Andrew Davis directs this Chicago-based action film that stars Chuck Norris as police officer Eddie Cusack, who is a tough cop determined to take down two rival and warring drug gangs that are plaguing the city. Trouble is, Eddie has made himself an outcast in the department by testifying against an aging officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager, and Eddie doesn't think he should get away with it. Despite this, Eddie goes forth with his duties, which also has him using the department's newest weapon: a robotic crime-fighting vehicle called "The Prowler". Reasonably good film has Chuck in fine form, with efficient direction, though the plot itself is routine. Funny scene involving two crooks trying to hold up a restaurant filled with cops!

Interesting thing - this was supposed to be a Clint Eastwood movie , but he decided to do "Pale rider" instead. It's funny , because the story here feels a little bit like western . "COS" has got obviously more story than average Chuck movie . The corrupt cops angle is nothing new or particularly deep , but works well enough. It's hard to call this story unpredictable and the ending conclusion is rather unfitting to the rest of the movie , but doesn't destroy it. There is one very funny scene involving two unlucky robbers that will make you laugh hard. There are some silly moments here and there , but overall this movie manages to be serious and have decent dialogues .Chuck is his usual self here , but somewhat less wooden . Henry Silva ("Nico : Above the law") is effective enough as the mob boss. The rest of the cast involving known faces like Ron Dean and Dennis Farina is also very OK.The action is rather unspectacular , although it's well placed and enjoyable. The big shootout at the end (Chuck versus mafia) is both silly and kinda creative. Director Andrew Davis ("The Fugitive" , "Under siege" and "Nico : Above the law") keeps the movie at nice pace. Veteran action movie composer David Michael Frank gives a nice funky score. Chicago does look really nice in this movie.I give it 5/10. Not really an underrated movie , but decent enough to watch it if it's on TV and you have nothing to do. It lacks that certain something that would make it stand out from many movies of the genre. Compared to almost every other movie Norris made this is however a freaking masterpiece. Along with "Delta force" and "The Lone wolf McQuade" his best work.

Like many others, I agree, this may be Chuck's best film, alongside Silent Rage. Here in a undercover operation gone to s..t, taking shouting abuse from his captain, he's left to clean up the mess. And to add further headache, one of his own is been put on the stand, for mistakenly blowing away an Hispanic kid. This cop, Creggie was drinking before too. Creggie has f....d up before too, so this could be his last chance. His younger more nervous partner, Gonzalez, is sworn to silence, therefore letting his partner get away with this again. While his other colleges vouch for him, Chuckie goes up against him, and also the baddies of these two gangs, Italians and Columbians. Chuck's stakeout was sabotaged, when his two undercover cops, about to make a drug purchase, bought it, as the opposing Italian gang arrived dressed as painters, no less. This is a great ten minute opening-shootout here that really went down well in this. Chuck again here, kicks, well you know, not as much than most of his movies, but some great chunks of action and an involving story almost make us forget Chuckie's karate talents. It's also one of Chuck's better performances. We see a real human side to his character, like when he takes the only surviving victim of the Italian mob, an innocent girl, in his care. The train scene is great with Chuckie making one hell of a dive into the river, this recurring music theme attached, with successive clicking in bits of it, worked great. We too also have a robotic tank that in the end becomes Chuck's best friend. At first in a demonstration scene Chuck laughs this off, calling it "Another machine without a brain". He also overthrows it, when it turns on him, the whole station of cops looking like fools as this scene fades out into the next. He also too backs up his younger partner, Gonzalez in telling the real truth that day the s..t went down, and that innocent Hispanic lost his life, even though the title wrongly refers the main story here. A thoroughly enjoyable drama, ala Chuck Norris, you may still find bits of this lacking in the brains department, but it's much better than a lot of Chuck's other s..t, I mean films. Henry Silva again makes the villain an art form as the merciless head of the Columbian family.

OK I know Chuck Norris isn't the best actor in the business but he's good enough to be convincing. This is the same director who brought us The Fugitive, which was a hit thriller, and Under Siege, a successful Seagal action/Thriller. Is Steven Seagal a better actor than Chuck Norris?!! I don't think so. Norris aside the movie has a gripping story, interesting characters, and a good build up. The ending is a little cliché with the typical one man army thing but its a solid thriller. My only complaint is there just wasn't enough spin kicks and roundhouses to suit my tastes for a Chuck movie. Let me give a message to all the Chuck non-believers. If you don't like him so much then ignore the fact that he is Chuck Norris and focus more on the characters and the story. Sheesh! Anyways it was great but nowhere near as exciting as Lone Wolf McQuade which is probably my favorite movie of his.