by John Holliday
by Emily Bloom
by George Taylor
by Christian Fannin
[Join your host, John Holliday, in the review column "A Movie A Week" as he shares his spoiler-free thoughts on our collection of DVD / Blu-ray titles.]
In 1984, the man who fought both Bruce Lee and David Carradine cast the mold for a generation's straight-to-video action films. At that time, if you wanted to grow hair on your chest (or grow a beard in this case) you were either catching him on one of the countless TV airings or renting his tapes from the local video store. Way before he became a running joke to the internet community, he was a hero to every boy raised in the 80's while shooting a path to the men still Missing in Action.
Chuck Norris stars as Col. James Braddock, a recent prisoner of war escapee in Vietnam to the disbelief of his own government. The Vietnam War is over and no one wants to listen to Braddock's accusations that there are still POW camps in that country. He has no doubt that some of those men who are labeled as "missing in action" are alive in the jungle with no backup patrols coming to the rescue. Their only chance is the desperate solo mission of the relentless, non-diplomatic, locked and loaded Braddock.
Escorted by American delegates, Braddock agrees to meet with military leaders in Vietnam who are attempting to prove the non-existance of POWs in their country. Upon arrival, however, his own facts are again confirmed when he stares down the very man that tortured him for seven years. Even Gen. Trau (James Hong) seems to be in on the conspiracy. Traditional politics are quickly rejected as a means of freeing the American soldiers. Col. Braddock must drudge through the jungles of 'Nam alone to find and safely bring home the soldiers long thought to be MIA.
Just don't try to compare Braddock to Rambo. Obviously, 'First Blood' and it's sequels were going for a more serious storyline while Missing in Action is everything you want out of the 80's VHS action movie days. Though Stallone may be the king of that subgenre, Norris solidified the stereotypes that define the movies of the decade to this day. It's not a time to question the political correctness of storming into post-war Vietnam or to claim a dumb fun movie about an American hero is propaganda or even to scoff at the realism of that single hero's actions. Sometimes we, as men, just want things blowing up for whatever reason and assault rifles spraying bullets without concern for precision.
Most people take for granted that you can just pick up any cheesy-looking action movie and it will be entertaining. That's mostly because those are the people that grew up with Chuck Norris, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Van Damme and they assume all action movies are that fun. They're not. It may seem easily formulaic to make a movie like this today but that's only because the tough guys that are now gathering as 'The Expendables' did such a good job in their heyday. The archetype of that time being this movie. That's why I give Missing in Action:
What movie would you like to see John review next week? Your suggestions are always welcome at: john@cineweekly.com
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