The film career of martial-arts champion Chuck Norris had all but ground to a halt when he elected to get into episodic TV, but the surprise success of this action-packed series made him a star all over again. Combining the qualities of old-fashioned Westerns with the hard-edged action of contemporary crime shows, Walker, Texas Ranger featured some wildly improbable plots that gave Norris ample opportunities to display his formidable skills while also allowing him to interact with cast members on a relaxed, spontaneous basis—something he never quite managed to do in feature films. This extra-less seven-disc boxed set contains all 23 episodes of the 1993-94 season, as well as three linked episodes that served as an extended pilot. The first of these, “One Riot, One Ranger,” introduces Norris as Cordell Walker, a no-nonsense Ranger who eschews cutting-edge law-enforcement techniques in favor of a more instinctual (if not downright primitive) approach to crime-fighting. His coworkers and confidants include rookie James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), a former football star; retired Ranger and old friend C.D. Parker (Noble Willingham); and Assistant D.A. Alex Cahill (Sheree Wilson), whose disdain for Walker's unorthodox methods doesn't prevent her from being attracted to him. The episodes deal with all sorts of criminal activities, including drug smuggling, armed robbery, hate crimes, and cold-blooded murder. The stories aren't particularly intricate, but they usually end the same way: with Walker kicking the bejesus out of his adversaries. Today, the series seems even campier than it did in the 1990s, but it also offers a great deal of fun for undiscriminating audiences. Recommended, as a guilty pleasure. (E. Hulse)
Walker, Texas Ranger: The First Season
Paramount, 7 discs, 1,498 min., not rated, DVD: $49.99 Volume 21, Issue 5
Walker, Texas Ranger: The First Season
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: