Episode 104 - Hellbound (1994)

This is it: the last Chuck Norris movie made for Cannon Films. Though he would go on throughout the '90s to make more movies, they would all be very different to this one, signaling the end of an era. Cannon themselves, too, would only release a handful movies after this. By the time Hellbound actually released, they were long gone.

Unfortunately, this was not a high point for anyone involved. It is probably the worst film Norris (any of them) would be involved with in regards to Cannon, and probably the worst film to leave off on. The picture is unfortunately a misfire that could have been much better than what it ended up being. Not a great Norris send off, for sure.

That said, at least Cannon didn't leave off on a sour note, because there are a few left they were still to put it out. It doesn't save Hellbound from its disappointing status, however.

Randy's Score: 1/5

JD's Score: 2/5

Up Next: American Ninja V!

Non-Cannon ~ Episode 82 - The Driver (1978)

A bit of an overlooked gem in its day, Walter Hill's The Driver has since gone on to be one of the more influential crime/noir films of its era. It has an odd feeling of timelessness that only Hill could pull off in those days that makes it feel like it belongs in another era. There isn't really another film quite like it.

That said, it isn't the most fast-paced movie you'll ever watch, but it is beloved for a reason. Check out the episode above to hear why that is. It might be a cliché to say they don't make them like this anymore, but they really do not.

Please excuse our confusion throughout this episode. We weren't on our A-game when we recorded it. As such out ratings aren't as high as we felt comfortable with at the time. We were just not in the right frame of mind, though we were fair to the film regardless.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Up Next: Hellbound!

Episode 103 - American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993)

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled episode of Cannon Cruisers! This week we go over an overlooked flick from 1993, clearly inspired by many action films of the 1980s. That would be the nearly forgotten American Cyborg: Steel Warrior!

Oddly enough, despite the clear problems with budget and the script, the film manages to be a surprising amount of fun of the type that was dying out by the time Cannon put this out in the early '90s. Watching it now actually makes it feel a bit out of date for the time it came out. Fortunately, however, that helps it to stick out.

It might not be a masterpiece, but it is a good time for those who enjoy action flicks of this caliber. Definitely check it out if it sounds like your cup of tea.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: The Driver!

Special Episode: New York Ninja (1984/2021) [Non-Cannon ~ Episode 81]

This is a movie that is weird to talk about since it is essentially a long lost b-movie action flick that was found and finished in 2021. Is it modern or vintage? Well, either way it made a good topic for Cannon Cruisers since it is exactly the type of film we cover here. Does it stack up to the Cannon classics or is it a movie that would have been better off left on the shelf?

Check out this extra long discussion in this special episode of Non-Cannon where we go into the final product. Is New York Ninja worthy of the hype? You'll have to listen in and find out. If you are an '80s action movie aficionado then this episode is for you!

It isn't as if we get to talk about interesting projects like this one all too often on here. We were definitely more than happy to do it.

Randy's Score: 4/5

JD's Score: 4/5

Up Next: American Cyborg: Steel Warrior!

Episode 102 - Rescue Me (1992)

This one was a bit of a time capsule. Essentially a movie that was even dying out at the time, Rescue Me is an attempt at a coming of age road trip movie mixed with a dab of action and drama, but not, as you might expect from the premise and poster, romance.

We went in to this with specific expectations but the movie wasn't quite what we thought it would be. This made both a bit of a surprise and a bit of disappointment, but we couldn't quite fault it for an attempt to do something a bit different at the time. That said, it's not quite good enough to get away with what it does, but it isn't a whiff either. Definitely worth seeing, especially if these genre mash-ups are your thing. They don't make them like this anymore.

Cannon's last few years have certainly been more interesting than we originally thought they would be. That said, we aren't quite done yet! There's still much more to see!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: New York Ninja!