Richard Norton Movies
Karate champ Chuck Norris returns for another chop-socky vigilante flick in The Octagon, one of a handful of undistinguished Ninja pictures released during the early '80s. Norris appropriately plays a retired karate champ hired as a bodyguard for a wealthy woman (Karen Carlson) plagued by a gang of vicious ninjas. Reluctant at first to take the job, he reconsiders when he learns the gang is headed by his longtime arch rival Tadashi Yamashita (Lee Van Cleef). The script -- as is the case in nearly every Ninja film -- has holes bigger than Okinawa, and the acting is downright atrocious, particularly that of Norris, who, thankfully, improved with time. However, the production values are fair, as is the direction, and the action sequences are often exciting and comparatively realistic. Recommended for genre fans only. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Norris, Karen Carlson, (more)
- 1981
- R
In this martial arts film, a twisted cult lead by the evil Reverend Rhee (Bong Soo Han) has kidnapped a young girl, and it is up to renegade Jerry Martin (Joe Lewis) and his friends to rescue her before it is too late. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Lewis, Pam Huntington, (more)
In this martial-arts actioner, a pugnacious, taciturn Vietnam vet begins working for an honest casino owner to help keep the evil gangsters at bay. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Norris, Mary Louise Weller, (more)
In a standard no-plotter, this is a martial arts showcase for gymnast Kurt Thomas as Jonathan Cabot, the front line man sent out to secure a military foothold in an unfriendly, unnamed country in Eastern Europe near the Caspian sea. Jonathan has to use his lethal weapons (hands and feet) and his ingenuity to chop down legions of adversaries, especially in a one-against-all scene in a rustic village. With scenic Yugoslav landscapes and the attractive Miss Philippines (Tetchie Agbayani) as Princess Rubali, the film offers some visual appeal as well as whirling martial arts choreography. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, (more)
- 1986
Looking to cash in on the popularity of Steven Spielberg's mega-hits E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hong Kong schlockmeister Wong Jing directs this yarn about Andy (Andy Lau Tak-wah) who, along with buddies Pin-pin (Siu bin-bin) and Pancho (Wong Jing) ventures to Greece to find his long lost friend Shen (Phillip Ko Fei). They soon discover Shen is being tailed both by the KGB and by Interpol after discovering some rare gems in an archeological dig. After a unkindly series of events, Andy winds up back in Hong Kong with the stones, which, it turns out, is not gems but rather an alien life form. Meanwhile Karov (Richard Norton), an evil magician, is hell bent on getting his hands on the gem/alien no matter what. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Lau, Cynthia Rothrock, (more)
- 1986
- R
Following a nuclear holocaust, Alaska is turned into a desert ruled by a cruel tyrant. This sci-fi actioner chronicles the attempts of rebels to usurp him and free up water and other resources for others. Essentially, this is another knock-off of the "Mad Max" films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Norton, Corinne Wahl, (more)
- 1988
- R
Matthew (Richard Norton) lives in the year 2025 in the aftermath of the collapse of civilization. At a remote temple in the desert he discovers the head of the spear a Roman soldier is said to have poked into the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross. This magical artifact enables Matthew to travel back in time to 1986, when the film was made. His mission is to join the spearhead with the missing shaft, which, according to legend, will give him the power to prevent the holocaust which led to the collapse of civilization. At the temple site he meets Michelle (Linda Carol),an anthropology student, and her boyfriend Slade (Robert Patrick). After saving them from a gang of evil bikers, he enlists them in his mission to change the future. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Patrick, Linda Carol, (more)
While staying in her hometown for a vacation, a martial-arts-trained police officer (Cynthia Rothrock) finds herself running for sheriff after her father (David Blackwell) is killed by a local crimepin (Steven Kerby). As the long arm of the law, China O'Brien avenges her father's death. The film was followed by a sequel. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock
- 1988
- R
In this war drama, set in the Vietnamese jungles, a group of vets embark upon a dangerous mission to find American soldiers missing in action. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
