Firewalker (film)

Last updated
Firewalker
Firewalkerposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Written byRobert Gosnell
Based onstory by Robert Gosnell and
Jeffrey M. Rosenbaum and
Norman Aladjem
Produced by Menahem Golan
Yoram Globus
Starring
CinematographyÁlex Phillips Jr.
Edited by Richard Marks
Carlos Puente
Charles Simmons
Music by Gary Chang
Distributed by The Cannon Group
Release date
  • November 21, 1986 (1986-11-21)(U.S.)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language English
Box office$11,834,302

Firewalker is a 1986 American action-adventure comedy film starring Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr., Will Sampson in his final feature film role, and Melody Anderson. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Norman Aladjem, Robert Gosnell and Jeffrey M. Rosenbaum. This was the first comedic role for Norris, giving him a chance to poke fun at his action persona.

Contents

Plot

Max Donigan and Leo Porter are two seasoned treasure hunters whose adventures rarely result in any notable success. After their latest stint gone wrong, they are recruited by a seemingly psychic woman, Patricia Goodwin, owner of a treasure map. She convinces them that the map leads to a huge stockpile of gold belonging to the "Firewalker." She then says that someone, or thing, else is searching for the map: a red cyclops.

The map leads them to a cave on a local Native American Reservation. Patricia warns them that the cave is home to "old people, sleeping"; they later discover it is a mass grave filled with skeletons. They find a Spanish Conquistador helmet and mural depicting Aztec and Mayan art, with an anachronistic date of 1527. As Leo studies the mural, Max finds a ruby-pommeled dagger hidden inside a skull. They are ambushed inside the cave by a small group of men and Patricia is taken by one of them. After killing their attackers, Max and Leo confront the kidnapper; upon seeing the dagger, he screams and throws himself into a pit.

While discussing the nature of the dagger at a local bar, Max, Leo and Patricia hear from the barkeep about El Coyote: a local that believes himself descended from the Aztecs —and also happens to be a one-eyed man with an eye patch. The barkeep also directs them to Tall Eagle, a local Native American. He tells them that the Firewalker was a powerful being that flew away to walk in the fires of the sun and gives Patricia a small bag of "magic" to protect her. While trying to figure out where to go next, Patricia stabs the dagger into a map, then faints, giving them a location of San Miguel. Max is later drugged by a woman; El Coyote chants while holding a snake as the woman attempts to murder Max. A chanting Tall Eagle causes Patricia to suddenly wake and rush to Max's defense; she and Leo stop the woman from succeeding. They capture her, but she disappears overnight and a snake appears in her cell.

They travel to San Miguel and barter for information. A man named Boggs directs them to a contact in a village named Chajal; Boggs is later seen to have been working for, and is killed by, El Coyote. Dressed as priests and a nun to avoid detection, the trio make it to Chajal and find it completely deserted. Local militia chase them into the jungle on foot; they escape and make camp for the night. They are found in the morning by a friend of Max's: Corky Taylor, leader of a small group of Central American freedom fighters, who provides them with a vehicle to finish their journey. When they stop that night, Leo disappears; Patricia and Max believe him dead when they find blood and his glasses by the alligator-infested river.

The next morning, Patricia and Max find the temple they have been searching for. Inside, they find Leo alive and dangling from a rope, along with El Coyote. He offers Leo in exchange for the dagger, claiming he has no use for the three of them. After suggesting that Patricia can go free, she leaves and is sealed in a passageway. El Coyote laughs and explains that he will kill them and sacrifice Patricia to appease the gods and become the Firewalker. Max throws the dagger at El Coyote to kill him, but he catches it and leaves the chamber. Max rescues Leo as El Coyote prepares to kill Patricia. They reach her just in time; Max shoots El Coyote in the chest, seemingly killing him. Patricia finds the gold by placing the dagger in a slot on the altar, opening a chamber below it. After gathering the gold, El Coyote attacks them. Patricia stabs him in the back with the dagger just as he prepares to kill Max. With El Coyote stunned, Max is able to fight back, kicking him onto the altar. Patricia then sprinkles the magic bag on El Coyote's body; he bursts into flame as they leave the temple with the gold and the trio reap the rewards of their successful journey.

