Where to watch The Hitman
2 1/2 Stars
After surviving an attempt on his life by his former partner, officer Cliff Garrett (Norris) exacts revenge on those who wronged him by going undercover as a hit man. He works to gain the reputation and trust needed in order to be accepted by the burgeoning Seattle-area criminal underworld, but it is all done in order to take it down from within.
As of 1991, martial arts fans had turned their attention to fellow screen idols Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal. Leaving Chuck Norris badly in need of an image overhaul. Now comes The Hitman which features Norris in a role that is specifically written as a violent brute. I suspect it was the star’s idea to soften the character by adding a subplot involving a bullied neighborhood boy, whom he befriends. This drags the films down and isn’t above the kind of writing that would appear in Chuck’s series Walker Texas Ranger.
The plot suffers from too many villains. It focuses on the Italian and French gangsters and not the double-crossing cop who shoots Norris in the film’s opening moments. That devious character is played by Michael Parks, who steals the show. Parks should have been front and center as the bad guy. His off-beat charisma matches well with Chuck’s wholesome persona.
The cinematography by Joao Fernandes has a slick, slightly blown-out look that suits the dark-themed material. Music by Joel Derouin is excellent and the opening song by Andy Prieboy is also outstanding. Arron Norris directs, and it’s competently made, but it is a step-down from his assured work on Braddock: Missing in Action 3 and Delta Force 2. Both of those films have sustained action that is absent for long stretches in The Hitman. Ultimately, the film is a nice change of pace for the star but is saddled with a story that is too rudimentary, even for undemanding viewers.
Directed by: Aaron Norris
Written by: Robert Geoffrion, Don Carmody, Galen Thompson
Starring: Chuck Norris, Michael Parks, Al Waxman