Top Dog (1995)

Synopsis: It’s Turner and Hooch with high-flying karate kicks!

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Maverick cop Jake Wilder (Chuck Norris) is convinced his career has gone to the dogs when he meets his new partner – a mischievous, high-IQ canine named Reno. But when a brutal white supremacist plot is uncovered, Jake and Reno join forces to become a two-fisted, four-pawed crime fighting machine in this explosive action-thriller.”

What Did I Learn?: Apparently, US Border Patrol agents drive hideously-painted pastel green-and-white squad cars.  

You Might Like This Movie If: You think it would be dog-gone hilarious to see Chuck Norris sit down to dinner, get up to answer a phone call, and suddenly discover the mangy mutt has devoured the entire bag of rotisserie chicken.

Really?: 1)  So, Jake Wilder is both a disciplined martial artist and a permanently hung-over slob who lives in a pig sty? 2) On two occasions, Wilder either strong-arms a dude for a logbook, or breaks-and-enters because he doesn’t think much of search warrants.

Rating: I didn’t buy the idea of Chuck Norris as a hung-over, messy maverick cop, and we’ve seen this formula hundreds of times: police detective meets his new partner, they don’t like each other at first, and then grudging respect turns into true friendship. About the only thing that didn’t fall into place was any romance between Norris and an attractive female detective who cares for the dog (which isn’t surprising, as Norris is off-screen for about half the movie – maybe he was filming something else at the time?) Don’t step into this top dog turd. 2.5/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114697/