Review of The Hitman

Chuck Norris once again attempted to expand his range a little with this action/thriller showcasing Norris' ability with a gun as well as his trademark kicks and punches. He plays a cop gone undercover after barely surviving a double-cross from a partner gone dirty. Michael Parks, who is always an interesting actor to watch, plays the dirty partner. While undercover, Norris tries to ferret out what's going on amongst three different ethnic mobs. While the mob action makes little sense, it's a good excuse for lots of gun play, semi-torture, and Norris pushing guys around while trying to play up a domestic side of his character mentoring a young fatherless boy. Norris is better than usual in this film and is usually so when not taking himself or the film he's in too seriously. His acting range is quite limited, and previous efforts of his to expand have backfired due to tired, formulaic scripts that failed to differ from film to film. Even though the film is nothing spectacular, it does contain some good stunt work and great action scenes throughout. Parks is again a heavy, and it's unfortunate he's rarely given a chance to stretch his range. ** of 4 stars.