Top Dog (1995 film)
| Top Dog | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Aaron Norris |
| Produced by | Andy Howard |
| Screenplay by | Ron Swanson |
| Story by |
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| Starring | Chuck Norris |
| Cinematography | Joao Fernandes |
| Edited by | Peter Schink |
| Distributed by | Live Entertainment |
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Release date
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Running time
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86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million |
| Box office | $5.1 million |
Top Dog is a 1995 action comedy film directed by Aaron Norris and starring Chuck Norris. Written by Aaron Norris and Tim Grayem, it was Norris' last film to release theatrically before he shifted to direct-to-video films for several years.
In the film, Norris' character, Jake Wilder, is partnered with Reno, a police dog, whose handler was killed. Jake and Reno investigate a plot by domestic terrorists to attack a conference on unity. Jake and Reno survive assassination attempts and several hand-to-hand fights with the terrorists and eventually discover enough clues to foil the attack. The film is set in San Diego and was largely filmed there.
The film received mainly negative reviews, and its box office was negatively impacted by the timing of its release, only 9 days after the Oklahoma City bombing.
The film opens as two white nationalists destroy an apartment complex in which most of the residents are minorities. Veteran police officer, Sgt. Lou Swanson, and his police dog, Reno, investigate the crime and realize the explosives are military in style. Their investigation takes them to the harbor, where they find a ship loaded with weapons. They are discovered and shot. Lou dies, but Reno survives.
Maverick cop Jake Wilder (Chuck Norris), is called by police captain Ken Callahan (Clyde Kusatsu), who requests Jake to take over the case. Jake is angered that he has to work with Reno, despite Reno proving himself capable through a battle training scenario.
Meanwhile, Neo-Nazis are trying to smuggle weapons across the border from Mexico. It is implied that they murdered their Mexican arms dealers. They are stopped by the Border Patrol and try to escape, but their car is destroyed in the process.
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Wikipedia