Missing in Action

• Directed by Joseph Zito
• November 16, 1984

A colonel who escaped a POW camp ten years earlier, returns to Vietnam to find soldiers listed as MIA during the Vietnam War.

The 80s contained a now extinct film genre where a character(s) essentially refought Vietnam and brought victory to America. Missing in Action was one of many entries and probably among the best distillations of that concept. Not only does he win against Vietnam in the name of the good people in the US but our main character also saves a bunch of POWs with that part built on the belief Americans were left behind by the government. 

Chuck Norris plays Colonel James Thomas Braddock who is brought along on a trip to Vietnam for a high-level meeting with their government spearheaded by a rather inconsequential-to-the-story senator (David Tress). By the end of the film the senator is so gone he is not seen in the background of the climax. He really is just the plot excuse to get Braddock there rather than the colonel simply hopping on a plane to do what he clearly wants to do.

Why bring along a former soldier? Because he is keeping alive amongst the public that there are still POWs in Vietnam and it is the belief his presence during this meeting will quash that. What on God’s green Earth makes them think that Braddock given what little we see on screen until he starts taking action will be placated with a statement by the Vietnamese government? It strikes me as a massive mistake to bring along a celebrity critic.

Not only does Braddock right from the get-go think that the statement there are no remaining American POWs is all hooey, but he encounters one high-ranking official named General Vinh (Ernie Ortega) that based on flashbacks was his tormentor while he served time as a POW.

M. Emmet Walsh plays Braddock’s loyal friend Jack ‘Tuck’ Tucker who also serves as some comedic sidekick. Walsh was a great character actor that had a long and illustrious career in and out of genre work. He did quality films and some of the best cheese you could find while always being excellent. No slouch at all. Like here he always understood the assignment.

Even when I first saw Missing in Action ages ago, I had a little trouble buying that Braddock could threaten people to get better deals and not face any consequences later on. They are criminals and general scumbags and that might mean they try to take a swipe at him later. This and during that period he is also fighting Vinh and his agents which are trying to kill him.

Action scenes are better staged than many other Chuck Norris movies. They rank right up there with anything done by Schwarzenegger or Stallone of the era mostly due to Norris’ patented steely look indicating that a world of hurt is on its way. Of all the actors to slowly rise out of the water and spray bullets at the enemy, I think Chuck Norris does it best here. 

That is not the only thing that’s done better here. I think this is one of his better acted movies. Not just by him but by those around him as well. James Hong is a great actor. Sadly he doesn’t have that much time. Walsh is a significant talent and has much more time. As much as I enjoy a good Norris film, Walsh was much more talented though Norris never gets overshadowed in skill by the actor.

If I had any complaints about this movie, it’s that the animosity between Braddock and Vinh never gets made into a big enough deal to justify everything that occurs between the two. Perhaps because this was intended originally as the second film. Missing in Action 2: The Beginning was filmed at the same time as this, but that doesn’t excuse the first film leaving so many questions. That and Vinh’s ultimate disposition happens way too soon in a movie if they are supposed to be mortal enemies. We all know how it’s going to end but wait until it gets further down the line before you end it. He should’ve been part of the final battle to save the POWs but nope!

But you’re not watching for a well-constructed story. You’re watching for a good enough story that gets you from Point A to Point B with a heavy dose of action. This is a good enough story with some good performances and excellent action. Plenty of bullets and explosions and the screen presence that only Chuck Norris could bring.

Maybe not perfect, Missing in Action is quite enjoyable and one of the better examples of the refighting of Vietnam genre. If you like Chuck Norris or action, this is a great choice.