By Steve Vivona

MGM, Fullscreen/Widescreen

Before Chuck Norris segued into television in the early nineties he was the premier action star of the eighties. Chuck really set the stage for some actors to become action stars and helped set up a genre that still thrives today. His films were always low-budget efforts that usually turned a tidy profit, and from a critical standpoint they are something of a mixed bag.

One of his best is "Code of Silence," due largely in part to helmer Andy Davis (who would go on to direct "Under Siege" and "The Fugitive"). Here Chuck plays Eddie Cusack, an honest cop who breaks the force's code of silence when he blows the lid off a deadly cover-up.

When Eddie becomes embroiled in a mafia turf war and tries to rescue an innocent kidnap victim he gets no help from his embittered fellow officers. Of course we're talking about Chuck Norris here so does he really need any?

Davis keeps the action flowing fast and furious. In this film we are witnessing Chuck in his prime and benefiting from the direction of someone who knows how to stage great action sequences. More than most of his films, "Code of Silence" has a solid story and is not just a series of action set pieces strung together.

MGM has served up a nice new transfer for "Code of Silence." The letterbox matte on the widescreen transfer obscures picture information so I'm glad they opted to include a fullscreen transfer. Colors are strong and vibrant and the image is nice and sharp. A theatrical trailer has been included.