Why Chuck Norris played a hitman in this 1991 cult action thriller
In short: In the 1991 action film The Hitman, Chuck Norris trades his usual hero persona to play a Seattle cop who fakes his own death to infiltrate the mob. While critics largely panned the movie, it remains a notable entry in the Norris filmography for his rare attempt at a darker role.
Directed by Aaron Norris and released in 1991, The Hitman follows the story of Cliff Garret, a police officer betrayed by his corrupt partner, Ronny Delany. After surviving a near-fatal shooting during a botched drug bust, Garret is officially declared dead. Under the guidance of his supervisor, Chambers, he assumes the identity of Danny Grogan, a professional hitman. His mission is to dismantle the criminal empires of mob bosses Marco Luganni and André LaCombe by forcing them into a fatal confrontation.
The narrative takes a complex turn when Iranian drug dealers enter the fray, complicating Grogan's long-term infiltration. Amidst this high-stakes underworld maneuvering, the film explores a softer side of the protagonist through his relationship with a young neighbor, Tim Murphy. Grogan mentors the boy in self-defense, leading to a violent confrontation with the boy's abusive father. This subplot culminates in a dramatic rescue when Delany, who eventually discovers Grogan's true identity, uses the boy as leverage in a trap involving explosives.
Critical reception of the film was notably poor. It holds a 13% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews. Film historian Leonard Maltin described the production as fairly awful, noting that while it was a rare opportunity for Norris to play a heavy, the performance failed to distinguish the film from his other cinematic misses. Despite the negative reviews, the film was a box office success. It is worth noting that the title The Hitman is also famously associated with Canadian-American professional wrestler Bret Hart, who is widely known by that moniker.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Hitman
- Also: Bret Hart
- Also: The Hitman
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