Main Cast: Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Robert Beltran
Release Year: 1983
Country: US
Run Time: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
In this Spaghetti-western-like martial arts actioner, Texas Ranger J. J. McQuade (Chuck Norris) is up against the weapons-dealer Rawley Wilkes (David Carradine) after Wilkes kidnaps McQuade's partner and daughter and takes them to Mexico. McQuade's personal vendetta is encouraged by the government because Wilkes is hijacking U.S. arms shipments for his illicit weapons deals and the government wants him stopped. After the kidnapping incident, McQuade is assigned Kayo (Robert Beltran) a rookie patrolman, to accompany him in his fight, and he is also joined by FBI-agent Jackson (Leon Isaac Kennedy). Jackson and McQuade track down Wilkes' secret airstrip -- and that is when the fireworks begin. Every weapon known to human technology is brought into the picture as McQuade, also armed with his lethal hands and feet, goes ballistic. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Review
This modest but solid action programmer isn't as strong as its cult reputation suggests but it is one of the better entries from Chuck Norris' early-'80s action-star heyday. The story of Lone Wolf McQuade strives to reconfigure the mythology of the Western to fit modern action film standards but hits a few stumbling blocks: The villain never really has a clear-cut plan against the hero or real motivation to clash with McQuade and the female characters are both sketchily written and poorly integrated into the narrative. The acting is also hit and miss: The reliable cast of character actors lend the film solid support (L.Q. Jones is the standout in this area) but Norris is wooden in some scenes and Carrera and Kimmell turn in melodramatic performances that only reinforce the flimsiness of their roles. Despite these problems, Lone Wolf McQuade remains worth a look for Norris fans thanks to its accent on action; director Steve Carver compensates for the film's lack of compelling drama with a steady stream of well-choreographed action sequences, usually set to the over-the-top strains of Francesco de Masi's spaghetti Western-styled score. The best of these scenes is the climactic fight between Norris and David Carradine -- it's melodramatic to the point of being kitschy but still pretty impressive stuff nonetheless. All in all, Lone Wolf McQuade's mediocre narrative might put off some viewers but its high action quotient makes it worthwhile for Norris' cult following. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
L.Q. Jones - Dakota; Dana Kimmell - Sally; R.G. Armstrong - T. Tyler; Jorge Cervera, Jr. - Jefe; Sharon Farrell - Molly; Dan Frishman - Falcon; William Sanderson - Snow; John Anderson - Burnside; Eli Cummins - Redneck #1; Aaron Norris - Punk; Don Pike - First Gunman; Robert Jordan - Bobby Drew; Gil Reyes - Bouncer; Jeff Bannister; Gary Pike - Rustler
Credit
Aaron Norris - Associate Producer, Judith Holstra - Casting, Marcia Ross - Casting, Jerram A. Swartz - First Assistant Director, Steve Carver - Director, Anthony Redman - Editor, Francesco de Masi - Composer (Music Score), Robert Wald - Musical Direction/Supervision, Norman Baron - Production Designer, Roger Shearman - Cinematographer, Yoram Ben-Ami - Producer, Steve Carver - Producer, Robert Zilliox - Set Designer, Roger George - Special Effects, Frank DeMarco - Special Effects, Robert Wald - Sound/Sound Designer, Alan R. Gibbs - Stunts, Kane Hodder - Stunts, Jeff Jensen - Stunts, Rick McCallum - Stunts, Aaron Norris - Stunts, Steve Hulin - Stunts, Alan Marcus - Stunts, Brad Orrison - Stunts, Charlie Skeen - Stunts, Mike Johnson - Stunts, Simone Boisseree - Stunts, Clay Boss - Stunts, John Barrett - Stunts, B.J. Nelson - Screen Story, H. Kaye Dyal - Screen Story, B.J. Nelson - Screenwriter
The main character, J.J. McQuade, is a Texas Ranger who prefers to work alone. He lives in a dirty home in the middle of nowhere with a pet wolf. The film opens with McQuade involved in an intense battle with Mexican-bandits—a gang of horse thieves—from which he emerges unscathed. Shaking off the dust, McQuade returns to El Paso, Texas to attend the retirement ceremony of his fellow Ranger and close friend Dakota. After the party, his commander attempts to curb his "lone wolf" attitude by insisting he work with local Texas State Trooper Kayo Ramos, a tough but clean-cut and polite Latino. McQuade has a teenage daughter who came from a past marriage and is still on relatively good terms with his former wife. When his daughter is injured (and her fiancé is killed) after witnessing the hijacking of an US Army convoy (one of the hijackers is driving a Dodge Aspen which pushes her fiancé's car over an embankment), McQuade more readily works with Kayo to find out who did this to his daughter. Kayo's computer skills allow him to track the errant convoy. At an illegal garment factory, they pick up a young delinquent named Snow, who is reluctant to talk until Dakota points a Mac-10 in his general direction and empties the magazine.
As the story progresses, they are joined by FBISpecial Agent Jackson. The trail leads them to arms merchant Rawley Wilkes, who is hijacking U.S. arms shipments for his illicit weapons deals. Wilkes is trained in martial arts and often gives free demonstrations at county fairs.
The three eventually find the arms trading headquarters in the Mexican desert. Agent Núñez is killed while saving Kayo from machine gun fire. McQuade is buried inside his truck but manages to escape, though injured. Agent Jackson is struck by gunfire on two separate occasions but still manages to assist McQuade and Kayo in the final attack. After an intense battle, McQuade and Wilkes engage, with the fight leaning first in Wilkes' favor until he strikes McQuade's daughter, provoking McQuade into a frenzy that defeats Wilkes. McQuade is reunited with his daughter, only to be fired upon by an injured Wilkes. Wilkes' business partner (and McQuade's new romantic interest) steps into the line of fire to save McQuade and is killed in the process. Wilkes retreats, and the film ends with McQuade victorious after a final high-kicking finale against the rest of Wilkes' troops.
David Carradine and Chuck Norris refused to use stunt doubles for their climactic fight scene, despite strong reservations from the producers.
Norris credits this film as a leading inspiration for his hit television series, Walker, Texas Ranger, which premiered a decade later. Yet the pilot had to be rewritten, and the characters' names changed, since "all things McQuade" were copyrighted by Orion Pictures.
An uncredited John Milius helped write the screenplay.
