Missing in Action 3: Braddock (1988)
Missing in Action 3: Braddock (1988)
Missing in Action 3: Braddock, directed by Aaron Norris, is the final chapter of the Chuck Norris-led trilogy, bringing the saga of Colonel James Braddock to an emotional close. This time, it’s personal. Braddock returns to Vietnam not for war—but for family.
After learning that his Vietnamese wife, thought to be dead, is actually alive and raising their son in a repressive military camp, Braddock sets off on a one-man rescue mission. What follows is a blend of emotional stakes and classic ‘80s action, driven by Chuck Norris’s stoic presence and explosive combat scenes.
Unlike the earlier installments, Braddock tries to add more heart to the formula. The father-son bond, the tragedy of lost love, and the horrors of tyranny are woven into the narrative. While the execution sometimes feels overly dramatic or thinly written, Norris manages to carry the emotional weight alongside his usual roundhouse-kicking persona.
The action is loud and relentless—machine gun fire, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat dominate the second half. Norris, as always, plays the unstoppable hero with a quiet intensity, though the realism is sacrificed in favor of larger-than-life heroism.
Production-wise, it’s typical of Cannon Films: modest budget, gritty locations, and raw action that leans more on spectacle than polish. For fans of classic military action films and Chuck Norris, it hits the right nostalgic buttons.
Missing in Action 3 may not be a critical darling, but it delivers solid ‘80s action with a surprisingly heartfelt twist.
