88 Films Blu-ray Synopsis: Ninjas were supposed to have died out three hundred years ago. So who are the guys trying to kill Scott James? Someone's training ninjas to use as terrorist-mercenaries and ex-martial arts champ Scott – played by none other than Chuck Norris – thinks he knows who it is. But can he find them and stop them before their evil plan comes to fruition? Of course he can: he's Chuck Norris. The Octagon is one of the first films to showcase the charisma and roundhouse kicks that helped Big Chuck dominate the video stores back in the day, and it still looks mighty fine. With striking support from Lee Van Cleef (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly), Art 'The Brood' Hindle and a young Richard Norton (Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars; City Hunter), this is old-skool action done right. (104 Mins)

 

Master Vision UK VHS Synopsis: In a high adventure story of suspense and intrigue, martial arts champion Scott James (Chuck Norris) revenges the death of his girlfriend by a band of lethal Ninja killers. He discovers The Octagon, a sinister training centre run by international extremists, which dispatches team of killers to cause worldwide mayhem. Justin (Karen Carlson) is the enchanting heroine whom Scott must save during a final intensely shocking battle. (98 Mins)

 

Views: After his girlfriend is killed by ninjas, and his new lady friend finds herself hounded by the same terrorist organisation, martial artist Scott James takes it upon himself to infiltrate the gang and bring them down. He finds his way in through The Octagon and finds that it is run by adopted brother – someone he hasn't seen since leaving their Japanese master at 18. Helped by his old friend and fellow martial artist A.J., they go up against the army of ninjas and, eventually, his spiteful and deadly brother that reveals a lot more than he bargained for!

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Coming in a year prior to Enter The Ninja (1981), the very same title Cannon Films claims ignited the 'ninja craze' of the cinematic world, The Octagon gave audiences the first wave of American ninjas while sending the late-great Chuck Norris on a global adventure (Of course, ninjas had appeared in a couple of other Hollywood productions even prior to this). Playing like a blend of Enter The Dragon (1973), The A-Team (1983), and American Ninja (1985), the film is quite clearly a product of it's time, yet still holds up today as an entertaining action-thriller. This was the debut feature film for director Eric Karson, who does a decent job all-round in delivering a very well made production. And while he never went onto have a huge career in the years that followed, he did deliver enjoyable action fare like Opposing Force (1986), Black Eagle (1988), and Angel Town (1990). If I was to point out one erk about The Octagon that I had to highlight, it would be the decision by writers Leigh Chapman and Paul Aaron to repeatedly let us hear the echoing inner-thoughts of Chuck's character, Scott. But I also blame Karson for allowing that to go ahead! This whispering echo almost makes a mockery of The Octagon, and if it doesn't end up pissing you off by the end of the film, it's pretty much guaranteed to make you laugh...

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Of course, Chuck had already been acting for a good ten years prior to this, starting with roles in The Wrecking Crew (1968), had his infamous fight against Bruce Lee in Way of The Dragon (1972), played the big bad in Golden Harvest's Yellow-Faced Tiger (1974) better known as Slaughter in San Francisco, then made his mark back home with films like Breaker! Breaker! (1977), Good Guys Wear Black (1978), and A Force of One (1979). Of course, from here, Norris would quickly go on to become a household name as one of Hollywood's biggest and best action-heroes – gaining legendary status after the turn of century as the butt of many jokes that, in turn, just made him even bigger for a new generation. While not a fully trained actor, Chuck holds his own in The Octagon, and certainly doesn't disappoint when it comes to the action – something of which he and his brother, Aaron, choreographed respectively. It's also worth noting that Chuck's son, Mike Norris, makes a cameo as the teenage Scott in some of his flashbacks. Playing his best friend throughout the show is Art Hindle, a prolific Canadian actor who had appeared in films like Black Christmas (1974), Invasion of the Body Snatches (1978), Porky's (1981), and most of the much loved television shows of the 80s, later joining Norris again on a couple of episodes of Walker: Texas Ranger in 1996.

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Both are joined by Hollywood legend Lee Van Cleef – he of the Western film and television genre, going on to face-off against more ninjas in Sho Kosugi's television show, The Master (1984). Here, Lee plays a feisty and slick cop, always on Chuck's case but happy to unload some bullets into the bad guys when called for. Television actress Karen Carlson plays the fair lady in need of Chuck's help, while actors such as Larry D. Mann, Kurt Grayson, Kim Lankford, Gerald Okamura, Ernie Hudson, John Fujioka, and Redmond Gleeson help flesh out the pretty big cast list. But two others really stood out to me – the fantastic Tadashi Yamashita and late-great Richard Norton.; two guys that would cross paths many times in the years that followed. Born in Japan, Tadashi made a brief appearance in Enter the Dragon (1973) before exploding onto the screen in The Karate (1974), known widely in the West as the outrageously entertaining Bronson Lee, Champion! Two sequels would follow (all of which were recently restored and released on Blu-ray by Severin Films), with the martial artist going on to star in films such as Soul of Chiba (1977), Seven (1979), and The Magnificent Three (1979) just before he was cast here. Playing the adult version of Chuck's martial arts brother, this lively character went on to star in films like The Shinobi Ninja (1981), Gymkata (1985), American Ninja (1985), American Ninja 5 (1993), Rising Sun (1993) and more. Of course, my old friend Richard, who discussed with me his experiences here during our interview, would work with Tadashi on both Gymkata and American Ninja; both behind and in front of the camera. After a lengthy career as a bodyguard to the stars, the much loved Aussie martial arts made his acting debut here in The Octagon – and not just in one role, but three, playing the red hooded ninja Longlegs, the blond haired enforcer Kyo, and one (or more) of the black-clad ninjas. Impressing as always, the young star would return to work with Norris on both An Eye for an Eye (1981) later that year and Forced Vengeance (1982), as well as starring alongside him over 8 episodes on Walker: Texas Ranger later in life.

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Neatly shot and wonderfully scored, The Octagon will never win any awards as the World's greatest action flick, but it's definitely worthy of a watch. The film recently got a 2K restored Blu-ray release by 88 Films and it's never looked better! In fact, after watching it for years on a crumby VHS, I honestly felt like I was watching The Octagon for the first time. Beautifully presented with stunning new artwork by Sean Longmore, the release also comes with a host of bonus features that begin with an insightful audio commentary by director Eric Karson. Following that, co-star Art Hindle delivers a lengthy and fun interview, expressing kind words on Norris and Norton while sharing his memories of the shoot. Next, Italian film critic Nanni Cobretti and the wonderful Cynthia Rothrock share their thoughts and memories on the very missed Richard Norton – Cindy's co-star throughout numerous movies and long time friend from their early days as martial artists. We are also treated to two welcome archival documentaries; the first of which is The Making of The Octagon, which was actually just a host of interviews with the director and crew members cut throughout clips of the movie. However, it does offer a fun interview with Norton on his experiences which I thoroughly enjoyed. The second is called How American Cinema Changed Hollywood Forever, a documentary on the company behind The Octagon and the productions they delivered over the years. Finally, a beautifully restored trailer and short unrestored TV spot finish things off. All in all, a fantastic release of this classic Norris film and a welcome addition to my collection!

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Overall: Utterly ridiculous yet pretty entertaining at the same time, The Octagon still holds up and is worth checking out!

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88 Films Blu-ray Extras: Audio Commentary by Director Eric Karson, Interview with Art Hindle, Interview with Nanni Cobretti and Cynthia Rothrock, Archival Making of Documentary, Archival Documentary on How America Changed Hollywood Forever, Trailer & TV Spot