All Rise...

You'll have no trouble finding Judge Patrick Naugle being inactive.

The Charge

He's fighting for everyone who can't fight back!

The Case

The Cannon Group's answer to Sylvester Stallone's blow 'em up Rambo series was the 1984 Chuck Norris vehicle Missing in Action. Norris starred as Col. James Braddock, a former solider helping to rescue Vietnam P.O.W.s overseas. A year later would see the release of a prequel, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, which dealt with Braddock's years as a prisoner of war and the cruelties inflicted on the captives. Interestingly, the two movies were filmed back-to-back, but the second film was deemed the better movie, so it was released first and Missing in Action 2 became the prequel. Got it? A few years later Cannon released a third and final film (one of the last the studio would produce), Braddock: Missing in Action III, directed by Aaron Norris (Chuck's brother) and only loosely connected to the first two films.

I suspect most of you know what you're getting with a movie titled Braddock: Missing in Action III. This final chapter in this truly chintzy trilogy features everything the 1980s was known for: excessive explosions, thumping patriotism, rapid gunfire, clear morals, and a theme song that sounds like it was crafted by Lee Greenwood and sung by a bald eagle bearing the likeness of Bruce Springsteen. In other words, it's rah-rah Americana at its best.

What can I say about Chuck Norris? He's like a slab of bearded beef jerky in a denim jacket, growling lines like "I don't step on toes, I step on necks" with the greatest of ease. Norris is not a character so much as a comedic characterization of an action hero. I'm sure that's not how it was intended at the time, but that's how Braddock: Missing in Action III plays today. Norris has two facial expressions—angry and angrier—both of which are awesome in the same way Cheez Whiz on a nitrate-filled hot dog is awesome. Make no mistake, this is Norris' show all the way. It's Chuck's grenade-filled world, and we just live in it.

The plot is…inconsequential, and that's being generous. Braddock finds out his Asian wife (Miki Kim) might be alive, he may have a child (the late Roland Harrah III, Kung Fu: The Movie), and has to head back into Vietnam…for one (*BOOM*) last (*BOOM*) mission (*BOOM*). There are car chases, explosions, an exchange of about one million bullets of varying calibers, and more ridiculousness than you can shake a bowie knife at. There are scenes of torture where Braddock is shackled in a dungeon and electrified jumper cables are attached to his body, which is preceded by a small child being placed in a chair with a shotgun mechanism that would have felt right at home in the Saw series.

Braddock: Missing in Action III is standard by-the-numbers '80s action. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. While the movie isn't very good, I have to admit to never being bored by it. Every time my attention started to wander, there was a new explosion, a drop kick, or an AK-47 blast to jostle me out of my boredom, like a defibrillator electrifying me back to consciousness. CLEAR!

Braddock: Missing in Action III (Blu-ray) is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen in 1080p high definition. This MGM title (licensed to Shout! Factory) sports a decent but not overwhelming great video transfer. The image is generally clear but small defects remain. Colors are solid but not fantastic. On the whole this is a decent but not great video transfer. The soundtrack is presented DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in English. There's very little channel separation here, although the dialogue, music, and effects work are all distinguishable and clearly heard. Also included on this disc are English subtitles. There are no bonus features.

As a quality movie, Braddock: Missing in Action III fails. Still, The Cannon Group was a genre unto itself, and I must take into account their successes when compared to their output, the likes of which included Death Wish 3, Invaders from Mars, Masters of the Universe. On that level, Missing in Action III is a resounding success.

The Verdict

If the words "Cannon Group" speak to you, it's worth checking out.

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