Casey Chong on the essential action movies from Cannon Films…
If you lived through the 80s and 90s era, you’d likely have been familiar with Cannon Films, an indie production company synonymous with low-budget, B-movies that focused on certain niches such as action, martial arts and sci-fi & fantasy. Cannon initially got off to a rocky start between 1967 and 1979, but it wasn’t until Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus bought the production company that it began to thrive. Their strategy was making cheap films, often capitalizing on the Hollywood trends, and they usually profited from VHS sales and rentals.
Under their stewardship, they made Chuck Norris a household name and even launched the careers of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Dudikoff. Too bad Cannon didn’t last long enough due to overspending, market shift and heavy debt. In memory of honoring the long-defunct Cannon Films, here are the essential action movies that defined the company…
Missing in Action (1984) & Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985)
A Cannon movie wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one of the studio’s most iconic films, Missing in Action. The movie arrived when Hollywood was still trending over the Vietnam War craze, and here, Chuck Norris proves to be the right man to lead the role as Colonel James Braddock, a former POW, returning to action to locate the missing US soldiers. His impassive delivery, coupled with his agility in both martial arts and weaponry skills, made Norris a major star for Cannon.
Director Joseph Zito, who was primarily known for his horror works in The Prowler and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, seems like an odd choice for such a movie. And yet, his direction is on point in combining gritty high-stakes moments and grounded action scenes. Missing in Action went on to become one of Cannon’s biggest hits, grossing over $22 million at the box office.
The movie immediately followed up with a prequel the year after, even though Missing in Action 2: The Beginning was actually filmed back-to-back with the original. The second movie didn’t make as much money as the first one, but it was arguably a better Missing in Action film, thanks to its engaging setup set in a North Vietnamese POW camp. The story shares a few similarities with The Bridge on the River Kwai, albeit more action-packed in Cannon’s house-style execution. Lance Hool, who made his directorial debut, shows enough grit in this war-action movie, with Chuck Norris’ pragmatic lead performance as Colonel James Braddock anchors the cast. Missing in Action 2: The Beginning also deserves mention for bringing in Soon-Tek Oh to play the sadistic North Vietnamese colonel Yin.
Invasion U.S.A. (1985)
Chuck Norris reunites with Missing in Action director Joseph Zito in another box-office hit, Invasion U.S.A. and just like the title suggests, it centers on a maniacal Rostov (a scenery-chewing Richard Lynch), who leads a Latin American guerrilla army to launch a war on terror against the people in the U.S., specifically Florida. Invasion U.S.A. is a product of its time – a quintessential ‘80s B-movie fantasy revolving around the act of terrorism as Rostov and his army don’t hesitate to blow up houses and kill innocent citizens.
The star of the show is, of course, Chuck Norris, playing a retired CIA agent who returns to action, and he’ll stop at nothing to make sure that “it’s time to die” for his long-time nemesis, Rostov. Armed with a pair of Uzis and a no-nonsense attitude, Norris’ Matt Hunter pretty much single-handedly kills the bad guys. The action is top-notch as Zito made good use of the $12 million budget to stage some of the most thrilling set pieces ever seen in Cannon Films, notably the mall shootout and car chase.
SEE ALSO: The Essential Action Movies of the 1980s
The Delta Force (1986)
The unabashedly dated propaganda and jingoistic overtones aside, The Delta Force emerges as one of the better action movies from Cannon Films. The movie pairs Chuck Norris and screen veteran Lee Marvin as an elite team of Special Operations Forces in charge of saving the hostages from a hijacked plane. The hijackers in question include Abdul Rafai (Robert Forster, in a wonky accent), the leader of a radical New World Revolutionary Organization terrorist group. The first half of the movie is primarily dedicated to the elaborate plane-hijacking scene while introducing several hostages played by Shelley Winters and George Kennedy.
For a while, it looks as if Norris plays a second fiddle in The Delta Force. But rest assured that Menahem Golan, who also co-wrote and directed the movie, still gives the audience what they want. And that is, putting Chuck Norris front and center to take down the terrorists. His typical no-nonsense and stoic personality is put to good use here. Golan fires on all cylinders when it comes to the action scenes, boasting everything from daring motorcycle stunts to gun battles, explosions and Norris’ martial arts moves. The Delta Force grossed over $17 million in the US, earning enough money to warrant two more sequels, including Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection and the Chuck Norris-less Delta Force 3: The Killing Game.
Bloodsport (1988)
This is the movie that launched the career of Belgian martial artist-turned-actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. His breakout role as Frank Dux in Bloodsport remains one of the most notable staples in the Hollywood martial arts cinema. It was supposedly based on a true story of a martial arts fighter who joins a fighting tournament in Hong Kong. His biggest enemy? Defeating the notorious Chong Li, played by the intimidating Bolo Yeung.
The highlight of the movie lies in Van Damme’s impressive martial arts on display, with plenty of hand-to-hand combat scenes throughout the movie. His movie-star charisma, coupled with his soon-to-be-signature split kicks at the time of its release, becomes a trademark for Van Damme’s moves. The climactic showdown between Dux and Chong Li is easily ranked as one of the most iconic fight scenes ever seen.
