FIREWALKER

 

Firewalker is a mid-eighties flick starring martial arts action star Chuck Norris and award-winning actor Lou Gosset--who also goes by Louis Gosset, Jr.--as two rather bumbling treasure hunters who get hooked up with a rather flaky woman who hires the two to help her find some buried treasure in Central America. Critics have charged this movie to be a blatant rip-off of the Indiana Jones flicks--the same way critics charged Chuck's Missing In Action flicks to be a blatant rip-off of the Rambo flicks--and, truthfully, it is. Actually, this flick is Indiana Jones-lite (VERY lite!), though it does have its comedic moments. The funniest scene for me would have to be when noted Native-American actor the late Will Sampson--who starred in the "classic" films The Outlaw Josey Wales, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and that one Poltergeist flick--saying after he visits with the three, "I don't know how Tonto did it!" I think I should note that this film contains portrayals of Native-Americans that might not seem all that "politically-correct" by today's standards. But, since you'll quite likely to forget this flick about 5 minutes after you watch it, that probably won't bother you too much! Of course, Chuck Norris displays his martial arts skills in this flick, especially in the obligatory bar fight scene which seems to be included in every single Chuck Norris flick ever made (I think Chuck has it in his contract that he has to have at least one bar fight scene in every single flick he stars in to apparently remind moviegoers what a "bad-ass" he is!). Compared to other Chuck Norris films, it's not nearly as good as the earlier-reviewed Lone Wolf McQuade--which is my all-time favorite Chuck Norris flick--and is better than the likewise earlier-reviewed Top Dog (woof!). This film could very well appeal to diehard Chuck Norris fans (of which I used to be one until he came out with that rather asinine TV show Walker Texas Ranger plus his rather loony right-wing political views sure didn't help!) who wish to see a "lighter" side of Chuck (and who knew he had one?). A sidenote: This was Will Sampson's final movie role before his untimely passing. Too bad he couldn't have starred in a better flick before said passing (no offense, Chuck!).