Missing in Action ** (1984, Chuck Norris, M Emmet Walsh, David Tress) – Classic Movie Review 10,312

The 1984 Vietnam War action film Missing in Action established Chuck Norris as a major action star in the 1980s.

Director Joseph Zito’s 1984 film Missing in Action stars Chuck Norris, who chucks himself back into Asian action as Vietnam vet Colonel James Braddock to find men missing in action.

Norris is supposed to be an American colonel who was a prisoner-of-war in North Vietnam for seven years and has escaped home to the States 10 years earlier. He goes to Thailand, meets old Army buddy Tuck (M Emmet Walsh) and they launch a mission deep in the jungle to free American PoWs from General Tran (James Hong).

Missing in Action is a popular downmarket action thriller, some way behind the similar Uncommon Valor (1983) and First Blood (1982), with flag-waving rightist politics, typical of its Reaganite era. Norris and Walsh are good value.

It was shot in the Philippines and produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for their Cannon Group company. It was a welcome hit for them. Costing $2,550,000, it grossed $22,812,411.

Cannon Films had signed Norris to a multi‑picture deal beginning with Missing in Action, which made him and Charles Bronson the company’s leading stars in the 1980s.

It is followed by Missing in Action 2: The Beginning and Braddock: Missing in Action III.

Also in the cast are M Emmet Walsh, Lenore Kasdorf, James Hong, Ernie Ortega, Pierrino Mascarino, Erich Anderson, Joseph Carberry and David Tress.

Braddock watches a cartoon of Spider-man on TV. Cannon Group had just acquired the rights to make a Spider-man film from Marvel and Zito was to make a $20 million film in 1986 but Cannon ran out of money.

Other notable Chuck Norris films

Missing in Action is generally considered to be Chuck Norris’s most famous film. Other notable Chuck Norris films include The Way of the Dragon (1972) with Bruce Lee, Breaker! Breaker! (1977), Good Guys Wear Black (1978). Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), Invasion U.S.A. (1985) The Delta Force (1986) plus his TV series Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001). His final major film role was in The Expendables 2 (2012).

Other films include A Force of One (1979), The Octagon (1980), and An Eye for an Eye (1981), Silent Rage (1982), Forced Vengeance (1982),  Firewalker (1986) and Code of Silence (1985), 

Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris (March 10, 1940 – March 19, 2026)

American martial artist, actor, movie star and author Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris (March 10, 1940 – March 19, 2026) held black belts in Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo.

Chuck Norris died on March 19, 2026, aged 86 after being taken to hospital in Hawaii for a medical emergency.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,312

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