Firewalker (1986)
Firewalker is a 1986 American action adventure comedy film starring Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett, Jr., Will Sampson and Melody Anderson. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by Norman Aladjem, Robert Gosnell and Jeffrey M. Rosenbaum. This was the first comedic role for Norris, giving him a chance to poke fun at his action persona.
Plot.
Max Donigan and Leo Porter are two “seasoned” treasure hunters whose adventures rarely result in any notable success. After their latest stint gone wrong, they are recruited by a seemingly-psychic woman, Patricia Goodwin, owner of a treasure map. She convinces them that the map leads to a huge stockpile of gold belonging to the “Firewalker.” She then says that someone, or thing, else is searching for the map: a red cyclops. The map leads them to a cave on a local Native American Reservation. Patricia warns them that the cave is home to “old people, sleeping”; they later discover it is a mass grave filled with skeletons. They find a Spanish Conquistador helmet and mural depicting Aztec and Mayan art, with an anachronistic date of 1527. As Leo studies the mural, Max finds a ruby-pommeled dagger hidden inside a skull. They are ambushed inside the cave by a small group of men and Patricia is taken by one of them. After killing their attackers, Max and Leo confront the kidnapper; upon seeing the dagger, he screams and throws himself into a pit.
While discussing the nature of the dagger at a local bar, Max, Leo and Patricia hear from the barkeep about El Coyote: a local that believes himself descended from the Aztecs —and also happens to be a one-eyed man with an eye patch. The barkeep also directs them to Tall Eagle, a local Native American. He tells them that the Firewalker was a powerful being that flew away to walk in the fires of the sun and gives Patricia a small bag of “magic” to protect her. While trying to figure out where to go next, Patricia stabs the dagger into a map, then faints, giving them a location of San Miguel. Max is later drugged by a woman; El Coyote chants while holding a snake as the woman attempts to murder Max. A chanting Tall Eagle causes Patricia to suddenly wake and rush to Max’s defense; she and Leo stop the woman from succeeding. They capture her, but she disappears overnight and a snake appears in her cell.
They travel to San Miguel and barter for information. A man named Boggs directs them to a contact in a village named Chajal; Boggs is later seen to have been working for, and is killed by, El Coyote.
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Production.
Chuck Norris wanted to write a comedy and was recommended to writer Robert Gosnell. Gosnell had written Firewalker and showed it to Norris, who decided to make it instead of the comedy. The film was Norris’ first comedy, even though it was still an action film. It was described as “two guys, a girl and a Jeep on the road to a fortune in lost Aztec treasure.” “It’s a detour,” said Norris. “Max Donegan is really the lighter side of Chuck Norris.” He added, “It’s just an open, friendly, warm film with a lot of humor. It has the adventure of a Romancing the Stone and Raiders of the Lost Ark, the humor of the movie Crocodile Dundee — where the situations cause the humor — and the companionship between the two guys like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Norris says that Cannon’s chairman, Menahem Golan, showed “a little skepticism” when Norris first took the film to him to develop. “It’s not the type of film I’m known for doing,” said Norris. But Norris had a seven year deal with Cannon and was their leading box office star along with Charles Bronson. “Whether I do more lighter-type films beyond this one will be determined by how Firewalker does,” said Norris. “The audience tells you what you’ll be doing or not doing. Like Stallone – – he’ll never do Rhinestone again.”