MISSING IN ACTION (1984)

Former prisoner of war, Col. James Braddock (Chuck Norris) is positive that there are still American POW's being held in Vietnam.  He's become a political activist and as so, accompanies an American senator to Vietnam for a conference.  While there, he sneaks off for a little personal one-on-one face time with a certain Vietnamese general.  Stuff happens and the general ends up with a knife in his chest.  Now armed with the location of a POW camp, Braddock teams up with an old war buddy (M. Emmet Walsh) to kick some ass. 

Satisfying pace, above average direction (by 80's action movie standards) by Joseph Zito, not as much action as you would expect, good acting, abrupt ending.  Overall, MISSING IN ACTION is an enjoyable film, but nothing amazing.  It's just kinda...there.  Norris and Zito would team up again the next year with the kick ass INVASION U.S.A.  Hell yeah!

Worthless observation: While watching MISSING IN ACTION for this review, I could not stop thinking about James Hong and David Tress.  Now we all know James Hong as David Lo Pan in John Carpenter's awesome BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and David Tress as "The Whip" in the badass STONE COLD, but I couldn't stop thinking about James Hong and David Tress...together.  My handsome brain was clinking and clacking like an old riding lawnmower going down a gravel road.  Then it hits me!  They were both onscreen together on Seinfeld!  They were in "The Chinese Restaurant" episode together!

Part 2 (prequel) - Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985)
Part 3 - Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)