I’ve never been a huge Chuck Norris fan, but he works well enough in this context, as the one good cop on the Chicago police force left to protect a mob princess caught in the middle of a gang war.

Really though, the star here is Chicago itself. The way Andy Davis uses real-world locations puts every action thriller filmed in Toronto or Vancouver or sound stages to shame. It’s amazing how much texture a couple genuine city streets add to a movie like this, whose story is so completely outlandish. (Google “code of silence the prowler,” you’ll see what I mean.) When dudes are jumping off real L trains and cars are exploding on Lower Wacker Drive, it’s a lot easier to suspend your disbelief.

(One of the older cops and the mob princess both looked so familiar; I spent the whole movie trying to place them. I only figured it out afterwards. The daughter played the kindly nun on Seinfeld who helps Kramer with the kavorka! And the older cop was the “Keep the change ya filthy animal!” guy in Home Alone!!!)