Chuck Norris was always one of several action stars Leonard Maltin loved to insult in his movie guides. Look, his fans know what to expect from him. You weren't going to see him emote with any great depth or even expect him to. Action stars like Chuck Norris knew what their role in film was, and it wasn't to impress the Roger Eberts or Leonard Maltins of the world. They had a specific audience who loved to eat their films up and could depend on us to hit the rental stores, much like horror, and seek out their output with great regularity. Yes, 95% of action films have shit plots, running the same cliches time and again, sort of reworking the basic tropes involving anti-heroes and over-the-top heavies. It was always important to have one major league heavy that the hero focuses a majority of his hatred towards. In the case of Aaron Norris' The Hitman (1991), that heavy is the cocky, foul-mouthed Michael Parks (he's always this way, for the most part, but in this particular film, he's full-blown heel), as Del (Ronny Delaney), former partner to Chuck Norris' Grogan. Del betrays Grogan while the two are on an undercover operation, shooting him multiple times, nearly killing him. Cliff returns as the enforcer for a mafioso, Marco Luganni (Al Waxman), an undercover operation where he's supposed to work him into uniting with a Vancouver mafioso, Andre Lacombe (Marcel Sabourin). But these two mafioso are eventually contending with a third emerging rival...an Iranian group with Parks secretly working with them to move out both mobs in order to take both Seattle and Vancouver criminal territories. Norris, ultimately, beats up plenty and shoots others. Parks, though, is actually the one who is responsible for the takedown of Marco and Andre, while Norris gets even with him for shooting him and trying to blow up a little boy he befriends in his apartment complex (Salim Grant; "Ghost Dad" (1990)). Parks easily walks off with the movie, although his scenes are few, which I found surprising. His Del is the kind of smug, confident dirtbag you just want to see Norris pummel into mush. Norris remains as he always is for the most part...he's stoic, serious, and all business. Norris isn't Mr. Personality. He kicks your ass. Sadly, though, Norris doesn't throw a leg and drop fools with a back kick or throttle very many with fast fists. That kind of whoop-ass is reserved for Parks. The rest face the bloody end of Norris' double-barrel. That Marco and Andre are foiled by Parks not Norris was a twist I forgot about from viewings in the past. I haven't watched this since 2009, so it has been about eleven years. I don't think I'll need to ever revisit "The Hitman" again as the story and characters aren't particularly memorable...especially when you compare this film to his shoot-em ups and kicks-and-fists flicks of the 80s. This was right before Norris moved to his successful television series, "Walker, Texas Ranger". When this was over, I admit that I thought to myself, "That's it. Hmm." Parks just wasn't an adversary of the caliber of past Norris foes, even though he can talk shit and do so with this Cheshire cat grin that you just want to back fist. 3/5
***Aaron Norris makes sure the city streets have plenty of steam. Lots and lots of steam. And Chuck Norris, even if he doesn't clear a bar of thugs with the usual kicks and punches, does slam a few faces in tables, kicks one guy through a window, and shoot a couple more before they could draw on him***
***Sort of predating "Walker, Texas Ranger", this film has Norris and a kid with a single mother, overworked and struggling to make ends meet, bonding throughout. Model planes and self defense against bullies, Norris offers a fatherly type of friend for the kid. There's even that moment where the kid outfights a bully and Norris wipes out that bully's abusive piece-of-shit father. This is Walker, Texas Ranger plotting 101***
***Alberta Watson, as Marco's squeeze, and Grogan's lover, is absolutely wasted in a part that treats her as nothing more than a woman going from man to man, dismissively shot in the face while in traffic***
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