Good Guys Wear Black (1978)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Good movie but grossly overrated

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I'm not sure when I first watched this one, but it must have been sometime in the mid 80's or so.Back then anything starring Mr. Norris was a sure thing in my book, I don't think that i was ever disappointed with any of his movies.I mean, how could you be? It is Chuck Norris!Good Guys Wear Black opens in Paris, France in 1973 where U.S. Senator Conrad Morgan is negotiating terms on a deal with a delegate from North Vietnam, to release American P.O.W.'s, still imprisoned in Vietnam. Major John T. Booker and his elite army unit, the Black Tigers, are chosen to be the sacrificial lambs, so to speak. The 12 men are sent into the jungle under orders that they are to free American prisoners held in a camp, but when things go horribly wrong, Booker starts to suspect that they have been set up.The plot in Good Guys Wear Black is quite good and I won't go further into it here. You'll have to watch the movie to find out more! It's a well- written one, directed by Ted Post, who's also done Hang 'Em High and Magnum Force. The cast is actually not that bad. Anne Archer, James Franciscus are all good actors and Chuck Norris is Chuck Norris, so it all evens out in the end. No, all kidding aside, even Mr Norris is good here..If there's one gripe I have with this movie, it's the fact that as far as it being an action flick… it's a bit "talky", you know? I would have liked a little more action…I really wanted to like the movie more, and all it had to do was have Chuck fight more people, and have more scenes like the action set piece in the middle. That's ALL it had to do to win us over, but it's just a little too much talking…So if you have the patience and you like 70's type action movies then you should like this.Overall worth watching.. 7 out of 10

Six years before his successful mission to free POWs in Rambo rip-off Missing In Action (1984), Chuck Norris starred in Good Guys Wear Black as John T. Booker, leader of a special commando unit known as The Black Tigers, who are also tasked with rescuing POWs from Vietnam. Booker, however, isn't victorious this time: dropped into enemy territory, he and his men are unable to locate any POWs, but do find themselves under heavy fire from the VC with no chopper to fly them out. It would appear that they have been set up.Five years later, and Booker, having escaped from Vietnam with just five of his men, is now a professor teaching political history who also test dives Porsches in his spare time. When sexy reporter Margaret (Anne Archer) begins to question his involvement in the top secret Black Tigers mission that went so wrong, and the other surviving Black Tigers start to be assassinated, Booker decides to investigate.Twenty five percent action, seventy five percent political intrigue, this early Norris vehicle is bound to disappoint those looking to see the star kicking major ass. After the explosive opening mission, things really slow down as Booker uncovers a dismal plot involving devious secretary of state Conrad Morgan (James Franciscus), who has labelled the The Black Tigers as double agents marked for death in order to fulfil a deal he made with the North Vietnamese at the end of the war.Mostly talk, with sporadic bursts of mediocre action, Good Guys Wear Black is a largely forgettable movie, with the exception of Archer, who looks absolutely smokin', and a cool stunt involving a flying kick through the windscreen of a car (although it is clearly not performed by the star, but rather a stuntman wearing a bad Chuck Norris wig and 'tache disguise).

Ted Post(Hang 'Em High)directed this early Chuck Norris vehicle regarding a contract out to kill members of a covert group sent into Vietnam on a bogus mission to secure POW's said to have been imprisoned in a camp. Norris stars as John T Booker, leader of the Black Tigers, leading five of the men out of Vietnam. He goes on to become a professor and part-time race car test driver, soon learning from an old pal in the CIA(Lloyd Haynes)that he and his men have a hit out on them. Booker will join forces with a mysterious reporter, Margaret(Anne Archer, simply lovely)who knows more than she's willing to divulge, in an attempt to find the remainder of his men(..those still alive) across the country, running into constant trouble along the way. James Franciscus has a memorable role as a handsome, ambitious, ruthless political negotiator, Conrad Morgan, eyeing the Secretary of State position, whose goal is to silence all who had a part in the "Phoenix Operation" and Booker will do everything in his power to see this bastard fail. Dana Andrews also has a small, but pivotal role as Morgan's right-hand man, Edgar Harolds, who was once in a higher position of political power, now an alcoholic, lonely man with only one ace under his sleeve to keep the wolves at bay. Soon-Tek Oh, as Major Mhin Van Thieu, was part of the Black Tigers, actually part of Morgan's camp, a hired assassin whose putting bullets into Booker's men.Good Guys Wear Black, as any Norris fan can tell you, features one of Chuck's most memorable iconic sequences where he goes through the windshield of a moving car to kick an enemy attempting to flee. Norris also gets a chance to subdue those who attempt to thwart his mission of justice, by dropping his foes with martial arts kicks and other maneuvers..this is a great period for us Norris fans as he was a bit thinner, more agile and athletic, and could really move fast, giving his adversaries little chance to counter his arsenal of blows. Post, working from a rather convoluted espionage script, keeps the story going, with Norris in fine form. While he never was known for his acting prowess, Norris' other skills, such as screen presence, charisma, and fighting style, bolster GGWB rather well. I think this film features one of the better stories of Norris' career(..and Archer is certainly one of his better leading ladies), while not allowing him to kick and punch people throughout.

1st watched 3/31/2001 - 3 out of 10 (Dir-Ted Post): Dull badly acted 90 minute early attempt at Chuck Norris trying to start a movie career. Believe it or not it continued for quite some time. Many mistakes were made in this movie(starting with why it was made in the 1st place.) It turns into a mystery that keeps your interest until the final supposed heart-felt Norris monologue that lasts too long and shows his inability to do what he was called to do(act.) Too bad he didn't start in Television first.