Cast

Production

Chuck Norris wanted to write a comedy and was recommended to writer Robert Gosnell. Gosnell had written Firewalker and showed it to Norris, who decided to make it instead of the comedy. [1]

The film was Norris' first comedy, even though it was still an action film. It was described as "two guys, a girl and a Jeep on the road to a fortune in lost Aztec treasure." [2]

"It's a detour," said Norris. "Max Donegan is really the lighter side of Chuck Norris." [3] He added, "It's just an open, friendly, warm film with a lot of humor. It has the adventure of a Romancing the Stone and Raiders of the Lost Ark , the humor of the movie Crocodile Dundee -- where the situations cause the humor -- and the companionship between the two guys like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ."

Norris says that Cannon's chairman, Menahem Golan, showed "a little skepticism" when Norris first took the film to him to develop. "It's not the type of film I'm known for doing," said Norris. But Norris had a seven-year deal with Cannon and was their leading box office star along with Charles Bronson. "Whether I do more lighter-type films beyond this one will be determined by how Firewalker does," said Norris. "The audience tells you what you'll be doing or not doing. Like Stallone - - he'll never do Rhinestone again." [4]

Norris knew he was taking a risk. He said, "When I got crucified in my first film, Good Guys Wear Black , I went to Steve McQueen. He said the bottom line is if you get the best reviews in the world and the movie bombs, you're not going to get work. But if it's a huge success, whether the criticism is good or bad, you'll work. The key thing is -- does the public accept you?" [4]

Filming took place in Mexico in June 1986. [5]

"I learned to speak Spanish and had a splendid time," said Anderson. "Chuck was incredible to work with, such a nice man... J. Lee was a character. Some days the heat got to him worse than others. He would get tired and cranky, but we got along great. At the time, I had no idea the director in The Exorcist was based on him. And even though it was a Cannon film, I got all my money!” [6]

Release

Home media

Firewalker was released on DVD by MGM Home Video March 22, 2005.

Reception

Box office

The film was one of Cannon's strongest performing movies at the box office in 1986. However, it was a relative disappointment compared to other Norris films, earning a little over $10 million. [7] It was ultimately considered a flop. [8] Cannon went into financial receivership soon afterwards. [9] [10]

Critical response

On At the Movies , Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave the picture "two thumbs down". [11] Siskel said Firewalker was "one of the most derivative films in years, splicing elements of Raiders of the Lost Ark with Romancing the Stone." He went on saying he believed "the movie was probably signed as a deal one month after the grosses started coming in for Romancing, and that was where the creativity stopped". Ebert said that he "would have tried to make a picture that didn't look like a cheap, watered-down, pale, and uninteresting version of all those other adventure movies". In his print review, Ebert gave Firewalker 1 star out of 4 wrote "the movie is a free-form anthology of familiar images from the works of Steven Spielberg, subjected to a new process that we could call discolorization...(the film) lacked the style, witty dialogue and magic of the current adventure movies, as it borrowed its closing images from the Indiana Jones films, but its press notes optimistically claim the picture is "in the tradition" of Romancing the Stone. In literature, it's called plagiarism. In the movies, it's homage. [12]

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times, enjoyed it he explained "Firewalker isn't as elaborate or sophisticated as the Spielberg-Lucas hit, it is fun, and Norris is loosened up and laid back." Of the cast he said "really get into the light-hearted spirit of the occasion." His final thought was that it is "handsomely filmed in Mexico by Alex Phillips, Firewalker seems to have brought out the best in everyone on either side of the camera." [13]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film "a bargain-basement imitation of such movies as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , Romancing the Stone, et al". [14] Canby also noted Norris's lack of comedic timing as he "stomped on the film's facetious dialogue". TV Guide published a largely negative review, criticizing Norris's "usual wooden" performance, the "appalling" production values and the "flat, uninteresting" writing. The publication also noted Firewalker heavily "borrowing" elements from other, more successful adventure movies, calling it "a retooling of Raiders of the Lost Ark as a buddy picture". [15]

