Largely because of the influence of Mr. Norris, it eventually became increasingly common for heroes in the action genre to have some sort of martial arts training. When that is the case, it's always a fun game to play to see if the film bothers to justify this or not. By the end of the seventies, when high-kicking skills were still a bit more out-of-the-ordinary for brawlers, Norris' films usually felt the need to cook up some vague reason. His “Breaker! Breaker!” trucker practiced martial arts for discipline while his “Good Guys Wear Black” hero was former special forces. His next movie, “
A Force of One,” explicitly makes his character a professional kickboxer who owns a dojo. Much like his previous work for American Cinema Productions, “A Force of One” would inexplicably attract a high-profile writer to pen this low budget punching-and-kicking movie. In this case it was
Ernest Tidyman, the crime reporter and novelist who wrote “Shaft” and “High Plains Drifter.” Tidyman would be nominated for an Oscar for “The French Connection” but his presence on a standard potboiler is easy to explain, as the author flatly admitted he “
wrote for money.” Either way, Tidyman must've figured that a Chuck Norris hero being an experienced kick-fighter was the easiest way to incorporate that necessary element.
It's Christmas time in California but the local cops are not having a holly jolly holiday. They are more concerned about a snow of a decidedly non-festive variety hitting the streets. Yes, drugs have flooded our dear city. Worst yet, the local kingpin has apparently hired a karate expert to protect his operation. Two cops are punched and choked to death. Officer Mandy Rust theorizes that only an experienced martial artist could pull off such blows and decides to look into the local scene. That brings her to Matt Logan, a pro-fighter who runs a gym. Logan is invited to train the whole police force in karate. Logan's ex-girlfriend died of a drug overdose and he adopted her son, Charlie, meaning he has a personal investment in stopping the smugglers. When more cops are murdered while hunting down the drug operation, Logan becomes a target of the karate killer too. His involvement is about to get a whole lot more personal too.
Ted Post, “Good Guys Wear Black's” director, was originally going to helm “A Force of One” but dropped out before filming started. The relatively inexperienced Paul Aaron would take his place, a guy who went on to make
several TV movies. That's exactly what “A Force of One” feels like. The unambitious cinematography and story of plainclothes cops tracking down leads makes this feel a bit like an episode of “Hill Street Blues” with Special Guest Star Chuck Norris. As somebody fond of old television, this actually doesn't bother me. The scenes of Chuck hanging out with his adopted son and secretary, exchanging banter while he chuckles from his weight bench, are amusing. As are moments when he's training kids or when two of the goofier officers are acting as comic relief. On the other hand, the fight scenes being emphasized by dorky slow-motion or the car chases being framed in flat medium shots remind me of seventies television in a bad way. Aaron would not direct too many fight movies after this, unsurprisingly.
“A Force of One” feels like a TV show in its incredibly corny moral too. The Just Say No era was not upon America yet but
the War on Drugs was well underway. The film is melodramatically fixated on this point. Officer Rust shows Logan a teenage girl with track marks on her arms with a dealer boyfriend. After the cops show him all the contraband they've taken off the streets, Logan has an enraged flashback while beating on a speed bag. The thought of drugs circulating among the youths angers him so much, he becomes bathed in sweat in seemingly a few seconds. Combined with his weepy back story and how much the thought of kids getting hooked infuriates him, I was immediately reminded of “
Black Dynamite” and “
Disco Godfather.” Yes, angel dust is among the illegal substances being distributed. The film doesn't consider the proliferation of addictive drugs in cities merely a social ill with many complicated moral questions around it. It reacts with abject horror, in a way that can only read as camp to modern eyes.
The title of “A Force of One” presumably refers to how Logan is such a master of physical combat that he can substitute for the entire police force he's training. When the drug runners take the life of someone he cares for once again, I was fully expecting him to go full vigilante on the crooks. That does not happen. In fact, Chuck disappears from the movie for a surprisingly long stretch, not appearing again until kickboxing weaves its way back into the plot. This is probably when you notice that Mr. Norris is actually second-billed in “A Force of One.” Jennifer O'Neill, who I recognize from “
Scanners” and Lucio Fulci's “
The Psychic,” is technically the main star. She's a likable enough presence and I do think she has better chemistry with Norris than his past leading ladies. However, when her sleuthing takes center stage in the second half, the film's pacing undeniably slows. In general, there's not nearly enough action here, most of the fisticuffs taking place within the boxing ring.
O'Neill is not the only recognizable name in the supporting cast. Nor the only one with a name pronounce like that. Ron O'Neal plays one of the cops. If you're tempted to think that
Superfly TNT has switched from dealing dope to fighting it, well, just keep watching the movie. O'Neal gets some decent moments, managing to generate some suspense with just a look or nod. Clu Gallagher also shows up as the police chief, bringing the exact level of crusty charisma you expect from him. Not-so-experienced an actor is
Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. He plays the other most prominent fighter in the film, making his eventual role easy enough to guess. Wallace, a pro kickboxer obviously, was making his screen debut here. Amusingly, he is clearly not an actor. His big puppy dog eyes and perpetually doofy expression do not make for an intimidating villain but that kind of adds to the movie's charm.
Also, you partially see a movie theater marquee advertising “
Message from Space” in the background of one scene. I liked that. I also got a laugh out of the super abrupt ending, the film going to credits right after its villain is dispatched. That too feels like something a TV episode, squeezed into an hour time slot, would do. (That Norris and his co-star are then forced to awkwardly maintain a pose all throughout the credits also made me chuckle.) “A Force of One” probably isn't very good. Like too many of Norris' early movies, it limits his on-screen abilities as a fighter. The plot is nothing special, the production values are fairly minimal, and it's likely to leave your memory right after you finish watching it. However, it is worth it for that angry speed bag montage.
[6/10][THE CHUCK OF NORRIS: 3 outta 5]
[X] Facial Hair
[] Jumps or Kicks Through a Window or Wall
[X] Performs Spin Kick or Spin Punch to Enemy's Face
[X] Shows Off His Hairy Chest
[] Sports Some Cowboy Getup
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