El mensajero del infierno

Surely you've heard this one before. Chicago cop Chuck Norris and his motor-mouthed black sidekick Calvin Levels travel to Jerusalem to hunt down a wild-eyed demon called Prosatanos running around looking for the pieces to a scepter he needs to bring about the apocalypse...or something like that. Chuck's character is named Frank Shatter. I think they meant it one way but I took it the other. Calvin Levels has all of the most annoying comic relief sidekick clichés down pat and beats us over the head with them every chance he gets. He also has Whoopi Goldberg's hairdo from the '80s. Sheree J. Wilson, Chuck's co-star on Walker: Texas Ranger, plays his love interest and the inevitable babe-to-be-sacrificed-to-bring-about-Armageddon. A badly-dubbed Zoe Trilling appears in her underwear and a brief shower scene, which is honestly a highlight of the movie. The real star of the movie is Christopher Neame, who hams it up gloriously as the demon Prosatanos. Opening Star Wars-style text crawl was a dead giveaway as to what kind of a crapper this would be. Aaron Norris, the Roger Clinton of action movies, directs with the same lack of skill I've come to expect from him. Good for some laughs at its expense but if taken seriously it's complete crap.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Chuck Norris has done himself well by keeping in such good shape and appearance in his later years,and it's still a joy to watch him unveil his martial arts mastery with such grace and precision.It's just a shame he doesn't seem to possess the ability to pick a better script.Hellbound is quite probably his worst film ever.Tacky sets,uninvolving characters,and a stereotype hollywood black partner who might as well make himself into a 50p cliche dispensing machine.The story is ridiculous and totally unengaging,with elements of humour thrown in that are very contrieved and fail to evoke a single laugh.To any Chuck fans who feel compelled to watch his every film,this is the one to least commit yourself to.*

Two Chicago cops investigating the brutal murder of a rabbi are asked to head to Israel to answer further questions from the local authorities. There they continue their investigation, despite being told they're just tourists. However they soon learn they might be dealing with something supernatural.

"Hey Frank. I can't deal with this devil sh!t". Maybe for some, or more likely for most; wise words spoken. "Hellbound" is an extra ordinary, if unusual Chuck Norris starring Cannon produced vehicle directed by his brother Aaron Norris, which sees the buddy cop theme morphing together with some conventional horror elements of religious good vs. evil. Sadly I found it lacking, passable entertainment, but so much more could have been done. I just didn't find as fun as it could have been. Sorely it just lacked the action, a couple moments aside (like Norris and Christopher Neame's opening encounter in a seedy hotel room) it was sparse and if anything it was all pedestrian with no sense of imagination to the story or set-pieces. Norris (looking good with his fashionable mullet) seemed a little more flat and moody than usual, while alongside him was Calvin Levels in a whinny, unfunny role as his ever hungry detective partner. "Eat this"! Christopher Neame's would ham it up in the role as the resurrected emissary of Satan. Sometimes really over doing it. Also popping were the delightful Sheree J. Wilson and David Robb as King Richard in a medieval prologue. Director Aaron Norris' handling is workable, but seems to concentrate on the searing supernatural factors and stodgy investigative groundwork than the action in this hybrid, delivering cheap shocks of gore, dreary atmospherics and sweaty tension. The location work makes good use of the Israel backdrop, even though the set-designs look second rate.

Ultra-silly, but not as exciting action-horror fare.

"This is only the beginning."

Anyone familiar with the 1999 lineup will find this 1993 Chuck Norris outing nothing new. It's a lot like some supernatural thrillers to emerge lately, including (but not limited to) "End of Days," "Stigmata," and "The Omega Code." In fact, it's probably a good thing this film was made before these, or else it probably would have been dismissed as a shameful, low-grade rip off.

The plot involves an odd, vampire-like creature imprisoned by Richard the Lionheart back in the days of olde who has been resurrected, and whose forecoming was fortold. Somehow, it's all tied into the armageddon, and only one person stands in his way of world domination: Good old Chuck Norris, a Texas Ranger with a bad attitude. (is anyone surprised? Just for the record, some of the cast members are from Walker as well)!

Nice settings in Israel, and some pretty good moves from Norris, but the film is pretty much a low-budget, cliched mish-mash that really offers nothing new or exciting to the sub-genre of "action hero kicking the butt of anciet evil in modern times." However, I must say that Neame is affective as the supernatural villain, providing just the right touch of evil without dramatically overplaying the role. Does he make the film worth watching? No, but that probably won't stop Norris fans from taking a look.

** out of ****

HELLBOUND isn't among Chuck Norris's best. If that's what you want, check out CODE OF SILENCE, LONE WOLF McQUADE, or MISSING IN ACTION. HELLBOUND is a pretty typical film from the Cannon team of Golam-Globus, with whom Chuck made many films in the 80s and early 90s. The budget appears to have been pretty low, but they make do with what they have. Chuck (as usual) plays a quiet, fast-striking Chicago cop who winds up battling Satan's servant, Christopher Neame. The story could have used a bit more punch to it, but as it's stands, it's not an incredibly great film. A larger budget and a tighter story would have helped. Definitely a different film for Chuck, dealing with Satan instead of drug dealers, terrorists, or murderers, and will probably only be of interest to those who are fans. Not Chuck's best, but it's decent entertainment for a rainy night.