Rick Bentley of The Town Talk liked it. He felt it had "proper blend of adventure and comedy" and wrote "the production is a lighthearted take off on adventure films with just enough action to keep the film moving at a good pace and enough gags to make certain no one takes the film too seriously." He enjoyed the acting by Norris, Gossett, and Anderson. He felt Norris handled comedy well in his first attempt at it. His final thought were it "is not great, but it never pretends to be. It is a light film which is entertaining to watchtend in the process provides a few laughs. You won't be burned by going to see Firewalker." [16]

A review in Variety said, "Chuck Norris' latest outing for Cannon suffers from boilerplate scripting which sabotages what should have been a compelling buddy pic; not even the estimable Lou Gossett can save this one. Duo moves predictably through a search-for-the-gold yarn that is devoid of suspense." [17]

Ed Severson of the Arizona Star called it "an entertaining turkey" and if you were after "a light weight action flick you'll get your money worth." He thought the two leads did a good job. He said that during his screening the audience responded very well to Norris doing comedy. He think that "Norris doesn't actually create humor. What he does is lighten up a little, which gets him laughs." His final thoughts were "Firewalker is a perfectly entertaining picture, as long as you don't expect everything you see to make sense." [18]

Film historian Leonard Maltin seemed to agree, citing the picture as a "BOMB" and noting that "If Melody Anderson's hair (which remains perfectly intact throughout) and Sonny Landham's eyepatch (which keeps switching eyes) aren't a sign of anything, the movie's own press release described Chuck Norris's character as 'a soldier of outrageous misfortune'. Moreover, on the comedy-relief front, Norris brings to mind a now-famous description of Yogi Berra playing third base: 'Like a man pitching a pup-tent during a hurricane.' Arguably Chuck at his worst; but who wants to argue?" [19]

In a review written by Rita Kempley of The Washington Post , Norris was described as pleasant galoot that lacked Arnold Schwarzenegger's (a more popular and successful action star) sense of self parody and comic timing. Kempley felt "the fight scenes were fine, but they only emphasize the plodding pace and the moldy plot; a blend of Poltergeist II , Temple of Doom and Romancing the Stone". [20]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 8% based on reviews from 12 critics. [21] On Metacritic the movie has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Producers</i> (1967 film) Film by Mel Brooks

The Producers is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film. It was written and directed by Mel Brooks, and stars Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, and Kenneth Mars. The film is about a con artist theater producer and his accountant who scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling interests in a stage musical designed to fail. To this end, they find a playscript celebrating Adolf Hitler and the Nazis and bring it to the stage. Because of this theme, The Producers was controversial from the start, and received mixed reviews. It became a cult film, and found a more positive critical reception later.

<i>Heaven Can Wait</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry

Heaven Can Wait is a 1978 American sports fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry about a young man being mistakenly taken to heaven by his guardian angel, and the resulting complications of how this mistake can be undone, given that his earthly body has been cremated. It was the second film adaptation of Harry Segall's play of the same name, the first being Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Norris</span> American martial artist and actor (born 1940)

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on to appear in a minor role in The Wrecking Crew (1968). Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in The Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested he take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead, Good Guys Wear Black (1978), became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Siskel</span> American film critic (1946–1999)

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune who co-hosted movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.

<i>Walker, Texas Ranger</i> American action crime television series

Walker, Texas Ranger is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full seasons followed with new episodes airing from September 25, 1993, to May 19, 2001, and reruns continuing on CBS until July 28, 2001. It has been broadcast in over 100 countries and spawned a 2005 television film entitled Trial by Fire. The film ended on a cliffhanger, which was never resolved. DVD sets of all seasons have been released. At various times since 1997, reruns of the show have aired, in syndication, on the USA Network and Action in Canada.

