Forest Warrior (1996)

Too much of everything

Just so...so bad

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

I remember this film since My childhood - in those time, when it was in all the cinemas, I was just 5 y.o. But I still wonder about this interesting, beautiful and great movie, which full of love to the animals, to the forests, to the world, that surround us...We know Chuck Norris as a fighter, as a man, who shows to the bad guys the meaning of "honour" with fists and legs, but this time we'll see him as a hero, who has a magic power and a power of the nature itself. I'm glad to watch this movie in every possible time, and advise it to You too.Actually, I can't understand, why such great, wonderful, really perfect movie has low votes and bad reviews - I can't agree with people, who say about it like about "very simple, usual and not interesting movie", You may just to watch it, to understand, that it's not so.Here's the amazing movie for all Your family, as for children, as for grandfathers and grandmothers, for all audience. I very hope, that You'll find something interesting and really sensitive for Your soul and for Your heart after watching "The forest warrior".My mark is 10 out of 10, and I don't even think, that it may be another one!..

This is a family movie, more along the lines of the Disney movies of the 50s and 60s--For those of you wanting OCtagon--get over it! The kids are the stars, and Chuck is the mythological/fantasy part of this and it does all fit if you watch it in the right frame of mind.My kids and I enjoyed it for different reasons--they loved the kids getting over on the adults, and all the animals, and fantasy parts.What I really enjoyed was Michael Beck's father/daughter story, and how her belief and his going downhill and then being reminded what is important and his redemption and getting his life together, gave me a good feeling. He did a fantastic job of it, and made a great father figure. I also loved Max Gail as the friend who told it like it is, and still made allowances for the fantasy part. It is a family film that no one need worry about who is in the room and who is watching. I enjoyed the hope in this movie.

Terry Kiser must REALLY be a good friend of Norris; not only did he guest-star several times on his "Walker" TV show, he agreed to be the villain in this terrible family movie. Actually, you can't really call it a "family" movie - it's strictly aimed at the juvenile set instead of having something for kids AND their parents. Correction - make that a particular juvenile set that has its classes in the basement of a school. The dopey tone and the extreme exaggeration of the heavies will even have five year-olds rolling their eyes.Poor Chuck; looking at him in the movie, it's obvious that he's past his prime. Watching him in action during the (badly choreographed and edited) fights, it's obvious that 99% that it's a double doing the action - since you only see his face 1% of the time in these scenes! (This was also very evident in his TV series after the first few seasons.) Actually, it's hard to feel any sympathy to him when you consider that he actually isn't in that much of the movie. Also, he appears utterly bored in his scenes. Well, at least Norris for once is showing emotion.It's no wonder that this never got a theatrical release. It's an embarrassment to everyone involved. That is, except for the underrated Roscoe Lee Brown. He enters and leaves the movie with his dignity intact, giving a conviction to everything he says. What a performer, to be able to survive this!

Now come on all you pessimistic movie haters out there! This movie is a treasure! The problem is that no one really sees the true meaning behind this film. Before that, Chuck's acting is superb.....not bad!!! He is a model thespian and consumate interpeter of scripts. Now as for what this movie represents. The base for this movie came, no doubt, from C.S. Lewis. This movie is somewhat related to "Narnia," although is based upon "That Hideous Strength." The mountain in this movie represents humanity, and the femecological destiny of our planet according to Suzette Elgin in her treatise on human relations "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense." Chuck represents the Pendragon, or the guardian of the Arthurian throne, son of Uthur Pendragon. He and the children, representing Logres, or the civilized realm of Arthurian Britain, are charged with further guarding humanity (the mountain) against the evil business tycoons. The business men are clearly a representation of Lewis' N.I.C.E. Furthermore, they are an indirect representation of our 20th century totalitarian fears. For the average person this may be a bit much to handle, but with Chuck's guidance, we can all understand the importance of this movie to our everyday lives.