Good Guys Wear Black
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.83 You Save: $7.14 (72%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Good Guys Wear Black
Movie Review: Good Guys Wear Black: Pathos of the 1970s
Summary: 3 Stars
In this 1977 film, Chuck Norris is John T. Booker. When this name is presented you almost think that Norris' character is going to have special powers. Well I guess he does, right? Pardon my deviation, in this movie Chuck Norris plays a C.I.A/military mercenary now political science professor/amateur race car driver. However when a reporter, played by a young Anne Archer, comes to bring some skeletons out of John T. Booker's closet, the madness begins.
John T. Booker was part of a special unit called The Black Tigers. Their last mission was to save some M.I.A. soldiers in Vietnam. Consequently the mission didn't go as planned and many of The Black Tigers were killed. Now Anne Archer's character is asking John T. Booker if he feels he and his team were set up when this mission transpired five years prior.
I am not going to rehash the entire plot; if you are a fan of Norris you have already seen this movie, planning on seeing this movie or will just see it because Chuck is in it. I have seen many of Chuck Norris' films and this one isn't his best. In contrast it isn't awful either. As a matter of fact, this movie almost has a James Bond/24 feel to it (feel doesn't mean like or better). This is manly due to all the political intrigue and mystery woven into the storyline. As for the action it is there, yet it isn't saturated throughout the movie. This might created the perception of a boring or slow paced flick. I felt it was a good balance. I love the jump kick + moving car = this is why I have the DVD.
This move does have some bad special effects, poor acting and dubious events in plot. I found these deficits to prove charm (others might not). The one thing this movie has got going for itself is the time capsule it has put on the 1970s, the fashion, gender roles, soundtrack, special effects and house wares. Look at the tile and shower curtain in John T. Booker's bathroom and you'll know what I am talking about.
Overall a cult classic served with a bit of cheese. Again this isn't a great film, but does have some merit in the John T. Booker...I mean Chuck Norris catalog. The DVD provides a nice picture, chapter selection and actor biographies. As for the title of the movie, Chuck Norris/John T. Booker only wears black for ten minutes in this entire film, go figure.
Movie Review: A Sane 70s paranoia film
Summary: 3 Stars
GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK (1978) Directed by Ted Post. Fight scenes choreography by Chuck Norris.
Starring Chuck Norris, Anne Archer, Dana Andrews, Jim Backus and James Franciscus.
During the 1973 Paris peace talks that will end America's effort to save Indochina from a Communist bloodbath, members of the CIA Phoenix unit are sent on a mission to rescue POWs before they vanish behind the Bamboo curtain forever only to discover that they have been betrayed by a low level politician who is a little too friendly with his North Vietnamese counterpart.
Ten years later, the leader of the unit discovers that he, and the few that survived that ambush, are being targeted for murder and races to discover why.
Very much a 70s paranoia post Vietnam/watergate picture, this film reminds one of a Don Siegel film with a visual style much like Post's Dirty Harry sequel MAGNUM FORCE. Though this is a Chuck Norris film---and indeed the one that launched his career as an action movie star---this is unlike his usual fare. The Martial arts mayhem is kept to a minimum and this is more a cloak and dagger story like THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR or THE PARALAX VIEW only light on the lib/commie prop. The script is solid and well constructed. The film makes some interesting historical points. There are two plot twists that I did not see coming. The acting---Franciscus and Andrews especially--is very good.
I am neither a mindless Chuck Norris fan nor a pathological hater of either. He has made some pretty bad films but he has also made some extremely good ones---SILENT RAGE, INVASION USA, BRADDOCK---and now this one gets added to that list.
A intelligent mature engrosing film with little in the way of overdone action scenes, sex and violence. I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this.
Recommended.
Movie Review: Chuck What Happened??
Summary: 3 Stars
My local Moviestop had this movie used for $3.99. The best part of the movie is the big Chuck Norris leaping kick through the car windshield. Without even having to sit through all 96-minutes, you can see the same kick reflected in Mr. Norris' sunglasses on the above picture. All events before and after led to that one kick. The actors were all hammy. The sex scenes were boring. The villian wasn't evil enough. Chuck does have a big political speech and the villian offers a counter argument but it all adds up to movie filler. And it isn't even entertaining filler at that.
The soundtrack seems to be heavily influenced by every 50's-60's low B-rate Sci Fi film. It so odd to see Chuck Norris looking for something to drink in his 70's apartment and hear flying saucers sound effects suddenly audible from out of nowhere.
To this film's credit, the movie starts off with a bang as Norris leds the Black Tigers, some secert military unit, to retrive POW's in Vietnam, but the rest of the story is without action or thrills. The movie comes to a halt after random scenes of destorying straw huts and Black Tiger members trying to save each other in the jungle.
The least believable part, is that its 5-years later, and now Chuck is teaching History and policital science at some university. Norris must be smart to get a PHD so quickly in that same 5-year time period.
It is fun to watch and make fun of. Everytime you see an Asian character, sinster music starts playing, and Chuck is called kick some butt. If you can turn off all logical thought, this can be fun at times.
Movie Review: Norris's first big hit.
Summary: 3 Stars
This low-budget 'gem' from 1977 (I even remember there being a novelization, got to look for it) was a modest hit and pretty much made Chuck Norris a star. Playing John T. Booker (the way the credit is listed mades me wonder if there would be more John T. Booker movies, alas not to be), Norris is a former CIA commando whose dark past comes back to haunt him when the politician that set him up in a raid turned death trap needs to erase that unpleasent part of history. This is an old school action movie, back when they bothered to have plot and mystery prior to the fist fights and car chases, and it will probably bore many expecting wall to wall kung-fu action. Nothing happens until nearly an hour into the movie, then the pay off begins. Good Guys Wear Black was sold on the strength of one big stunt, Norris (or a double) leaping onto a car and kicking through the windshield to get at the assassin driving. It was impressive then, today it is routine. As I said, it is a low budget movie, one with Southern California locations filling in for Vietnam (sandy trails and eucalyptus trees in Vietnam???) as well as East Coast locations. Pretty giggle inducing. But the movie still works when watched in the context of its era (70s exploitation) and director Ted Post (Hang 'Em High, Magnum Force, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, etc.) keeps the movie professional looking, at least. One shocking bit of trivia, one of the movie's screenwriters is Children of A Lesser God author Mark Medoff. Wow. Recommended only to Norris fans on a nostalgia kick.Movie Review: A Guilty Pleasure-I LIke this Poorly Made Film
Summary: 3 Stars
This film, directed by Mike Post (Magnum Force) was Chuck Norris' second lead-starring role. It starts out as a movie of politcal intrigue put sputters on the direction. In the scene wear the plane blows up, one can see that right before the explosion, the plane is not even there. Just a small example of poor editing.I do, however, love this movie. The few fights scenes in this pitcure are fun (airport and parking lot) and it is one of Norris' better acting performance. The "jumping into the car scene" is actually Chuck's brother Arren. The other acting performances are also very good (Ann Archer, Lloyd Hayes, and Dana Andrews to name a few). The Chuck Norris fan may want to add this film to your collection.