Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)

Chuck Norris was the first big American action star of the 1980s. His career started in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the late 1970s and early 80s that he became a household name. With his disco-era good looks and his martial arts prowess, Norris punched and kicked his way through films like 1980’s The Octagon, 1981’s An Eye for an Eye, and 1982’s Silent Rage. 1983’s Lone Wolf McQuade finds him at the peak of his powers thus far into the 80s.

Norris stars as J. J. McQuade, a Texas Ranger who doesn’t play by the  rules. His uncouth methods have led to an impressive number of arrests but the captain would prefer he reign in his lone wolf tactics. To tone him down, the captain assigns him a green partner, Kayo (Robert Beltran.)

Like most action heroes of the time, McQuade has an ex-wife and a kid. While taking his daughter, Sally (Dana Kimmel,) horse riding, he meets Lola Richardson (Barbara Carrera.) Lola’s husband passed away and now she’s cozy with Rawley Wilkes (David Carradine.) Rawley’s hobbies include arms smuggling and martial arts. Wanna bet he’s the bad guy? Wanna bet Lola gets romantically involved with McQuade? Wanna bet that the plot is simplistic and predictable?

Of course, McQuade looks into the arms smuggling racket that Rawley controls. He reluctantly works with Marcus Jackson (Leon Issac Kennedy,) a federal agent, and has to rescue his daughter. And, of course, he has a final showdown with Rawley.

But no one — including me — watches a Chuck Norris movie for the plot or the characters. It’s all about the action. And Lone Wolf McQuade delivers 80s style action in spades. There are explosions, gun fights, martial arts, one-liners, and general fisticuffs littered throughout the movie. And, that’s exactly how it should be.

Having grown up watching many action movies cast from the same general formulaic mold of Lone Wolf McQuade, there are few deviations to be found. But modern viewers might find it a little to close to parody since everything about this and other movies of its ilk has been cloned and remixed in later action films.

But everything here is done sincerely and with a pseudo-spaghetti Western style. Even the musical score and opening titles would feel at home in a Sergio Leone movie.

David Carradine makes for an excellent bad guy. Barbara Carrera also excels at being the damsel caught between two very masculine stereotypes.

I can’t call Lone Wolf McQuade a great film but it’s a great example of what it is: an overtly macho 80s action film done right.