Kickboxer (1989)
A year after the success of Bloodsport, Van Damme’s immediate follow-up has again proved the then-newly minted action star is no fluke. Like the former, Kickboxer matters the most during the action scenes, and the movie doesn’t disappoint in this area. Van Damme plays Kurt Sloane, who witnesses his brother Eric (Dennis Alexio) end up paralyzed from the waist down following a brutal fight tournament against Muay Thai champion, Tong Po (Michel Qissi). Kurt is seeking vengeance, but he needs to master the art of kickboxing under the strict teaching of Xian Chow (Dennis Chan). The movie features some excellent training montages, and among them is Kurt repeatedly kicks a banana tree until it falls onto the ground. And of course, the final fight against Tong Po with Van Damme unleashes his signature trademark kick, sealing the deal as one of the best action movies from Cannon.
Revenge of the Ninja (1983)
Sam Firstenberg, who would go on to direct the first two American Ninja and the Cyborg Cop duology, made his promising film debut for Cannon Films. The result is Revenge of the Ninja, the second installment of the Ninja trilogy anthology series with Sho Kosugi leading these movies in different characters. The plot is simple: Cho’s (Kosugi) family is massacred in Japan by a ninja clan. His friend, Braden (Arthur Roberts), advises him to bring along his son (Kane Kosugi, in his film debut) and mother (Grace Oshita) to America to start anew. But Braden turns out to be using him for smuggling heroin in Cho’s doll business.
Firstenberg proves to be adept at filming action scenes, and it shows right from the violent Japan-set opening scene. The martial arts choreography is impressively staged with enough clarity which showcase Sho’s agility regardless of the sword fights, backflips or hand-to-hand combats. The movie is also notable for its nifty rooftop showdown between Cho and the silver-masked Braden, where the latter utilizes all kinds of ninja tricks, including smoke bombs and, at one point, a deceptive use of a dummy. Revenge of the Ninja did well at the box office, grossing an estimated $14 million worldwide on a $700,000 budget.
American Ninja (1985)
Then-unknown Michael Dudikoff hits a breakthrough playing the titular American Ninja, a role which was originally meant for Chuck Norris. Interestingly, Dudikoff had no formal martial arts training when he was cast for the role. But fight choreographer Mike Stone managed to shape him up, and Dudikoff’s natural athleticism came in handy. The latter does a good job playing a ninja expert in this movie, while boasting the right stoic action-hero persona.
It also helps that Sam Firstenberg, who is no stranger to directing ninja-themed movies, seen in Revenge of the Ninja and Ninja III: The Domination, is calling the shots here. The action is well-choreographed and the pace rarely flags, thanks to its lean 95-minute runtime. American Ninja became a hit at the box office, which in turn, spawned another four movies with Dudikoff reprising his role in American Ninja 2: The Confrontation and American Ninja 4: The Annihilation.
Cobra (1986)
Cobra is best described as a guilty pleasure of an ‘80s action movie that belongs to a specific time capsule. The title in question refers to Sylvester Stallone’s Lt. Marion “Cobra” Cobretti, a sunglasses-wearing cop who carries a customized gun, complete with a distinct cobra art emblazoned on its frame. He doesn’t hesitate to put a bullet in anyone who is deemed dangerous and threatening.
The movie establishes his no-nonsense character right from the get-go – a memorable opening scene, where Cobra sneaks into a supermarket being held under siege by a psychotic gunman (an unhinged Marco Rodriguez). He takes his time sipping a can of Coors beer before finally jumping into action when the opportunity arises. The story, which revolves around a murderous group of underground cult, isn’t exactly the movie’s strongest suit. What matters the most is Stallone himself, whose tough-guy charisma remains the major selling point. Not to mention George P. Cosmatos’ muscular direction that doesn’t shy away from gritty violence and visceral action flair.
SEE ALSO: Cobra: Sylvester Stallone and Cannon Films Do Dirty Harry
Runaway Train (1985)
Runaway Train comes across an anomaly for Cannon since their movies were typically associated with B-movie genre fare. And yet, it serves as a one-of-its-kind “prestige” production boasting acclaimed Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky and an original screenplay written by Akira Kurosawa. Yes, the Akira Kurosawa, who initially intended to direct Runaway Train back in the 1960s, but his project fell through.
The story may have been heavily reworked ever since, but the core of the storyline revolving around two escaped convicts aboard the titular runaway train remains intact. Credits go to Konchalovsky for directing the thrilling train sequence, while bringing out the best in Jon Voight and Eric Roberts in their intense performances, despite the actors’ questionable accents. Voight and Roberts’ portrayals managed to attract the Academy voters at the time, resulting in two acting nominations. Runaway Train equally benefits from an assured pace and a strong supporting turn by Rebecca De Mornay as the train hostler.
SEE ALSO: Runaway Train: From Russian Arthouse to The Cannon Group
What are your favourite Cannon action movies? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
