10 Best Chuck Norris Movies, Ranked
World karate champion, action star of the 80s, and face of a popular meme from the early 2000s, Chuck Norris is one of the most recognizable actors on the planet, despite not having been in many movies since his heyday three decades ago. What makes Norris' films so loveable is also what makes him arguably limited as an actor. They are wholly similar, with nearly every one revolving around Norris playing a stoic hero that saves the day with big guns and swift kicks.
Still, sometimes a karate master officer of the law is exactly what a viewer needs for a good time or an exciting movie night with friends. Good thing he has plenty of films that some would call genuinely good, some would call guilty pleasures, and some might even call bad, but no one would ever call any of them boring.
Firewalker
5.1 on IMDB
- Directed by J. Lee Thompson
- 1986
- Action/Adventure
The 80s saw a massive influx of ripoffs of a hit movie called Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's not shocking that even Norris got his turn to portray an Indiana Jones wannabee on a pulpy exotic adventure. In Firewalker, Norris and his witty partner, played by Louis Gosset Jr., go on a quest to track down a mythical Aztec treasure.
The film is an action-comedy, which is rare for a Norris film. Seeing him play a pseudo-parody of his usual persona is interesting, and his comedic chops are actually pretty on point.
9Good Guys Wear Black
5.1 on IMDB
- Directed by Ted Post
- 1978
- Action/Thriller
The second movie to make Norris the lead and the first to surge his popularity, this recently reclaimed cult classic has Norris playing former Vietnam POW John T. Booker (a character he would then be named after again in his cameo in The Expendables 2).
Now working as a college professor, Norris uncovers a conspiratorial plot to eliminate all the members of his former squad. It's a truly Americanized martial arts film and the perfect launchpad for the icon. Norris' sunglasses, hat, and suit (all black, of course) make for what is arguably his coolest movie look of all time.
8Missing in Action
5.4 on IMDB
- Directed by Joseph Vito
- 1984
- Action/War
Another film where Norris plays a Vietnam vet whose traumatic past is coming back around. Missing in Action has Norris go back to the war-ravaged landscape a decade after the conflict ended to find and rescue soldiers that were marked MIA and never found.
Clearly inspired by the Rambo sequels, the film hits all the beats that are typical of one-man-army action movies; explosions, massive guns, hand-to-hand combat, and over-the-top American patriotism all play vital roles.
7Silent Rage
5.4 on IMDB
- Directed by Michael Miller
- 1982
- Action/Horror
While he still gets to deliver vicious roundhouse kicks and do his typical action-star thing, Silent Rage moves Norris away from the usual action-genre tropes a bit and instead puts him in a horror movie. Norris plays the sheriff of a small Texas town where a recently deceased serial killer is brought back to life.
The killer, unsurprisingly, goes on a murder spree, and only Norris can catch and stop him. It gets even more ridiculous when the heroic sheriff realizes his enemy has a Terminator-esque invulnerability and won't be taken down via kicks and punches
6Invasion U.S.A.
5.4 on IMDB
- Directed by Joseph Vito
- 1985
- Action/Thriller
While fighting for the USA isn't uncommon for Norris in his films, this one has the unique element that he's fighting the enemy on his home turf. Norris, who co-wrote the screenplay, plays a special forces soldier in Invasion U.S.A. who sets out to stop a small army of guerrilla insurgents who are attacking the United States.
Considering the maximalist destruction and impressive stunts, it's no wonder that this is one of the movies that helped launch Cannon Film Group, one of the 80s' biggest action movie production companies.
5An Eye For An Eye
5.5 on IMDB
- Directed by Steve Carver
- 1981
- Action/Thriller
In An Eye for an Eye, Norris plays a cop who is forced to step down and then, naturally, sets out to destroy a mob of drug traffickers. The action is frantic and well-choreographed, with a great mixture of martial arts and gunfights.
The film also has one of the most fun casts in a Norris flick. Cult favorite actors Christopher Lee and Richard Roundtree both play side characters. The only major knock against it is that Norris doesn't have his iconic beard or mustache, and seeing him take on villains without either is a bizarre sight.
4The Delta Force
5.6 on IMDB
- Directed by Menahem Golan
- 1986
- Action/War
Another big hit for Cannon Film Group, this campy action thriller abandons the lone wolf persona Norris usually sports to instead go for a buddy-cop formula. Norris plays a crack special forces soldier who works alongside his much older but still dangerous partner, played by Lee Marvin in his final film performance.
The two set out to stop a terrorist group who have hijacked a massive jet. Explosions and sly smirks are all over this one, including both at once during a crazy sequence where Norris drives a motorcycle with rocket launches on both ends.
3Code Of Silence
6.0 on IMDB
- Directed by Andrew Davis
- 1985
- Action/Thriller
Once again, Norris plays a lawman who has to take on the mob. This time, he's fighting his way all over Chicago to stop dirty cops and lethal criminals. His character is no-nonsense and doesn't hesitate to blow away or roundhouse kick anybody who stands in his way.
If Missing in Action plays out like a Rambo sequel, then Code of Silence is Norris' take on a later Dirty Harry movie, even down to him firing a revolver and having an action sequence on a bus.
2Lone Wolf McQuade
6.3 on IMDB
- Directed by Steve Carver
- 1983
- Action/Western
Lone Wolf McQuade is arguably Chuck Norris' most well-known character on film since he would go on to star in the TV show Walker, Texas Ranger for eight seasons. Incidentally, Norris plays a Texas Ranger here as well, with the film being a send-up of Spaghetti Westerns as well as a typical Norris action film.
The film's villain is played by B-movie legend and star of the long-running TV show Kung-Fu, David Carradine. Getting to see Carradine play a vile antagonist is always a treat, and it's cool that Norris gets to take on another legend of American martial arts media.
1Way Of The Dragon
7.2 on IMDB
- Directed by Bruce Lee
- 1972
- Action/Comedy
The most critically successful action film that Norris has ever appeared in is this classic Bruce Lee-led tale of a man who stands up to a criminal group that's used to bullying people out of their land. While it won't typically be brought up when talking about Norris' films due to him only having a smaller antagonist role, it is still worth noting as it is one of his first films and truly shows off how well-trained in martial arts he is.
Plus, seeing Chuck Norris not only portray a villain but get to take on Bruce Lee in a fantastic one-on-one showdown is one of the most memorable moments in all of martial arts cinema.
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