We sometimes forget that South Korea, Australia and several other nations participated in the Vietnam War on the U.S. side. In this dark-toned war action film, Straker (Richard Norton) is an Aussie commando whose mission is to rescue his commander (Paul Holmes) and other POWs from captivity. After many escapades, he finally meets up with him, and discovers that the man is suffering from leprosy. Then he has to fight his way back out of the jungle. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Norton, Michael Meyer, (more)
Blood of Heroes features a sport that you're not likely to see on ESPN. It's called "juggers", and Rutger Hauer is the champion jugger in the post-apocalyptic world; he goes from village to village with his entourage, brutishly taking on all comers. The action culminates in the bloody "league championship." Joan Chen costars as Hauer's apprentice in the film, which was released in Australia as Salute of the Jugger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, (more)
- 1989
- R
The final chapter in the two-volume series finds sheriff China O'Brien (Cynthia Rothrock) still the bedrock lawperson of Beaver Creek. The small village is once again invaded, this time by a group of Vietnam-vet outlaws led by a drug-dealing madman (Harlow Marks). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock
- 1991
Richard Norton stars in Revenge of the Kickfighter. In a twist on a tried-and-true World War 2 movie plot, a group of Vietnam veterans return to their old bleeding grounds for mercenary reasons. There's a fortune in gold hidden somewhere among the jungles and rice paddies, and the vets want to get their hands on it. But someone in their ranks is a murderer. Is it the Kickfighter, or will the Kickfighter be the one who solves the mystery. Tune in to this direct-to-video slugfest for further details. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In Rage and Honor, Cynthia Rothrock is featured as a full-time high-school teacher/part-time karate instructor who's out to protect one of her students who innocently witnesses and films a mob drug transaction. He's caught and beaten but keeps the film from the bad guys. Finding and helping him is an Australian foreign-exchange cop who also gets involved in the fracas when he's set up for a murder by some cop cohorts who've gone bad. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, (more)
This 1992 film is a live-action version of a popular Japanese comic book and animated series, transformed into a vehicle for international action hero Jackie Chan. Ryu Saeba (Chan), a womanizing private detective, is hired to find the runaway daughter of a wealthy businessman. Ryu's pursuit of the girl leads him to a cruise ship. Through coincidence, and a plot device borrowed from Die Hard, the ocean liner is hijacked, leaving Ryu to contend with the hostage takers as well as the elusive daughter. The action is satisfying, but standard fare for Chan, highlighted by a scene in which an onscreen battle between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabar from the film Game of Death plays on a movie screen in the background, while Chan and his opponents mimic the fight in the foreground. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
Raiders of the Sun is a Filipino variation of Mad Max. In a post-apocalyptic world, warrior Richard Norton does what he can to survive. Since society was laid low by a biological mishap, provisions are at a premium, and the villains will do anything to grab up all they can for profit. Norton is a bit more altrustic: he wants to restore world order, even if he has to rearrange a few faces to do so. The all-purpose leading lady in Raiders of the Sun is Brigitta Steinberg, dressed in as close to nothing as possible. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
Martial arts expert Cynthia Rothrock stars as a widow who learns karate in order to gain revenge on the crime boss (Richard Norton) who killed her husband. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
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In this second Rage and Honor release, Cynthia Rothrock again stars as a high-kicking female CIA agent. She's sent to far-away Indonesia to reveal a money-laundering scheme. She just happens to run into her Australian cop-friend from the first Rage and Honor movie, Preston Michaels (Richard Norton), who has fled the crime-infected LAPD and is working as a bartender. Together they're up against a bunch of killer diamond racketeers. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, (more)
Don "The Dragon" Wilson stars in this futuristic action thriller. A new breed of robotic crime fighters called Cyber-Trackers are given the powers to be judge, jury, and executioner, finding lawbreakers and killing them without trial. But when a secret service agent (Wilson) makes the mistake of challenging the wrong folks, he becomes the next target of the cyber-trackers. With the help of a group of underground radicals, the agent hatches a scheme to eliminate the killer machines and bring justice back to the people. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Richard Norton, (more)
