Hellbound

Hellbound (1994)

** (out of 4)

Chicago cops Frank Shatter (Chuck Norris) and Calvin Jackson (Calvin Levels) are investigating a bizarre and brutal murder of a Rabbi. Soon they're called to Israel to answer some questions and it becomes clear that they are dealing with some sort of Satanic force.

HELLBOUND turned out to be the final film of The Cannon Group as they'd go bankrupt shortly after. Sadly the film itself really isn't all that memorable and I think the biggest reason is probably budget issues, which is something that hampered a lot of the later day Cannon films. With that said, if you're a fan of the company or star Norris then there are enough decent moments here to make the film worth viewing.

I thought the film actually got off to a pretty good start as there was some nice action and some good laughs to be had. Norris is in fine form and manages to handle the various action scenes just fine. The earlier scenes in Chicago also had him delivering some nice one liners that managed to be quite funny. Norris and Levels have a nice chemistry together and help keep the film moving nicely.

Once things get to Israel everything just comes to a crashing halt. The film really looks very cheap and it just seems like the story ran out of ideas on what to do. More times than not Norris and company are just standing around having conversations and once the action scenes do start they're all rather routine. HELLBOUND certainly isn't going to be remembered for anything other than being the last film from Cannon but fans of the company might get a little entertainment out of it.

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Chuck Norris has done himself well by keeping in such good shape and appearance in his later years,and it's still a joy to watch him unveil his martial arts mastery with such grace and precision.It's just a shame he doesn't seem to possess the ability to pick a better script.Hellbound is quite probably his worst film ever.Tacky sets,uninvolving characters,and a stereotype hollywood black partner who might as well make himself into a 50p cliche dispensing machine.The story is ridiculous and totally unengaging,with elements of humour thrown in that are very contrieved and fail to evoke a single laugh.To any Chuck fans who feel compelled to watch his every film,this is the one to least commit yourself to.*

I have actually never heard about this 1994 movie titled "Hellbound" prior to stumbling upon it here in 2025. But then again, I never really were all that keen on Chuck Norris back in the day, as I always found him to be subpar to the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone. But as I had the opportunity to watch the movie here in 2025, of course I opted to do so. I have to say, though, that I had not particular big expectations to the movie.

Actually I never thought I would see the day when I would see Chuck Norris take on demonic beings. But here we are...

Writers Ian Rabin, Anthony Ridio, Brent Friedman and Galen Thompson put together a pretty straightforward script and storyline. It was tacky and cheesy, sure, but still it was oddly entertaining for the cheese that it was.

Of the entire cast ensemble, I was actually only familiar with Chuck Norris and Sheree J. Wilson. The acting performances in the movie were fair.

Watchable, for sure, but hardly among the most memorable of Chuck Norris movies.

My rating of director Aaron Norris's 1994 movie "Hellbound" lands on a five out of ten stars.

Anyone familiar with the 1999 lineup will find this 1993 Chuck Norris outing nothing new. It's a lot like some supernatural thrillers to emerge lately, including (but not limited to) "End of Days," "Stigmata," and "The Omega Code." In fact, it's probably a good thing this film was made before these, or else it probably would have been dismissed as a shameful, low-grade rip off.

The plot involves an odd, vampire-like creature imprisoned by Richard the Lionheart back in the days of olde who has been resurrected, and whose forecoming was fortold. Somehow, it's all tied into the armageddon, and only one person stands in his way of world domination: Good old Chuck Norris, a Texas Ranger with a bad attitude. (is anyone surprised? Just for the record, some of the cast members are from Walker as well)!

Nice settings in Israel, and some pretty good moves from Norris, but the film is pretty much a low-budget, cliched mish-mash that really offers nothing new or exciting to the sub-genre of "action hero kicking the butt of anciet evil in modern times." However, I must say that Neame is affective as the supernatural villain, providing just the right touch of evil without dramatically overplaying the role. Does he make the film worth watching? No, but that probably won't stop Norris fans from taking a look.

** out of ****

I love Chuck Norris. He is one of the best action stars of all time and he is known for kicking the crap out of monsters.He ruled in SILENT RAGE, and took no prisoners in THE HERO AND THE TERROR. But now we have him fighting a demon played by Christopher Neame.

Two Chicago police officers are sent to investigate the brutal murder of a rabbi. As the investigation begins, Shatter and Jackson are summoned to Israel for questioning. Upon arrival they realize that they are, in fact, pursuing a supernatural being.

while Hell-bound isn't much of a horror movie, it's perfectly acceptable as action movie with some supernatural thrown in. Norris's action sequences, and the martial-arts work really well here and are flawless. Some audiences who are looking for a pure horror movie might not find it here. But personally i really like this movie and the eventual showdown is enticing, with some great karate kicks that land on the chin of the devil guy Prosatanos. Prosatanos! He may sound like a Greek restaurant, but Prosatanos is indeed a minion of evil who's waited centuries to open the gates of Hell. His powers mainly consist of grabbing people and smashing them in to windows and furniture and the occasional heart rip. Played well over-the-top by the supremely Christopher Neame.

Hell bound isn't particularly trying to be too ambitious, but it does manage to deliver its goods. This is a Chuck Norris flick. It's his End of Days. It's his Exorcist II: The Heretic. It's his Demon Knight ... Why don't you own this yet? This is Chuck Norris fighting evil, what more do we want in life!