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The Octagon (1980)

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32 comments in total

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
ROUSING CLIMAX SAVES A SLOW AND LABORED MOVIE., 25 April 2001

Author: ALAN MOUNT from Cardiff,Wales

This early Chuck Norris potboiler was one of several that helped turn him into a key player within the action genre throughout the 80s.THE OCTAGON is well filmed but sluggish and does not spring to life until the last 20 minutes when Chuck invades the octagon(a terrorist compound never referred to by that title once in the entire film)and lays waste to scores of ninjas.Another good reason to watch this movie is to witness perhaps the most inept and lifeless performance by an actress in the history of cinema.Her name is Karen Carlson,I predicted at the time that we would be hearing less of her.I was right.

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
"Karen Carlson implodes across the screen as Chuck mutters to himself like a psych ward patient !!", 6 August 2005

Author: lemon_magic from Wavy Wheat, Nebraska

I just can't see this as a review excerpt - it wouldn't draw a lot of viewers - but it sums up "The Octagon" pretty well.

I actually would have rated this movie much lower, but the final 20 minutes, where Chuck invades the Ninja training camp and confronts his 'brother' almost saves the film. ALMOST.

Aside from Lee Van Clief, Chuck Norris is the best actor in the film, which ought to set off warning bells in your head. Chuck does his usual stoic, quiet-spoken tough guy shtick here. He at least isn't actively annoying as an actor, and he still can move impressively when the time comes for a martial arts smack down. (One thing you can say for Norris, he did improve somewhat as an actor, and by the time 'Code Of Silence' appeared some years after this, he was considerably more expressive.) However, the screenwriter and director apparently never passed Screen Writing 101, because they make poor Chuck narrate almost every scene with intrusive whispered voice-overs (in a layered echo effect, no less) where he endlessly explains his moral dilemmas and his anguish and anger at his estranged brother...to HIMSELF...over and over again. You just aren't supposed to do this, people...you're supposed to SHOW the viewer what's going on, not TELL and TELL and TELL and TELL the viewer.

Also, nothing against Karen Carlson personally, but at this stage in her career, she was one of the worst actresses alive. We are talking 'Hayden Christianson in Star Wars II' bad. To call her performance here 'wooden and stiff' is to insult the concepts of 'wooden' and 'stiff'. Some of this probably isn't actually her fault - she is plays an extremely contrived character with some really awful lines that she has to deliver with a straight face. I kept telling myself this, but it didn't help - every scene she was in made me want to drive to her house and leave a flaming bag of dog poop on her front porch.

There are serious pacing problems here, too. There are moments here and there where something exciting starts to happen, but these moments are smothered in endless, tedious scenes where people stand around and emote at each other. Even the early scenes set in the ninja terrorist training camp, which were probably meant to engage the viewer and keep the interest up, bog down in stupid inane dialog and exposition.

But, as other reviewers have mentioned, things perk up considerably in the last bit, which actually has suspense, atmosphere, and drama. In fact, it is obvious that the last 20 minutes of the film was the real point of the film, and that everything before it was just puffery and exposition. Too bad the whole movie couldn't have been like this, but I suppose that watching 2 hours of Chuck Norris infiltrating a Ninja camp would have been like playing "Metal Gear Solid" without a controller.

3.5 stars out of 10.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Wake me up for the ending!!!, 17 April 2004

Author: Cliff from England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Had fairly high hopes for this film (think Lone Wolfe McQuade wasn't too bad)but this really tries to be too clever. If I'm missing some thing here, who is Chuck in this film? he doesn't have a job, no kids to get kidnapped(to give him motivation) and who is the player Lee Van Cleef supposed to be with all his detailed baddy information. Ok Chuck always does a plastic performance, so why not more action to spare us this bad acting(a few convincing facual expressions wouldn't go a miss). As a spoiler, if you could spoil this film anymore, all it is is Chuck's brother decides to start ninja training for terrorists and because no-one believes in ninjas anymore thinks he can get away with it. Chuck however does believe and goes to sort him out. Thats it, pure and simple, all done in a "round the world" way to get to the end of the street!

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Cheap and dialogue-heavy., 6 December 2002

Author: gridoon

Whether you can take this film or not will depend on your tolerance for B-movies. The production is very cheap (to the point that you can barely see anything during the night scenes), and the plot is pretty vague (Is Chuck Norris playing a mercenary? An anti-terrorist expert? A former karate champion? All three?), and the fact that we can often hear his thoughts in echoing voice-over doesn't make it any more lucid. But Norris is better than usual here (at least better than anyone else in the cast), and his fighting moves are as sharp as ever. (**)

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
So bad, it's good, 1 June 1999
Author: Elbow

The Octagon on the surface is just another in a long line of not-so-great Chuck Norris karate pictures. But wait; there are differences.

