Hail to the mighty Chuck Norris! Now 84 years old, the actor has given us one of the most biting punchlines in the history of action cinema! Let’s revisit this sharp quip from 1988 in “Missing in Action 3”.
It’s March 2, 1988. At 48 years old, Chuck Norris returns to the big screen in an action movie that would forever leave its mark on unabashed B-movie fans: Missing in Action 3! Following two earlier installments released in 1984 and 1985, the actor came back angrier than ever, ready to take down bad guys left and right!
What wasn’t known yet was that this film would go down in history for one of the most scathing punchlines in action cinema! But before we relish that line dripping with testosterone, a bit of context is necessary.
A Hero Brimming with Testosterone
The saga follows James Braddock, a colonel in the U.S. Special Forces. His mission: to locate and rescue a group of men missing in Vietnam. An expert in martial arts, weaponry, and explosives, Braddock is a kind of Rambo charged with testosterone, mixed with a trigger-happy Dirty Harry.
With him, no mission is too tough because he excels in combat. In the first installment, he had to free several American prisoners from the clutches of the cruel General Tau. After settling his score with this war criminal, the saga returns to its origins in the second episode, which is a prequel.
The story takes us to 1972, in Vietnam. Colonel James Braddock’s squad is captured in a torture camp deep in the jungle. For many long weeks, the survivors endure physical and mental torture. Braddock eventually manages to escape and take revenge on Colonel Yin, the infamous military officer responsible for the camp.
A Sequel Packed with Action
As for the third installment, the one we’re focusing on, it is a direct sequel to the first film. This time, Colonel James Braddock is truly furious! It’s 1987, 12 years after the end of the Vietnam War. The hero learns, through Reverend Polanski, that his wife is still alive!
For Braddock, it’s a shock! He thought she had died during the fall of Saigon in 1975. But that’s not the only surprise the soldier discovers! Not only is his wife alive, but she also gave birth to his son, Van Tan Cang, shortly after the war ended.
Without hesitation, Braddock decides to return to Vietnam to find them. However, things do not go as planned and the small family is captured by the merciless General Quoc, a man of unspeakable cruelty! But the iconic line we are interested in occurs before his departure for Vietnam, about twenty minutes into the film.
After learning from Reverend Polanski that his wife was alive, Braddock goes to the CIA headquarters to meet the corrupt boss Littlejohn. This character is portrayed by actor Jack Rader and was voiced in French by Pierre Hatet, the actor who voiced Doc in Back to the Future.
A Punchline That Made History
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Colonel Braddock? How are you?” he asks. “You know damn well how I am, Littlejohn. So, what do you want?” retorts an evidently irritated Chuck Norris, superbly voiced by the late Bernard Tiphaine.
Littlejohn then mentions Reverend Polanski and his revelations about Braddock’s wife. The colonel struggles to believe this story, and the boss agrees, raising the hero’s doubts. “Of course, it’s crazy,” asserts Littlejohn. The two men face each other and Braddock finally grasps the truth from seeing his embarrassed interlocutor.
“You’ve made a serious mistake. I hadn’t believed it until now. What are you going to do for them?” questions the colonel. “Nothing at all!” retorts Littlejohn. “If I don’t get them out, they’re going to die,” responds Braddock. “People die every day,” states the boss cynically.
Annoyed, Braddock turns to leave. Littlejohn rises from his chair and shouts at him: “Braddock! I warn you! Watch your step!” This threatening phrase hits the vindictive colonel’s mind, stopping him in his tracks. He turns around and delivers the most scathing punchline in the history of action cinema.
I go wherever I want, Littlejohn, and it’s often in the face!
“I go wherever I want, Littlejohn, and it’s often in the face!” BAM! Littlejohn is defeated by knockout and collapses, dejected, into his chair. Braddock then leaves the building, determined to travel to Vietnam to save his wife and son and take justice into his own hands.
It’s worth noting that in the original English version, the punchline is just as impactful but could not be translated literally; thus, it was brilliantly adapted for the French version. For purists, here is the original version: “I’m warning you! Don’t step on any toes” – “I don’t step on toes, Littlejohn, I step on necks!” (“I warn you! Don’t step on toes. – I don’t step on toes, Littlejohn, I step on necks!”).
