87 more or - much - less) and this is the worst of it. The movie really looks like he channeled the spirit of William 'one shot' Beaudine and just set up the camera and then only made sure the actors said their lines without flubbing them. I mean this movie has a huge amount of technical snafus in it (just read the review over at Jabootu to see the biggest problems), the most interesting is that Sonny Ladham's eye patch kept movie from one eye to the other from scene to scene.
Side bar - this movie is rated PG, so I watched it with my son. Whenever Norris and company appear in the act of transit (riding on horses, climbing mountains, driving cars, whatever) my son asked "Where are they going?" Quickly this grew insanely tiresome and, fatigued with saying "They're looking for the treasure" over and over I simply began sighing "Nowhere son, they're going nowhere." Nonetheless Cannon was my favorite studio, they put out such a great deal of lovable crap that is near and dear to my heart (most of it seems to star either Chuck Norris or Charles Bronson) Here is a small list of their movies, see if you can find a legitmate good movie in the bunch - Lifeforce Invaders from Mars The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Death Wish III Death Wish IV: The Crackdown Missing in Action Missing in Action 2: The Beginning Braddock: Missing in Action III (BRADDOCK!!!) 52 Pick-up Messenger of Death Invasion U.S.A (It's time to DIE) Platoon Leader Murphy's Law 10 to Midnight The Delta Force Alan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (Chamberlin and Stone!) King Solomon's Mines (Chamberlin and Stone) The Hero and the Terror Ninja 3: The Domination Down Twisted Dangerously Close Wisdom American Ninja American Ninja 2 American Ninja 3 (w/Marjoe Gortner as the bad guy!) American Ninja 4 Hannah's War Cyborg there was also a Most Dangerous Gamesque movie that starred Michael Dudikoff, Steve James (R.I.P. friend), and John P. Ryan but the name escapes me. And now Menacham Golan is forming New Cannon! Alright BRING 'EM ON! Title: Re: Firewalker (1986) Post by: Greywizard on March 09, 2001, 02:20:21 AM That Michael Dudikoff movie you're thinking of is AVENGING FORCE.
Title: Re: Thanks Greywizard (Avenging Spoiler) Post by: Chadzilla on March 09, 2001, 02:08:11 PM I KNEW the title was something similiar to American Ninja. Avenging Force, great fire gag with James in that one. Too bad Steve James was the Designated Worm Food Hero's Black Buddy Guy - a fate he befell in Hero and the Terror as well.
side bar spoiler: Steve James was a little put off at how his character in Avenging Force was handled and dispatched. He told my best friend during an iterview that he felt that having a white man avenge the slaughter of his black friend's entire family was just wrong. He thought the movie would have been better if his character had lived and he and Dudikoff would have gone after the baddies together rather than just having the White Guy Hero doing the work the powerless minority seemed incapable of. It was something that grated on him. |