<i>Cats Eye</i> (1985 film) 1985 American anthology horror film directed by Lewis Teague

Cat's Eye is a 1985 American anthology horror thriller film directed by Lewis Teague and written by Stephen King. It comprises three stories, "Quitters, Inc.", "The Ledge", and "General". The first two are adaptations of short stories in King's 1978 Night Shift collection, and the third is unique to the film. The three stories are connected by the presence of a traveling cat, and Drew Barrymore both of which play incidental roles in the first two and major characters in the third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Gossett Jr.</span> American actor (1936–2024)

Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. was an American actor. He made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway play Take a Giant Step. Gossett continued acting onstage in critically acclaimed plays including A Raisin in the Sun (1959), The Blacks (1961), Tambourines to Glory (1963), and The Zulu and the Zayda (1965). In 1977, Gossett appeared in the popular miniseries Roots, for which he won Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series at the Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cannon Group, Inc.</span> Film studio

The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested heavily in the video market, buying the international video rights to several classic film libraries. Some of their best known films include Joe (1970), Runaway Train (1985) and Street Smart (1987), all of which were Oscar-nominated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Lee Thompson</span> British film director and screenwriter (1914–2002)

John Lee Thompson was an English film director, screenwriter and producer. Initially an exponent of social realism, he became known as a versatile and prolific director of thrillers, action, and adventure films.

<i>Invasion U.S.A.</i> (1985 film) 1985 American film by Joseph Zito

Invasion U.S.A. is a 1985 American action film produced by Cannon Films, and starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Joseph Zito. It involves the star fighting off a force of Soviet/Cuban-led guerrillas.

<i>The Delta Force</i> 1986 film by Menahem Golan

The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite group of Special Operations Forces personnel based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. Directed, co-written and co-produced by Menahem Golan, the film features Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert Forster, Shelley Winters and George Kennedy. It is the first installment in The Delta Force film series. Two sequels were produced, entitled Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection and the direct-to-video Delta Force 3: The Killing Game. The Delta Force was "inspired" by the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.

<i>Silent Rage</i> 1982 film by Michael Miller

Silent Rage is a 1982 American sci-fi action horror film directed by Michael Miller. It stars Chuck Norris as a sheriff who must stop a mentally ill man who goes on a rampage after being granted indestructibility in a medical experiment. It grossed $10.5 million on release.

<i>Lone Wolf McQuade</i> 1983 film

Lone Wolf McQuade is a 1983 American Western film directed by Steve Carver and starring Chuck Norris, David Carradine, Barbara Carrera, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, Leon Isaac Kennedy and Robert Beltran.

<i>Breaker! Breaker!</i> 1977 film by Don Hulette

Breaker! Breaker! is a 1977 American action film directed by Don Hulette and starring Chuck Norris in his first lead role. The co-stars include George Murdock, Don Gentry and Michael Augenstein.

<i>The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie</i> 1979 animated feature film directed by Chuck Jones

The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie is a 1979 American animated comedy package film directed by Chuck Jones, consisting of a compilation of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts and newly animated bridging sequences hosted by Bugs Bunny. The bridging sequences, which had been produced in 1978, show Bugs at his home, which is cantilevered over a carrot-juice waterfall. The film was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bugs Bunny.

<i>Code of Silence</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Andrew Davis

Code of Silence is a 1985 American action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Chuck Norris, Henry Silva and Molly Hagan. Norris plays Eddie Cusack, a streetwise Chicago police sergeant who is caught up in a gang war between a vicious Colombian drug lord and the American mafia, while also dealing with corruption in his own department.

