Chuck Norris' Best Movie, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Cannon

If you grew up successful nan United States during nan 1970s and/or 1980s, there wasn't a much reliable shaper of junk nutrient martial arts cinema than Chuck Norris. From nan infinitesimal he delivered a fatal flying footwear done nan windshield of a car successful "Good Guys Wear Black," Norris was group to go a homegrown American kung fu star. He was obscurity adjacent arsenic move aliases charismatic arsenic Bruce Lee, but personification had to capable nan void near aft Lee's unexpected death, and Hollywood preferred a butt-kicker pinch a semi-stoic Clint Eastwood vibe complete nan acold much talented and rambunctiously entertaining Jackie Chan.

This isn't to opportunity Norris was a bore. He was nan existent woody arsenic a martial artist. After getting disconnected to a unsmooth commencement successful world competition, Norris honed his accomplishment and held nan Professional Middleweight Karate title for six years. Lee was impressed by Norris' expertise, truthful he helped to motorboat nan latter's profession successful movies.

That profession wasn't needfully distinguished, but Norris was nevertheless a hugely celebrated B-movie action star. And since nan Hong Kong-based Golden Harvest couldn't get a nationwide foothold successful nan U.S., he was adjacent to nan only show successful municipality until next-gen martial arts stars for illustration Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal emerged. (Black martial artists/actors Jim Kelly and Steve James deserved truthful overmuch better.)

In nan aftermath of Norris' decease astatine nan property of 86, you'll spot a batch of group claiming nan feline ne'er made a bully movie. I disagree. "Code of Silence" is simply a legitimately effective bull thriller from "The Fugitive" head Andrew Davis, while Norris' Cannon films are vintage '80s schlock. However, judging by its 87% caller standing connected Rotten Tomatoes, critics judge he did his champion activity other Lee successful 1972's "The Way of nan Dragon."

Golden Harvest

"The Way of nan Dragon" was nan first movie made by Concord Production, Inc., nan accumulation institution Bruce Lee founded pinch Golden Harvest's Raymond Chow. The prima had ne'er been much invested successful nan occurrence of a movie, truthful it's funny that he would depart from nan superior reside of his erstwhile hits, "The Big Boss" and "Fists of Fury," to make a comedic action flick.

Lee wrote and directed nan movie, which is group successful Rome and finds Hong Kong immigrants getting muscled by a section criminal outfit seeking to unopen down their restaurant. Unable to fend disconnected nan gangsters by themselves, a comparative sends thief successful nan shape of martial arts badass Tang Lung (Lee). It's quickly evident that these thugs are nary lucifer for Tang, but they're not astir to laic down to this one-man army. This leads to a bang-up 3rd enactment wherever a divers unit of top-notch martial artists are recruited to hit nan stuffing retired of Tang.

This is fundamentally a video crippled script wherever Tang has to conclusion immoderate formidable bosses earlier squaring disconnected against nan last boss. In "Way of nan Dragon," Tang's eventual force is Colt (Chuck Norris), a renowned American combatant whom we quickly study is each spot Tang's equal. Colt gives Tang a beautiful bully thrashing astatine nan outset of their duel, and Norris' accomplishment is truthful evident that we wholly bargain him arsenic a worthy combatant. But while he knocks Tang down a fewer times, our leader expresses annoyance alternatively than fear. After getting bloodied and bruised, Tang steps it up and, successful a masterfully choreographed slow-motion oner, dodges each of Colt's punches and kicks. He dominates nan remainder of nan conflict until ending it by breaking Colt's neck.

Golden Harvest

Chuck Norris doesn't person to do overmuch acting successful "The Way of nan Dragon" (released arsenic "Return of nan Dragon" successful nan U.S.), but he has nosy gloating complete his early success. Bruce Lee, meanwhile, seems to beryllium energized to beryllium sharing nan surface pinch a awesome combatant and a friend. As such, they present a brawl for nan ages.

But whereas Lee expressed an liking successful exploring nan martial arts accuracy he was processing done Jeet Kun Do, Norris was wished to go an action star. Between 1978's "Good Guys Wear Black" and "The Delta Force," he made a load of silly but, for nan astir part, undeniably entertaining programmers. If you've a sensation for unabashed '80s cheese, "An Eye for an Eye," "Silent Rage," and "Forced Vengeance" are filling fromage, while "Lone Wolf McQuade" is an honest-to-god bully movie (with a awesome people by Francesco De Masi) that pits Norris against "Kung Fu" prima David Carradine.

Norris' movies sewage bloodier and sleazier erstwhile he hooked up pinch Cannon. His films pinch proficient B-movie maestro Joseph Zito, "Missing successful Action" and "Invasion U.S.A.," are must-watches for gorehounds. Yes, they're morally repellant, but they're acold excessively ridiculous to beryllium genuinely offensive.

Outside of his amusing cameo successful "Dodgeball," I had nary usage for Norris aft "The Delta Force" — not conscionable because he became much outspoken politically (his homophobia was peculiarly galling), but because he stopped moving pinch tin directors. Suddenly, his movies were atrocious connected each level. Still, erstwhile he was conscionable a martial arts star, I enjoyed his work. And I ne'er had much nosy watching him show disconnected his gift for beingness combat than successful "Way of nan Dragon" (which is disposable to watercourse for free astatine Kanopy).