Sunday, July 14, 2024

Firewalker (1986)

Max (Chuck Norris) and Leo (Louis Gossett Jr.) are treasure hunters who have been on a great many adventures but have little to show for it.  After escaping their latest peril of being staked out in the desert, the pair are having a drink when a beautiful woman (Melody Anderson) arrives.  She claims to have visions and knows where to find a lost Aztec treasure.  First, they consult with a Shaman, Tall Eagle (Will Sampson), in Arizona who might have some clues of where to look.  The trio find their way to a cave where they fight native American warriors.  However, they recover a golden knife with a gem-encrusted hilt.  Seemingly in a trance, Patricia stabs the knife into a map of Central America, impaling the country of San Miguel.  Off to San Miguel, they trek into the jungle in search of a temple that matches a cave painting they saw in Arizona.  Along they way, they are repeatedly harassed by The Coyote (Sonny Landham), a one-eyed villain with inexplicable powers.  Will they find a treasure hoard or is this just another of their fruitless treasure hunts?

Chuck Norris and Louis Gossett Jr. have good chemistry in this buddy adventure.  Their banter is light and funny, an unusual switch for Norris.  This was his attempt at a comedy.  He does it better than I would expect but it still feels off thanks to his history as an emotionless tough guy.  Norris described the movie as a little bit Romancing the Stone and Raiders of the Lost Arc mixed with the comedy of Crocodile Dundee and the buddy action of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  That's a tall order.  This is nowhere near as good as any of those films, but it is still entertaining.

Good popcorn fun!

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