Norris acts up a storm, where he's really quite good here, as not your average Texas ranger, who clashes with merciless kingpin, Carradine, responsible for the hijacking of lots of weaponry. In contrast, Carradine really shows us what he can do playing ruthlessly bad with such natural flair. This film stands uniquely from Chuckie's other flicks, and honestly again, Norris really surprised me with his acting in a very made feature with great use of Texas landscapes, and it's city which we never get to see much in film. You gotta see Norris's pad too. Cool Leon Issac Kennedy, strolls into the second half as an agent who sides with Norris, to take down this operation, where a fight to the death between two adversaries was grueling and intense, one of the best Norris fights I've ever seen. Carerra, the love interest of Norris, caught between two enemies, can also pack a punch. That trademark kissing scene, that really takes a hosing I'll never forget, as was that great fight in the finale, where as consequence, a tragic moment, ensues. As you know now, if watching many Norris movie, his good friend or partner, is not gonna be around at the end. That implies to one party I've just mentioned, a real Texas character, moustache, garb and all which adds to the liveliness of this cool film, and Norris is a cool act himself here, in one great actioner, it's opening, explosive and stylish. Norris even sounds different at the start and from mostly there on. You've made us proud Chuckie.

Back in the 1980s Chuck Norris made a career out of starring in approximately 40 million low-budget action movies. Most of these were produced by the notorious Cannon Group, but thankfully Lone Wolf McQuade was exempt from that rule. With a price tag that wouldn't even cover the catering budget of the typical Hollywood film, and a PG rating, Lone Wolf McQuade actually manages to be very good for what it is.Chuck is the titular McQuade, a grubby, rugged (grubbed?) Texas Ranger with hair covering 90% of his body who lives in a dirty shack out in the desert and spends what little free time he has blasting at target dummies. His wife and daughter have moved on, tired of his dedication to the job. Make no mistake, McQuade is one honest-to-God, genuine, straight-up tough guy. He's too good for the job, angering his long-suffering Captain who teams him with a cheeky, young upstart Highway Patrolman. McQuade doesn't take to kindly to this and just as he chases his new partner out of his dirty shack his daughter (Dana Kimmel, the cutie-pie lead from Friday the 13th Part 3) is caught-up in a gun-running plot operated by the evil Rawley Wilkes (David Carradine, who looks so much like Chuck they could be brothers, minus the body hair).It's basically an A-Team plot (the clip credits don't help distract from this) but everything is overblown so much it truly would have been an awesome film to watch in a crowded cinema back in 1983. Even the score, by some guy I had never heard of, was brilliant, echoing Spaghetti westerns of the 60 and 70s. Everything that can be exaggerated gets the treatment. But it's important to note that this is not a ridiculous film in the vein of Commando. Lone Wolf McQuade takes itself seriously as a western and somehow, through sheer masculinity and a devil-may-care attitude it works.Apparently Chuck liked the character so much he wanted to make a TV show out of it but MGM wouldn't budge so Walker, Texas Ranger was created instead. It's a shame that it had to turn out that way as a TV show would have been a nice legacy for the movie. As it is, it's one of Chuck's best. I went in with expectations so low they could ooze underneath the bathroom door. McQuade may be a lone wolf, but he's also a dark horse.

They sure don't make 'em like this anymore and you can be pretty sure you'll never see a Chuck Norris film rebooted in the future. But you should see why because it's not for all the jokes Norris has been subjected to his whole life because of his film career.Lone Wolf McQuade is a one of a kind film that takes the best elements of all kinds of classics but that's not to say it's unoriginal or derivative. When else have you seen a futuristic western with kung-fu fights, micro-machine-gun battles and a duel between an armoured personnel carrier and a bulldozer? With Chuck Norris ACTING!!! That's the misconception spread by those who have seen every single Walker Texas Ranger and then one of Norris' tackier film appearances. His best are in the 80's and I dare say that compared to many so-called talents that don't even know how to choreograph a fight scene or have never been in an action film, he can act the pants off a lot of people given the right opportunity.Norris plays the titular character McQuade, a renegade Texas Ranger who's out on the front line fighting dangerous crime while his fat old boss hates his guts from behind a desk. He lives alone, separated from his ex-wife and daughter and devotes his life to putting away the bad guys when he's not drinking beer or participating in backyard target practice. He has a wolf for company and drives a ranger with a nitrous system.McQuade picks up the scent of a major drugs operation after gaining the attention of powerful businessman Rawley Wilkes - played by David Carradine in one of his greater roles that wasn't from Kill Bill - also one of the best martial artists in and out of town. Immediately Wilkes' business and pleasure partner Lola Richardson begins to fall for McQuade and it isn't long before the lone wolf doesn't have to prove Wilkes guilty, as the secret head of the drug cartel falls foul of his own insecurities and takes the war to the Texas Ranger himself.The story is pretty tight, considering it reeks of 80's, and that's thanks to it's roots held firmly in the western genre and also a sensible script. But then there are some very colourful characters. One of which is right out of a 007 film, others right out of Dodge City. What could have been an absurd story is performed very well by Norris and Carradine and with a more than competent cast of support actors.L.Q. Jones (The Wild Bunch, Mask of Zorro, Casino) plays Dakota, McQuade's mentor and long time partner, a retired Ranger with a love of beer, poker, wise cracking and reminding us what Trip Taylor would have looked like had he been thin. The man oozes pure character and you can't put him wrong for anything in this movie.A young Robert Beltran (Star Trek Voyager's own Commander Chakotay) also stars as McQuade's new and very green partner Kayo, looking like he came straight from the set of C.H.I.P.S! Lone Wolf is not just an action film. It's got drama and love too, the kind of stuff that makes Chuck look like not just the god of kickass but just the ultimate man in every sense. You can laugh at it and you're welcome too. This is old-school hero making masculinity (beards, chauvinism and anger issues) something to be proud of.It carries it's weight in plot and story development very well and there's enough action and circumstance to get you from the opening battle to the climax but this film doesn't want to be a cheap gung-ho western. It wants to create a memorable main event and does it the hard way, and it pays off. And with Francesco Di Mesi's blistering legend theme tune, you might find it hard to turn off the end credits, let alone get the film out of your mind for the next day or two. When's the last time a film did that for you? Also try to remember the last time you saw Chuck Norris take damage from an opposition better experienced in martial arts than he was? Besides Bruce Lee? I'll say no more, treat this film like a Sunday afternoon post-roast event while you're digesting and can't move!

This stinker might have worked as a Jackie Chan style action comedy, but played straight it is a total waste of celluloid.Norris can't act. That's not surprising for an "action star", but he's worse than most. Schwarzenegger in "Conan" was more believable than Norris. He is wooden, monotone, and I couldn't tell which emotions he was trying to display, unless it was "angry loner".Carradine -- well he's never been able to act and he doesn't even have the excuse of starting out as an athlete.As is usual for this genre, the plot is absurd and the action ridiculous, but you expect this and are willing to tolerate it in exchange for good performances. Unfortunately, there aren't any good performances of any type in this stinker.