Critics may not have been fond of this 1980s Chuck Norris' best action movies like the Missing in Action trilogy or, my personal favorite, Code of Silence, but his film career faltered by the time the 1990s arrived. While Norris had a compelling look, he just wasn't that great of an actor.

That's why his most successful movies leaned on his physicality and cut way back on his dialogue. His appearance in The Expendables 2 really exposed this, as the veteran star badly fumbles his own Chuck Norris joke meme. Despite his limits as a performer, I still think Norris made some gems in his career, including 1983's Lone Wolf McQuade. This macho modern-day Western cast Norris as the titular Texas Ranger, chasing after drug lord Rawley (David Carradine).

Lone Wolf McQuade Is One Of Chuck Norris' Best Movies

It's impossible to not have a good time with Lone Wolf McQuade

Growing up, I was more into the movies of Jean-Claude Van Damme or Sylvester Stallone, so I didn't watch much of Norris' output. Right from the opening of Lone Wolf McQuade - where Norris' stoic ranger shoots down about ten horse thieves on his own before having a sweaty, barechested practice session at a firing range - I knew I was in for a good time. Lone Wolf McQuade wants to be a Sergio Leone-style Western, but it's far too bombastic and over the top to scale such heights.

Instead, it's a slick, fast-moving ride that plays to all of Chuck Norris' strengths as a martial artist and actor. It's got well-shot setpieces, a hissable villain in Carradine and Norris even shares some romantic chemistry with co-star Barbara Carrera. Director Steve Carver wisely surrounded his leading man with a great ensemble to do the heavy lifting in of dramatic scenes, including Carrera and Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Beltran.

Reportedly, Lone Wolf McQuade was offered to Clint Eastwood first, so it makes sense that Norris' character wields a .44 Magnum throughout. I feel Norris is particularly well-suited to the Western genre too and Lone Wolf McQuade finds a good balance between being a modern action thriller and a Western throwback.

Lone Wolf McQuade's Barbara Carrera also appeared in the unofficial James Bond movie Never Say Never Again in 1983.

Why Lone Wolf McQuade Doesn't Have A Higher Rotten Tomatoes Score

Critics had some notes for Chuck Norris back in 1983

Lone Wolf McQuade's critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at a tepid 57%, with the consensus being that it was a silly B-action movie with little substance. That said, the late, great Roger Ebert actually gave it a 3-and-a-half-star review, praising the action and pacing, even as he pointed out the plot is "essentially meaningless." He's right on every count because Lone Wolf McQuade doesn't have much of anything to say - but I find it impossible not to enjoy its charms.

It's a martial arts Western with great, quippy dialogue and little concern about the plot getting too outlandish. The story makes less sense the more I think about it, but it moves too fast to become a problem. The reason Lone Wolf McQuade doesn't have a higher rating is that martial arts action movies were largely regarded as junk during this era, so despite the film's many virtues, many critics dismissed it out of hand.

Lone Wolf McQuade Is A Perfect Snapshot Of Chuck Norris' Career

Lone Wolf McQuade was Norris' gateway to mainstream stardom

While researching Lone Wolf McQuade, I was surprised to learn it was the first film where he donned his beard. It's almost hard to picture him without it now, but Norris' look and the movie's success helped him break through to the mainstream for a time. After Lone Wolf McQuade, Norris enjoyed a period of hits like Missing in Action or The Delta Force, which went on to become perennial VHS rentals in the years ahead. Outside of being one of my favorite Norris outings, the movie really captured the star at his apex.

For those who missed out on the whole Chuck Norris thing, then I recommend Lone Wolf McQuade as the best sampler.

When movie work dried up, he moved to television in the 1990s, playing a character not unlike McQuaod in Walker, Texas Ranger. For those who missed out on the whole Chuck Norris thing, then I recommend Lone Wolf McQuade as the best sampler. It's macho to the point of self-parody and would never get made now, but it also captures what made Norris such a star and it's never once dull - which I can't say for much of his later work.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert