Chuck Norrisonly came to star in his best movies afterClint Eastwoodpassed on both.The Way of the Dragon’sBruce Lee vs Chuck Norris battlebrought the latter to the attention of action fans, and Norris became part of a wave of martial artists who came to dominate the genre during the 1970s and 1980s, alongside the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme. While theMissing in Actiontrilogy andWalker, Texas Rangerare his most famous projects, 1985’sCode of Silenceis arguably Chuck’s best movie.
This thriller was helmed byThe Fugitive’sAndrew Davis and cast Norris as a Chicago cop fighting a drug lord whilst being shunned by his department for rightfully accusing another cop of corruption.There are only five Norris films with “Fresh"Rotten Tomatoesratings, withCode of Silencebeing onewith a healthy 68%. It features a better-than-average screenplay for aChuck Norris action movie, and even tackles some weighty themes; it’s also a project Norris inherited from a certain Mr Clint Eastwood.
I Don’t Care If It Only Has 57% On Rotten Tomatoes, Chuck Norris' 1983 Western Movie Is An Underrated Classic
Critics may not have liked this cult 1983 Chuck Norris Western, but I think it’s one of his most underrated movies and the one that made him a star.
Clint Eastwood Passed On Chuck Norris' Best Movies Lone Wolf McQuade & Code Of Silence
Clint’s loss was Chuck’s gain
In fact,Code of Silenceand Norris' 1983 action adventureLone Wolf McQuadeboth have Eastwood ties. These two projects were brought to Clint first, with Eastwood passing on the latter when it was simply calledLone Wolf.It’s easy to picture Clint in the lead role of the taciturn Texas Ranger McQuade- to the point where the character even wields a .44 Magnum likeDirty Harry. When he passed, Norris was considered the ideal replacement and the script was tailored to his strengths, including adding more fight sequences.
It’s not a controversial take to suggest Clint is a far superior actor to Chuck, whose relentless stoicism undermines the more dramatic moments of Code of Silence.
Norris was probably a better fit for the kind of filmLone Wolf McQuadebecame, butEastwood starring inCode of Silencewould have made the movie even better. It’s not a controversial take to suggest Clint is a far superior actor to Chuck, whose relentless stoicism undermines the more dramatic moments of the film. Director Davis wisely surrounds his leading man with supporting players like Dennis Farina, Henry Silva and Molly Hagan to do the heavy lifting in the acting department.
Critics tend to dismiss Chuck Norris' filmography, butLone Wolf McQuadeandCode of Silenceare often highlighted as his best effortsfrom this period. There is fun to be had with the dumb but fun blockbusters likeDelta Force, butCode of SilenceandLone Wolf McQuadebalance solid setpieces with likable characters and chewy dialogue.
Code of Silenceco-star Molly Hagan later played the mother of the title character in The CW’s remake of Chuck Norris series,Walker, Texas Ranger.
Code Of Silence Was Almost Dirty Harry 4
Dirty Harry felt a Sudden Impact instead
Code of Silencewas penned by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack, with the specific intention of it becomingaDirty Harrymovie. The duo had previously writtenThe Gauntletfor Eastwood and would go on to pen his 1985 Western comeback,Pale Rider.Butler and Shryack wroteDirty Harry IV: Code of Silencein 1978 for Warner Bros, though Eastwood passedon the project. It bounced around as a solo project in later years, with everyone from Kurt Russell to Charles Bronson being approached.
It’s unknown how much changed once Norris signed on, butoutside of the character’s name and switching out San Francisco for Chicago, it could still function as aDirty Harrystory.Sudden Impactbecame the fourthDirty Harryinstead, where Harry chases after a victim of assault who guns down her attackers one by one. The sequel is a curious blend of a traditionalDirty Harrysequel with a female take onDeath Wishand is the darkest of the series.
… Sudden Impact is also famous for Harry’s “Make My Day” catchphrase, which is sometimes misattributed to the original.
That said,Sudden Impactis also famous for Harry’s “Make My Day” catchphrase, which is sometimes misattributed to the original.Sudden Impactwas a huge box office hit when it arrived too, grossing over $67 million worldwidein 1983 (viaThe Numbers).
Lone Wolf McQuade & Code Of Silence Made Chuck Norris A Legit Movie Star
Chuck Norris leveled up with the success of his Clint castoffs
Lone Wolf McQuadewas quietly a hugely important film for Norris; it marked the first time he donned his trademark beard, and the fact it was more of a traditional action film than a martial arts flick gave it a wider reach. Still,it wasn’t untilCode of Silencethat Norris received both good reviewsandhealthy box office, which is why it’s sometimes regarded as a career apex. Certainly, if he had found more scripts ofCode of Silence’scaliber, he might have evolved into more character-driven projects.
87%
67%
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The Expendables 2(2012)
Instead, he spent much of the decade fronting B-movies for production company Cannon, where he wasn’t required to do much more than kick or shoot people, and say the occasional quip. While making the move from martial arts star to mainstream actor,Chuck Norrismodeled himself on actors like Charles Bronson and Clint, as they often played variations of the same kind of role. Thus, it makes sense he would do his best work with scriptsClint Eastwoodpassed on - it’s only a shame he didn’t receive more of them.
Code Of Silence
Cast
Police officer Eddie Cusack’s reputation is dashed when a drug bust involving two feuding gangs spirals out of control, resulting in the death of a young bystander. Isolated by his co-workers and targeted by both cops and criminals, he must rely on his cunning and a newly assigned robotic police unit to fight back and bring peace to his community.
Lone Wolf McQuade
J.J. McQuade is a reclusive Texas Ranger known for his rough and unconventional methods and penchant for working alone. His world is turned upside down when his daughter is kidnapped by a notorious arms dealer. Forced to collaborate with a by-the-book FBI agent, McQuade heads off on a warpath of revenge to save his daughter.
Chuck Norris
Discover the latest news and filmography for Chuck Norris, known for Walker, Texas Ranger and The Delta Force.
Clint Eastwood
Discover the latest news and filmography for Clint Eastwood, known for Dirty Harry and Unforgiven.
