The Octagon

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DanTheMan 2 Nov 10 The first deadly outbreak of the '80s Ninja craze, The Octagon, tries arduously to untangle its jumbled mess of tropes and an overwhelming amount of exposition it calls a plot. It consistently stumbles right up until the final act, where the whole pretence of taking itself too seriously is jetisoned right out the window and fully embraces the shlockier aspects of its narrative and production. Despite some halfway decent, relatively engaging direction by Eric Karson and some beautiful photography, the editing is choppy at best, and the writing is bitterly cluttered with too many characters and plot strands, plus half a dozen scenes of Chuck flirting, which asks too much of us. Granted, there's a weirdly simple appeal to the ninja terrorists, showcasing them in all their glory and really playing up their classic persona as a quasi-mythic cult of mysterious assassins. Despite the film's failings, it does do a host of things right, delivering some decently choreographed and well-executed fights, lovely set design, a decent musical score by Dick Halligan, along with some entertaining performances, including an unintentionally hilarious and whispery internal monologue, plus the sexual allure of Chuck Norris's hairy chest. Seeing a serious, straight-faced ninja film with higher ambition should be applauded, so it's a real shame that The Octagon doesn't quite work, thanks to its leisurely pace. An important curiosity and a well-made and rather glossy piece, but definitely one for the more dedicated ninjologists rather than the casual ones. See more David W Jul 28 Loved it back then and still do today. Chuck being well, Chuck. See more Anthony R Apr 19 I can’t believe how slow this movie is. And Chuck Norris whispering every thought will become tiresome very quickly. See more Anthony C 01/14/2024 Chuck at his best!!! See more @TKDLife 04/21/2021 The most watchable and adult of Chuck Norris' martial arts action films. Norris is undercover to unveil a clandestine group of modern day Ninjas. Again he plays it close to the vest. His acting is never the heart of his films, but that doesn't diminish the enjoyment. Good martial arts action. Good weapons sequences. Richard Norton, the famed Hong Kong action star, is powerful in the uncredited role of the Ninja Assassin. I just saw this film recently and it holds up much better than most of Norris' film and action films of the era. Great fighting, filled with action, and the presence of Lee Van Cleef, one the 20th Century's best character actors makes this one worth the time. See more 03/26/2021 It's cheesy and fun, a throwback to a time when America was obsessed with the martial arts in the early 80'e. Enjoy it for what it is and don't set your expectations too high and you'll have a blast! See more Read all reviews

The Octagon

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