Admittedly the quality of production is poor, but the addition of ninja assassins as chief antagonists was interesting. It should have intrigued us, but the film was just not meant to be great. The most entertaining aspect of the film is Chuck Norris' voice over narration of his thoughts. His voice echoes in whisper whenever he thinks of anything. This element may have been meant to be mysterious, but obviously it was just another part of the movie that may have swayed the viewer into thinking this was a comedy. This movie is at best described as a guilty pleasure, or something to watch on a night when you can't get to sleep. But for sarcastically humored people, or just undemanding viewers, The Octagon is fun to watch.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Good action, not much else., 25 June 2005

Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

The third starring vehicle for former karate champion Chuck Norris from the soon-to-be defunct American Cinema company, "The Octagon" tells the story of Scott James (Norris), whose adopted brother Seigura (Tadashi Yamashita) is running a terrorist training camp somewhere in Central America.

Also involved is a spoiled-rotten heiress (Karen Carlson) who wants revenge against Seigura because of the death of her father at the hands of terrorists. Then there's the reliable, squinty-eyed legendary film villain Lee Van Cleef as the shady character McCarn, Canadian actor Art Hindle as Scott's hot-headed friend A.J., and Carol Bagdasarian, daughter of singer-songwriter-actor Ross Bagdasarian, as a sexy terrorist-in-training who ultimately tries to redeem herself.

"The Octagon" is clearly more ambitious and better produced than a number of similar martial arts thrillers, although its reliance on actual plot and character development tends to make it drag at times. Those who watch these kinds of films for the admittedly well-choreographed fights may have their patience tested at times.

Norris basically just does what he usually does. Carlson is fairly awful. Van Cleef probably is the standout performer in this although "The Octagon" is noteworthy for some familiar faces in small parts: B-movie and martial arts veteran Richard Norton plays both "Kyo" and "Long Legs" and a number of the faceless ninjas as well (he's joked that he must have died a total of eight times in this movie). Ernie Hudson, veteran comedian Jack Carter, Brian Libby (whose next role was as Chuck's psycho nemesis in "Silent Rage"), and an unbilled Tracey Walter all turn up as well.

"The Octagon" is really not bad for this kind of film, although since it's NOT wall-to-wall action, some folks may find it hard to sit through.

This is another of those cases where you could do better and you could do worse.

6/10

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Can you go wrong with ninjas, Chuck Norris and Lee Van Cleef?, 29 January 2007

Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.

Scott James a retired martial arts champion gets caught up in a complicated web involving a wealthy heiress trying to hire him for an assassination job that includes an international terrorist group of ninjas and their training ground called 'The Octagon'. Who's actually led by his brother, turned nemesis from his youthful days. His friend A.J. takes up the offer of the job, but Scott does he best to convince him out of it. Although he finds himself stuck in it, when A.J. goes after the group. Along the way he gets help from an old friend/work buddy McCarn.

Whenever you got a ninja problem, Chuck Norris is your man. Though, I take it you already know that and will be relishing in every sequence involving Norris putting his boot into some ninjas. He's here to punish those who abuse their ninja abilities. It's too bad that many of those moments are very few and far between. As Norris wants to play detective, have flashbacks of his past, go for job interviews and constantly listen to his pondering voice in his head. And what's with the echoing lisp to it… I couldn't stop myself from laughing whenever he decided to take some time out to express his thoughts… in his head. Just brilliant! Only Norris could pull it off with such grace, ha-ha! This bizarre aspect only enhanced the unusualness and hazy cloud that formed amongst the over-populated material. I never thought I'll be saying this about a Norris film, but it has too much going on in the story and this makes it feel rather drawn out when its not shoving in those crackerjack martial art sequences. Otherwise with so much going on and it never truly being clear. From that it manages to rally up many random revelations and plot developments. Despite this its still a corn riddled outing on Norris' behalf and the junky script only goes on to prove it. The stupidity, machismo and ninja talk features rather heavily… to heavily in the woodenly talkative script.

