The Octagon
Directed by Eric Karson
De rör sig ljudlöst som en tiger. Slår till lika snabbt som en örn. Med samma resultat som ett stim pirayor. De är Ninjas, världens farligaste krigare. Men tack och lov har släktet varit utdött i 300 år. När Scott James, en avdankad martial arts-mästare, söks upp av en rik kvinna tror han först inte sina öron. Hon vill hyra honom som livvakt efter att ha hotats till livet av en grupp Ninjas. Det kan inte vara möjligt. Scott är nämligen den enda som känner till den hemliga ninjatekniken, förutom hans halvbror. Scott åtar sig motvilligt uppdraget, vilket för honom till Sydamerika och upptäckten av en mäktig organisation som utbildar Ninjas för att utföra världsomfattande terrordåd. En konfrontation är oundviklig och den sker i det åttkantiga träningsläger som bär fiendens namn…THE OCTAGON!
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The Octagon Ratings & Reviews
- Rob MacKinnon−7 dChuck Norris vs Ninjas should be more exciting than this. I guess we needed to hear Chuck’s echoey whispered internal monologue voice over because his acting certainly never reveals anything about his feelings or motives.
- jackmeat21 mars 2026My quick rating - 5.2/10. The Octagon is one of those movies that feels like a time capsule I wasn't supposed to open unsupervised. But I did anyway, probably way past my bedtime on that Showtime box. With the recent passing of Chuck Norris, going back to revisit one of his early leading roles hits a little differently. This was peak “testing the waters” Norris, before he fully cemented himself as a one-man army, but already radiating that quiet, roundhouse-ready presence. The setup is straight 80s action cheese. Scott James (Norris), a stoic martial arts expert, is tricked by a wealthy woman into providing protection. From ninjas. Yes, ninjas. Things escalate quickly when his old enemy McCarn (Lee Van Cleef, effortlessly cool as always) enters the picture, leading Scott into a full-blown grudge match with an entire ninja clan. The 80s loved their ninjas. That opening shootout? Way bloodier than memory serves. It almost tricks you into thinking you’re in for a brutal ride. Nope. After that, it’s back to the classic “guy gets shot and politely folds over” school of action physics. Still, all practical effects, which give it that raw charm modern CGI often struggles to replicate. And then there’s the inner voice. Oh boy. Norris spends a good chunk of the film coaching himself. From inside his own head. And it’s not the reassuring kind. It’s more like a slightly haunted, echoing voice that sounds like it’s warning him about a curse rather than helping him fight ninjas. It’s unintentionally hilarious and just a little creepy, like your conscience has seen some things. The real comedy gold, though, is Norris’s delivery. His one-liners land with the emotional range of someone reading a grocery list, which somehow makes them even funnier. It’s that dead-serious, “I absolutely mean this” tone that turns basic dialogue into comedy. You’re not laughing at the joke, you’re laughing at how committed he is to it. "Dammit, don't accuse me." Norris - "I haven't had time." Visually, you’ve got feathered haircuts everywhere (seriously, it’s like a shampoo commercial broke out mid-production), and a steady supply of ninjas who, toward the finale, politely wait their turn to get knocked out. The fight choreography is solid for its time, clean and watchable, but definitely feels slower compared to today’s hyper-edited chaos. Still, there’s something refreshing about actually seeing what’s happening in a fight. It was also fun spotting a young Ernie Hudson popping up early in his career. And the classic “two brothers trained together, one chosen, now sworn enemies” trope gets a full workout here, because no martial arts movie is complete without it. The Octagon isn’t Norris’s best, but it’s an important stepping stone. This was him inching toward the action icon status that would soon be shared with guys like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, though Norris carved his own lane with martial arts and later TV dominance in Walker, Texas Ranger. It’s rough around the edges, unintentionally funny in the right ways, and littered with enough ninjas to keep things entertaining. A nostalgic, slightly bizarre, but very watchable tribute. RIP Mr. Norris.
- Mister Arn22 mars 2026“The Octagon” is a Chuck Norris martial arts film with underworld nuance. The internal monologue is more distracting than helpful, never locking into its own story. Norris brings presence but not much else to the role, and the film leans on him to carry emotional weight he doesn’t deliver.
The Octagon Trivia
The Octagon was released on 15 augusti 1980.
The Octagon was directed by Eric Karson.
The Octagon has a runtime of 1h 44m.
The Octagon was produced by Joel Freeman.
De rör sig ljudlöst som en tiger. Slår till lika snabbt som en örn. Med samma resultat som ett stim pirayor. De är Ninjas, världens farligaste krigare. Men tack och lov har släktet varit utdött i 300 år. När Scott James, en avdankad martial arts-mästare, söks upp av en rik kvinna tror han först inte sina öron. Hon vill hyra honom som livvakt efter att ha hotats till livet av en grupp Ninjas. Det kan inte vara möjligt. Scott är nämligen den enda som känner till den hemliga ninjatekniken, förutom hans halvbror. Scott åtar sig motvilligt uppdraget, vilket för honom till Sydamerika och upptäckten av en mäktig organisation som utbildar Ninjas för att utföra världsomfattande terrordåd. En konfrontation är oundviklig och den sker i det åttkantiga träningsläger som bär fiendens namn…THE OCTAGON!
The key characters in The Octagon are Scott James (Chuck Norris), Justine (Karen Carlson), McCarn (Lee Van Cleef).
The Octagon is rated 15.
The Octagon is an Action, Adventure, Thriller film.
The Octagon has an audience rating of 3.2 out of 10.
The Octagon had a budget of 4 mn US$.
The Octagon has made 19 mn US$ at the box office.