My late movie buddy and drive-in companion Dennis loved action movies. He was more of a Chuck Norris and Arnold Schwarzenegger fan than me, but I did like the movies. We'd watch them at the drive-in, or on beery late night cable TV and videotape, and have a blast.
We liked P.O.W. The Escape, but we saw its glaring shortcomings. We still had fun with the movie and made jokes that were half serious and half good-natured.
I tried to re-enact that feeling this morning with the P.O.W. The Escape. It simply wasn't the same.
P.O.W. The Escape is essentially a Chuck Norris war actioner with David Carradine in the lead. It was made by The Cannon Group, who were specialists at this sort of thing. This one wasn't nearly as successful as the Norris pictures.
The question is, what went wrong?
Any fool could tell you that David Carradine was a better actor than Chuck Norris. I don't think Norris could have pulled off a performance like Dave's in Bound For Glory or The Long Riders if his life depended on it. Think Ingmar Bergman would have ever used Chuck in one of his existential melodramas? Carradine starred in The Serpent's Egg.
People loved Chuck Norris. Maybe it was the earnest integrity Chuck brought to his roles. By the mid-eighties David Carradine had become a kind of joke, appearing in really low-budget productions.
A million miles away from Carradine's peaceful philosopher Kwai-Chang Caine character, he plays Colonel Cooper, a tough-as nails soldier who was known to bring 'em all home. Carradine has about as much emotional dexterity in the role as Old Chief Wood'nhead from Creepshow 2.
Lots and lots of explosions ensue. Many bamboo huts and towers collapse. Dozens of people are shot, there is water torture, but Iron Dave is determined to emerge victorious.
Perennial second banana Steve James is one of the American soldiers. He has more charisma than Norris and Carradine put together and cubed. Too bad he never got the starring role he deserved. At least he doesn't die this time.
Mako plays his usual sinister enemy Commie officer trying to break the good old American spirit.
There's enough to enjoy here for those who miss xenophobic action pictures, but you'd be better served watching Delta Force or Missing in Action. Or any of the sequels. Or better yet go for the real thing and watch The Siege of Firebase Gloria.
The prisoners always go home in these jingoistic movies, but I can't seem to do so. Dennis is dead and he isn't coming back. I didn't get the same cheap joy these movies once gave me. I just felt sad and I mostly ended up missing my best friend.
Written by Mark Sieber
We liked P.O.W. The Escape, but we saw its glaring shortcomings. We still had fun with the movie and made jokes that were half serious and half good-natured.
I tried to re-enact that feeling this morning with the P.O.W. The Escape. It simply wasn't the same.
P.O.W. The Escape is essentially a Chuck Norris war actioner with David Carradine in the lead. It was made by The Cannon Group, who were specialists at this sort of thing. This one wasn't nearly as successful as the Norris pictures.
The question is, what went wrong?
Any fool could tell you that David Carradine was a better actor than Chuck Norris. I don't think Norris could have pulled off a performance like Dave's in Bound For Glory or The Long Riders if his life depended on it. Think Ingmar Bergman would have ever used Chuck in one of his existential melodramas? Carradine starred in The Serpent's Egg.
People loved Chuck Norris. Maybe it was the earnest integrity Chuck brought to his roles. By the mid-eighties David Carradine had become a kind of joke, appearing in really low-budget productions.
A million miles away from Carradine's peaceful philosopher Kwai-Chang Caine character, he plays Colonel Cooper, a tough-as nails soldier who was known to bring 'em all home. Carradine has about as much emotional dexterity in the role as Old Chief Wood'nhead from Creepshow 2.
Lots and lots of explosions ensue. Many bamboo huts and towers collapse. Dozens of people are shot, there is water torture, but Iron Dave is determined to emerge victorious.Perennial second banana Steve James is one of the American soldiers. He has more charisma than Norris and Carradine put together and cubed. Too bad he never got the starring role he deserved. At least he doesn't die this time.
Mako plays his usual sinister enemy Commie officer trying to break the good old American spirit.
There's enough to enjoy here for those who miss xenophobic action pictures, but you'd be better served watching Delta Force or Missing in Action. Or any of the sequels. Or better yet go for the real thing and watch The Siege of Firebase Gloria.
The prisoners always go home in these jingoistic movies, but I can't seem to do so. Dennis is dead and he isn't coming back. I didn't get the same cheap joy these movies once gave me. I just felt sad and I mostly ended up missing my best friend.
Written by Mark Sieber
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