This is one of Norris earlier features and one of his first lead roles. He's pretty much leaden in his acting abilities on this occasion (they gave him too much dialogues, when he should been kicking ass and having fun with it), but he would go on to hone down that charismatic appeal and personality he holds so greatly in the films that followed on. Or am I the only one of a few who thinks that? I find his presence to be far more engaging when his in more action-oriented roles that ask for some slight wit along the way. Anyhow this was probably made to turn him into the next American martial arts star, which would take him to Hollywood for even bigger roles. Oh no, that didn't entirely happen and he did get into some b-grade action flicks that flooded the 80s with the odd occasional big flick (Invasion USA, Delta Force). His acting is passable as a reluctant, but I must do it for the team Scott James, but when it came to the action. Those alert senses were brisk and flashy. When the film finally kicks into gear (in the latter end), up pops the very well choreographed and swiftly executed fight sequences capably directed by Eric Karson. Those final two fight scenes are a real blast. Too bad he couldn't get the pacing of the whole film to be like that, as it's downright sluggish for most part. Making up the rest of the performances is the wittily badass Lee Van Cleef (who steals the few scenes he's in) as the sneaky underhand McCern who feeds Scott with information he needs. Karen Carlson is horrible. Best leave it at that. Art Hindle is reasonable as Scott's go-getter friend A.J. Tadashi Yamashita nails down that venomously vile turn as Scott's brother Seigura. An elegantly biting Carol Bagdasarian turns up as a trainee terrorist who wants to make amends. Also in tiny, but potent parts are Jack Carter, Ernie Hudson and Richard Norton. The gloomily cheap b-grade production pretty much looks it. The lighting comes across as poorly dim and editing is quite haggard, but the beaming music score and stylishly vogue camera-work are competently suited into the picture.

A mildly amusing (and at times unintentionally rib-tickling) offering, but it just takes too long break out of it chains and the flat-nature to begin with for some might just be too hard to overcome. Really Chuck Norris' fans need only apply.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Oh well..., 13 May 2002
Author: kerottes from Norway

It was one of those nights. I had slept till about...late that day, and thus, my brain was functioning at a very high level, higher than the average 2 in the morning brain at least. I turn to the television for comfort, as i usually do when my friends have all left me, and I'm alone and sad. Amazed I find there's nothing worth watching as I flip through the 4 non-cable-TV channels in my room. The sadness and grudge towards my friends fades away as the opening scenes of The Octagon jump in my face. At this point, I'm wide awake and thrilled. "At least it's good for a few laughs".

And it was. The plot is fascinating:

Chuck's character was adopted by some Ninja master, and a rivalry is born between Chuck and his new fathers son, Seikura. When Seikura cheats in a race between the two, and thus dishonors the whole family, he is vanished by his father.

We meet Chuck's character Scott James, some sort of mercenary. Seikura is now training terrorists in some camp in South-America. And so the plot thickens.

As the end draws near I am vast asleep. The Octagon has served its purpose and dozed me into dreamland. Never mind the sandman. As long as Chuck's around, there's no need to fear insomnia!

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Hit and miss, but it has a place in Ninja film history, 4 March 2006

Author: Lornsorrow from Palmdale, Ca

I like The Octagon. I remember watching it back in the 80's and I had been waiting for it to come out on DVD. The DVD is great, and the extra's are interesting. However, the production values in this movie are hit and miss, some scenes drag on way long, and the directing could have been better in places. I do like that we can hear Chuck with is thoughts in echoing voice-over and think his performance in the film (in some places anyway) is better than in some other films of his. As another reviewer at IMDb said "The fight scene inside the Octagon between Scott James (Norris) and Kyo the Enforcer (Norton) is one of the most impressive and best choreographed fight scenes I have ever seen in any martial arts flick. No wire works, nor special camera shots...just one fluid scene of swift exchanges of blows combining Katana sword play and hand to hand combat between two badasses." Keeping in mind when it was made though, The Octagon (1980, released 8-14-1980) is an important film in that as far as I can tell it was the first American film to popularize the Ninja. Revenge Of The Ninja came out a couple of years later (1983, 9-16-1983) and along with other Sho Kosugi films and other Ninja flicks they seem to have done more for the Ninja craze of the 1980's than The Octagon did, but The Octagon was the first. It is an interesting take on the Ninja's in modern times setting, and its interesting to see how it was done before others tried their hand at similar formulas and story lines.

Personally though, my favorite Ninja flick at this point is The Hunted (1995, 2-24-1995) with Christopher Lambert (Not to be confused with another fine film of the same name, The Hunted 2003 with Tommy Lee Jones). Granted, The Hunted (1995) is really a modern Ninja vs. Samurai flick, but I think it stands as the best American made Ninja movie so far. Check it out if you haven't seen it.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Yawn, God Bless You Robotic Chuck Norris, 21 February 2006

Author: mike-r0x0rs from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This movie was almost the worst thing since the invention of the fanny pack. I was tripping out whenever Chuck Norris' character started thinking to himself in this movie, the whole whisper with a distorted echo thing."Doggo is not the answer... nswer... swer... wer... er... r..." It was like Chuck Norris was trying to crawl into me through my ear and steal my soul or something. I was scared needless to say.

The whole plot goes a little something like: Ninja's have been outlawed for 300 years. Someone is training people who are willing to be ninja assassins, in some undisclosed location outside of the United States. No one wants to believe they exists. some how money is involved, the movie dosn't answer that too well.

The only thing I personally think had going on for this movie was Lee Van Cleef was in it.

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