Top Dog (1995)

With his cop companion shot and killed by terrorists, Reno The Dog pairs up with tough cop Jake in thwarting the criminal organization.

Director:

Aaron Norris

Writers:

Aaron Norris (story), Tim Grayem (story)

Stars:

Chuck Norris, Michele Lamar Richards, Erik von Detten

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chuck Norris	...	Jake Wilder
Michele Lamar Richards	...	Savannah Boyette
Erik von Detten	...	Matthew Swanson
Carmine Caridi	...	Lou Swanson
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Ken Callahan
Kai Wulff	...	Otto Dietrich
Peter Savard Moore	...	Karl Koller
Timothy Bottoms	...	Nelson Houseman
Francesco Quinn	...	Mark Curtains
Herta Ware	...	Wilder's Mother
John Kerry	...	Commander West
Hank Baumert	...	Masked Firefighter / Border Patrol Officer
Linda Castro	...	Paramedic
John Sistrunk	...	Driver at Border
Bob Bastanchury	...	Passenger

Storyline

With his cop companion shot and killed by terrorists, Reno The Dog pairs up with tough cop Jake in thwarting the criminal organization.

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Plot Keywords:

tough cop | terrorist | dog | dog movie | racism | 

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Taglines:

They're Licensed For Action!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for shootings and martial arts violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie about terrorists who blow up a building has a scene which takes place on April 19th, 1995, the same date as the Oklahoma City bombing.

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Goofs

The C4 in the trunk of the car blew up when shot. In reality, shooting the C4 would have had no effect.

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Quotes

Jake Wilder: Got the warrant?
Policeman: It didn't come through.
Jake Wilder: What do you mean it didn't come through?
Policeman: I don't know, Jake, they said something about probable cause.
Jake Wilder: Well, I'm going in anyway.

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Alternate Versions

Parts of the soundtrack have been altered on the 2000 Artisan DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Video Buck: Las carátulas más mierdosas Vol. 4 - "Welcome To Ghana" (2019)

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Soundtracks

Dog Love
Written by Susan Marder

User Reviews

A good message

Not a nail in Chuck Norris' career, as one reviewer put it. I come to the defense of this nice little film for the strong message it carries. Anyone who was a fan of "Walker, Texas Ranger" can certainly see the core values of Chuck Norris in this film. Mister Norris is a man of great integrity and strong human values. He accepts diversity and from watching him, tolerates no bigotry at all. That's the message I appreciated so much in watching top dog, although the vehicle used could have been better executed. In a world where diversity should be the rule of the day, and learning from our past a virtue, Mister Norris, like a lot of us, sees the need to remind people of our past and what we should strive for in the future. It's one of the reasons I regularly watched Walker, to see the triumph of good over evil. More films like this, with a strong message are needed. Film is a medium, not only to entertain, but to educate us. That education could be for good or bad. Mister Norris chose the good, and I applaud him for that, and his integrity.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Top Dog

Filming Locations:

San Diego, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,164,381, 30 April 1995

Gross USA:

$5,093,707

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,093,707

Company Credits

Production Co:

Live Entertainment, Tanglewood Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min 93 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby SR Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1