Forest Warrior

Forest Warrior

Film poster
Directed by Aaron Norris
Produced by Andy Howard
Written by Ron Swanson
Galen Thompson
Starring Chuck Norris
Terry Kiser
Max Gail
Music by Bill Elliott
Cinematography João Fernandes
Edited by Marcus Manton
Production
company
Distributed by Turner Entertainment
Release dates
  • November 5, 1996
Running time
 93 min
Country United States
Language English

Forest Warrior is a 1996 American adventure film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Norris's real life brother Aaron Norris. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on November 5, 1996. The film is perhaps best known since late 2011 as the source of a scene in which Chuck (a ubiquitous Internet meme himself) stops a chainsaw by grabbing it with his bare hand. The scene has been reposted numerous times on YouTube with views totaling several million, as well as made into an animated GIF for use on Internet forums and message boards.

Plot

The film opens with a campfire story being told by Clovis Madison (Roscoe Browne) to a group of children, about a man named John McKenna (Chuck Norris) who was killed a century ago in the Tanglewood forest fighting bandits. Through the forest's magic he was brought back to life and given the power to transform into a bear, wolf, or eagle. The children are inspired by the tale, and dub their group the Lords of the Tanglewood.

During the present day, the Tanglewood forest is targeted for harvesting by a villainous logging company led by Travis Thorne (Terry Kiser). Most of the small town is against their deforestation, including the kids, who regularly camp out in a treehouse in the woods. During one of their trips, a group of loggers bully the kids but then are beat up by McKenna, the legendary shapeshifter. The loggers report this to Thorne, who orders the treehouse destroyed. While the kids are gone the loggers place a bomb in the treehouse, but it turns out the token girl Austene Slaighter (Megan Paul) is still there. McKenna saves her, beats up the loggers, and uses the forest magic to resurrect her just like he had.

Austene is reunited with her father, but Thorne has received a permit to continue logging. In response, the kids rally and prank the loggers with numerous traps, impeding their efforts to chop down the forest. McKenna appears before Thorne and intimidates him by turning into a bear, so the terrified man calls off the logging. With their forest saved, the townspeople rebuild the kids' treehouse, and Austene sees McKenna's and his Native American wife's spirits in the distance one last time.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in England and Oregon in 56 days from January 14 until March 10, 1996.

Awards and nominations

Young Artist Awards

References

    External links