Lone Wolf McQuade Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1983

Lone Wolf McQuade is an early 80's action flick that featured Chuck Norris as a rugged Texas Ranger that has become a relic of sorts due to his proclivity for violence and non-cooperation. When a ruthless gun smuggling ring threatens his family and friends he leaves his badge behind to wage a personal war against his enemies. Filmed much like a modern day spaghetti western, Lone Wolf McQuade should appeal to all Chuck Norris or action film fans.

Some well-armed horse thieves are herding a pack of equines when we are first introduced to J.J. McQuade (Chuck Norris), a hardened Texas Ranger that watches from afar as local deputies attempt to bring the thieves to justice. When the tables are turned on the deputies and they face execution, McQuade calmly walks towards the group and allows himself to be captured, earning some derision from the Mexican gang's leader:

Leader: Once a Texas Ranger kicked my father's teeth out. Would you do that to me, Texas Ranger? Ha, ha, ha.

All good action movies follow a vital rule: ask a stupid question; get an undesirable answer. Despite being held by two thugs, McQuade answers the inquiry with a swift kick to the jeerer's mouth before single-handedly smacking some sense into the rest of the gang. Another rule action flicks must follow is the rugged anti-hero must not shy away from any opportunity to spit out macho one-liners.

Leader: Don't shoot me, you already kicked my teeth out. What more do you want?
Norris: Like father, like son.

Ah, good, with both requirements fulfilled we're ready to roll.

McQuade returns to the city to catch the remainder of a fellow Ranger's retirement: his good friend Dakota (L.Q. Jones). As they share a beer McQuade's commanding officer summons him to his office for a tongue-lashing. Apparently his boss is unimpressed with the bad publicity McQuade is bringing down upon the Texas Rangers. To drive the point home that McQuade is a serious bad ass (in case you snoozed through the "subtle" hints previously), his commander even quotes a local newspaper: "Ranger J.J. McQuade is a walking symbol of the brutal, uncooperative, obsolete, and discriminatory nature of the Rangers today."

To force McQuade to drop the lone wolf style of law enforcement, his commander demands he work with Kayo Ramos (Robert Beltran), a local deputy. McQuade initially resists the determined young man, but when his daughter is hospitalized with serious wounds due to accidentally witnessing a military transport hijacking on a highway McQuade puts aside his former distaste and allows the fresh partner to assist his investigation.

The investigation eventually leads Rawley Wilkes (David Carradine), the leader of an international arms smuggling ring. Such knowledge doesn't come cheaply, for Wilkes lashes out at McQuade by murdering his retired friend Dakota, shooting up his house and even going so low as to kill his dog. Bad move, for another unspoken rule of action flicks is bad guys never get away with killing a man's dog.

McQuade eventually finds himself on suspension due to his rash actions during the investigation, but that little fact doesn't dissuade him from continuing his mission. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, after all. With the assistance of Kayo and a Federal agent, Jackson (Leon Isaac Kennedy), the Texas Ranger monitors Wilkes' hidden airbase. The surveillance is interrupted when the gunrunners take notice of the snoops. McQuade is shot and beaten before being tossed into his pickup truck and buried alive.

This leads to one of the most memorable scenes in the film. Barely conscious from pain and exhaustion, McQuade cracks open a beer and pours it over his head to bring himself back to life. Hey, Popeye had his spinach; Texas Rangers have their beer! Reinvigorated, the Ranger starts his truck and drives it out of his premature grave. Unrealistic you say? Would it help to say that his truck was super-charged? No… I didn't think so. Well, who cares if it was realistic – it was cool!

Pretty ticked off with those pesky gun smugglers, McQuade, Kayo and Jackson take their battered bodies over the Mexican border for a final confrontation against Wilkes and his gang… one that will include machine guns, bazookas, martial arts, grenades and even a game of chicken between a bulldozer and an armored military truck.

There are generally two types of film viewers: those that enjoy high-octane 80's action flicks made so popular by stars such as Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and those that find such movies too mindless or shallow. If you're one of the former, Lone Wolf McQuade is a must, but if you're the latter then it doesn't matter how well executed this film is… you probably won't appreciate it to the same level as I did.

Although the film takes place in the modern day, it shares a lot in common with Westerns due to its desert setting, well-choreographed showdowns and the Western-themed soundtrack. Vital requirements for action films are intriguing heroes, villains and action scenes, and here Lone Wolf McQuade delivers in spades. The acting is perfectly serviceable too – a notch above what would be generally expected from such films.

Lone Wolf McQuade is rated PG, but it's important to remember that this was rated during the 80's when PG-13 didn't exist and the MPAA was a bit more lenient than they are today. Today it would have easily earned a PG-13 instead due to its hard-hitting (though not at all graphic) violence and vulgarity. The heavier vulgarity is actually spoken in Spanish, so it wouldn't be recognizable to most American children; perhaps this is the reason for the rating. Nevertheless, while I think Lone Wolf McQuade is perfectly fine for older children, it's definitely not a sanitized kiddie movie – it's one that adults can easily get into and enjoy.

Some action films I enjoyed as a kid aren't quite as entertaining for me twenty years later, but Lone Wolf McQuade easily stands the test of time and remains a personal favorite.

Movie rating: 9 stars

If you enjoyed Lone Wolf McQuade you may also find the following films to be of interest:

• Delta Force
• Extreme Prejudice
• Invasion U.S.A.

Enjoy the Lone Wolf McQuade experience in the comfort of your own home with these products!

DVD

Movie Sitemap

• Action/Adventure
• Animation
• Comedy
• Drama
• Fantasy
• Horror
• Sci-Fi