Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)

Braddock: Missing in Action III is a 1988 American action adventure film, a sequel to Missing in Action (1984) and the third and final installment in the Missing in Action film series. The film stars Chuck Norris, who co-wrote the screenplay with James Bruner. The film was directed by Norris' brother, Aaron Norris.

The film is about Colonel James Braddock who learns from a missionary that his wife Lin, long presumed dead, is alive and that he has a 12-year-old son. Suspicious of a CIA official’s attempt to dismiss the claim, Braddock returns to Vietnam to investigate.

Cannon Films, facing financial trouble, pushed for another Missing in Action movie, but Chuck Norris initially refused. His interest was revived when his brother Aaron told him about the thousands of Amerasian children left behind in Vietnam, inspiring Norris to research the issue and get emotionally invested in telling their story. The project originally began under director Joseph Zito, but creative conflicts led to his departure. Jack Smight was briefly attached before Aaron Norris ultimately made his directorial debut with the film. Production took place in the Philippines, where a tragic helicopter crash claimed the lives of four military and police officers. Despite the setbacks, Norris believed before its release that Braddock: Missing in Action III was the best film he had made.

Braddock: Missing in Action III opened at number five at the U.S. box office, earning $2.2 million in its first weekend. Despite Chuck Norris’s belief that it was the strongest entry in the series, it became the least successful financially. Norris later expressed frustration with Cannon Films’ marketing efforts, claiming they mishandled the release and jeopardized his career.

The film was met with mostly negative reviews, criticized for its formulaic action, excessive violence, and lack of emotional depth. Many viewed it as a routine entry in Chuck Norris’s filmography, offering little beyond familiar one-man-army tropes. Some noted faint attempts at emotional storytelling, but overall, it was seen as predictable and heavy-handed rather than impactful or engaging.