<i>Missing in Action 2: The Beginning</i> 1985 film directed by Lance Hool

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning is a 1985 American action adventure film, and a prequel to Missing in Action, both of which star Chuck Norris. It was directed by Lance Hool, and written by Steve Bing, Larry Levinson and Arthur Silver. It is the second installment in the Missing in Action film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoram Globus</span> Israeli-American film producer

Yoram Globus is an Israeli–American film producer, cinema owner, and distributor. He has been involved in over 300 full-length motion pictures and he is most known for his association with The Cannon Group, Inc., an American film production company, which he co-owned with his cousin Menahem Golan.

<i>Good Guys Wear Black</i> 1978 film by Ted Post

Good Guys Wear Black is a 1978 American martial arts action film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Ted Post. This was the second film to feature Norris as the star, following Breaker! Breaker! (1977). However, this is the one that Norris considers his "breakthrough".

<i>Hero and the Terror</i> 1988 film by William Tannen

Hero and the Terror is a 1988 American action film starring martial arts star Chuck Norris, directed by William Tannen. Produced by Menahem Golan, written by Michael Blodgett, and was distributed by Cannon Films. The film stars Norris as Danny O'Brien a cop trying to stop a serial killer, Simon Moon known as "The Terror".

References

  1. ↑ Sussman, Soll (September 13, 1986). "Swashbuckler hero turns to comedy". The Canberra Times . Vol. 61, no. 18, 609. p. B7.
  2. ↑ Strickler, Jeff (26 September 1986). "Real 'Killing fields' star wants to tell of Cambodian holocaust". Minneapolis Star and Tribune. ProQuest   417696335.
  3. ↑ Yakir, Dan (2 December 1986). "Movie comedy can be tough, he-man Chuck Norris learns". Chicago Sun - Times. ProQuest   257199739.
  4. 1 2 Honeycutt, Kirk (11 December 1986). "Chuck Norris Shifts Gears". Chicago Tribune. Los Angeles Daily News.
  5. ↑ "High Hopes". Los Angeles Times. 1 June 1986. ProQuest   292399014.
  6. ↑ Jackiewicz, Pat (November 2007). "The Cult Dale Arden". Starlog. p. 23.
  7. ↑ Cieply, Michael (11 December 1986). "Cannon Group May Get an Extension Of Monday's Deadline for Debt Payment". Wall Street Journal. ProQuest   397993181.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Anne (March 1987). "The 12th Annual Grosses Gloss". Film Comment. 23 (2): 62–64, 66–69. ProQuest   210246765.
  9. ↑ Yoshihashi, Pauline (15 December 1986). "Cannon Faces Debt Deadline". New York Times. ProQuest   426361236.
  10. ↑ Ryan, Desmond (11 January 1987). "A Tale of Two Studios with Contrasting Fortunes". Philadelphia Inquirer. ProQuest   1831220742.
  11. ↑ Siskel & Ebert review Firewalker on At the Movies at YouTube. Retrieved on 2010-11-07 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ReXLXpmM0M.
  12. ↑ Ebert, Roger (21 November 1986). "Firewalker". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
  13. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (1986-11-24). "'Firewalker' Is Handsome Hokum". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  14. ↑ Canby, Vincent (November 21, 1986). "Firewalker Movie Review". The New York Times . Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  15. ↑ "Firewalker: Review". TV Guide . Archived from the original on 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  16. ↑ Bentley, Rick (December 2, 1986). "'Firewalker' movie has right blend to spoof adventure films". The Town Talk. pp. C-7.
  17. ↑ "Film Reviews: Firewalker". Variety . November 26, 1986. 14.
  18. ↑ Severson, Ed (November 26, 1986). "'Firewalker' is an entertaining turkey". Arizona Star. pp. Seven B.
  19. ↑ Maltin's TV, Movie, & Video Guide
  20. ↑ "Firewalker Movie Review". The Washington Post . 1986-11-21. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  21. ↑ "Firewalker". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  22. ↑ "Firewalker (1986) reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved April 4, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.