Nearly every film that Norris starred in from the mid 80s through to the 90s was under the production company 'Cannon'. Is that a bad thing? No not really, as long it delivered on the goods that we expected. They were mainly cheap, but quite violent and senseless entertainment. However there's something about "The Hit-man" that makes me think much more highly of it than I probably should. It passes the time, but this Norris actioner provides a solidly calm performance, which is maybe his best or actually most suited. His beard is in full flight, but he also sports a gratuitous mullet and dangerous looking trench coat. It's definitively my favourite of those mainstream humdingers that he was chalking up through the measly 90s. Norris' brother Aaron (who directed Chuck in some other flicks) was in the director's chair and this would be his most accomplished piece. The premise is transparently black n white (if vague), but it's the calculatingly dark, risky and lean tone which I fancied. It kind of reminded me of J. Lee Thompson's "Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)". Sure it can get over-sentimental with a flabby and pointless subplot involving a 'young nice boy' living next door to Norris. But this plot device (in a surprisingly story-bound presentation) gives Norris' character a humane element to counter-pouch that cold, fearless nature driving him to complete his job. Amongst this moral interruption, it can be rather offensively racist, mean-spirited and brutal in its staged barbaric violence that's broken out in the crime underworld. As double crossings, secret meetings and vicious set-ups plague the get-up. It doesn't really focus on Norris' martial arts abilities, as it doesn't get much of a show-in with him preferring to use his punishing shotgun. Get ready for a bloody onslaught with smarting wise-cracks! Aaron Norris' hardboiled direction is brisk, gritty and accordingly sombre in its grungy atmospheric charges leaking from such moodily shot-on locations. Some rousing suspense can be detected too. Joel Derouin's music score really does skew back to those saucily cruising, but uneasy jazz scores of the 70s. The support cast offer able assistance with their parts. Michael Parks memorably nasty, thuggery performance is a blast whenever his on screen.
An edgy, hard-hitting Norris entry that at least tries be something a little more different.
