Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The 70s saw the explosion of martial arts movies and with it the introduction of Chuck Norris. Few remember that he began as a bad guy, a hit-man called in to slay Bruce Lee in "Way of the Dragon." In that flick, a brutish young Norris, looking all muscle and chest hair, met his death at the hands of the invincible Lee. But Norris went on to play the hero - as a cop, martial arts trainer or American soldier - in a string of action movies through the 70s and 80s."Force of One" was one of the best. It features Norris as Matt Logan, a karate champion and trainer, who is called upon by the local police to help them break a drug ring. The ring employs a shadowy assassin who uses martial arts to kill cops that get to close to cracking the case. The movie starts with two undercover cops following a skateboarding kid, suspected of dealing drugs, into an empty store. Within minutes, the cops are ambushed by a silent masked killer who expertly snaps both their necks. The killer first punishes them with kicks so powerful they raise them right off the floor, letting us know early on that this is no average street thug, but rather a highly trained martial artist.The scene cuts to Norris battering an opponent in a kickboxing match. Norris looks like the champ he is with a chiseled fighter's physique and lighting fast moves. Later at his karate school, Lt. Dunne (Clu Gulager) asks him for his help in training cops in martial arts. Though Norris is busy preparing for his upcoming championship fight, he's implored by a beautiful policewoman, played Jennifer O'Neill, and by his adopted teenage son Charlie, himself a junior karate champ, to help stop the flow of drugs to kids.At first the cops themselves are resistant to the training, thinking it's just a gimmick. Moskowitz (James Whitmore, Jr.,) a tough street cop, grumbles "What good does it do me to be able to bust a two by four with my bare hands?" Meanwhile two more cops are seen following the same young skateboarder. It's obvious the kid is just a decoy to lure cops into danger. He does his job well and watches as the assassin gets the drop on the cops and again snuffs each officer with expert karate moves.Chuck's romance with Jennifer O'Neil starts to bloom, while his son Charlie starts some sleuthing on his own. When they all attend a karate match together to check out Chuck's next opponent, we are introduced to Jerry Sparks, played by Bill Wallace. Wallace was a world champion martial artist for real and his ability to win matches with savage kicks gave him the nickname "Superfoot." Superbly muscled, his physical presence makes a perfect foil for the sculpted Norris. When Charlie discovers that Wallace is the mysterious assassin, he tries to fight him, but he's no match for Superfoot's lethal feet. When his body is found, Norris vows revenge and the final showdown between the two warriors is set.Their fight is the highpoint of the movie. Evenly matched, Norris and Wallace duke it out, with Wallace's feet and Chuck's fists front and center. Finally, Chuck turns the tables and delivers a devastating kick of his own. He grabs the stunned Wallace's neck and twists around, hauling him onto his back and "hanging" him. He keeps the hold on long after Superfoot's body has gone limp, exacting a brutal revenge for his slain son. With his execution, the rest of the drug ring is easily rounded up. This fight is the climax of an exciting movie which is worth viewing just to see these two martial arts champions in action.

Like my previous Chuck Norris film review, I also saw this one at a local drive in with a couple of neighbors. I can't remember too much of it, but do remember that it was entertaining in regards to a corrupt police investigation of some kind, something involving drugs, and, of course, martial arts.It was one of Chucks better flicks, and he showed some chops in the acting department, but I can't say that the film stuck with me all that much. Regardless, it was somewhat impressive. Ironically enough the one thing I remember about going to see this film was the preview for "The Villain", a western spoof.There's not much in the way of plot in this thing, but it has a decent enough emotional story. If you're into martial arts, and want to see Chuck Norris early in his career, give this film a try. Not a bad watch.Enjoy.

Most people know Chuck Norris for his TV show Walker, Texas Ranger, and some of his later films. A Force of One is an early Chuck Norris film.Basically this film is about police officers who are killed by someone who uses martial arts to defeat the officers. The police decided that the officers need martial arts training, which is taught by Matt Logan (Chuck Norris) who is also a pro kickboxer.What makes this more than just average is that Bill "Superfoot" Wallace is in this film. Wallace was the current Middleweight Kickboxing World Champion during the making of this film.The lines are cheesy and some of the acting is a little wooden but the fight scenes are well made. While this is not the best film that has Chuck Norris in it, it is a good film to watch if you are a fan of his early work.

Chuck Norris stars and looks his best in this financially limited production. He's as fast as a leopard, as strong as a tiger and as hairy as a lion, Chuck Norris takes no backward step in this edge of your seat D class movie! Great to see the police chief in the movie is a keen supporter of Matt Logan (Chuck's character). In the scene where the police chief is in his night gown, you can see the "Matt Logan" shirt he is wearing underneath! This movie screams CHEAP when you see Matt Logan's love interest, come on guys you could have got a better looking girl... I'm sure she has a lovely personality though. This movie is a great laugh and is very enjoyable after 10 or more drinks or a hit of amphetamines.