Bullet Points: The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand

Back in 2021, I watched and reviewed The President’s Man. The made for TV movie had some impressive action sequences, elements of Remo Williams and James Bond and last but not least, a strong supporting cast and the star of the movie was none other than Chuck Norris.

The President’s Man had one other notable thing… a sequel. And that sequel, The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand, is the subject of this edition of Bullet Points…

• Previously on The President’s Man: For those of you unfamiliar and/or unwilling to go back and read my review of the first movie, allow me to provide a quick summary… Chuck Norris played Joshua McCord, a top secret, highly skilled operative who was at the disposal of one man… The President of the United States. But Joshua is getting too old for this shit, so he needs to find his replacement before he can retire and he selects and trains Deke Slater to become the next President’s Man.
• Greetings from West Africa: As The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand begins with Deke Slater on a mission somewhere in the jungles of West Africa. Deke’s objective.. destroy a stockpile of missiles that belong to one Saddam Hussein. Deke sets some charges, but it’s his exit that gets a little dicey. Deke has to contend with rebel soldiers and still get some distance between himself and the charges that are about to go off… this leads to a big motorcycle jump by Deke, which prompts the rebels to chase him in jeeps and it ends in spectacular fashion when Deke jumps off his bike and grabs a rope ladder that leads up to a helicopter being flown by Joshua McCord. The whole time Que, Joshua’s daughter is there as Deke’s eye in the sky, guiding him through the mission (with a little ball busting on the side). Basically, the sequel picks up right where the first one left off… with one exception. Chuck Norris and Jennifer Tung reprise their roles of Joshua and Que McCord, but we get a new Deke Slater in the form of Judson Mills, who co-starred with Chuck on Walker, Texas Ranger.

• We Don’t Negotiate With Terrorists: There is one more change to discuss from the original, we have a new President in The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand… President Adam Mayfield played by Robert Urich. President Mayfield has a situation involving terrorist leader Abdul Rashid. Abdul is demanding the release of three of the terrorists responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing… if the men are not released, Abdul has threatened to escalate the violence. To add to the severity of his threat, it is believed that Abdul has come into possession of some plutonium that once belonged to the former Soviet Union. So when Abdul sends a message that a major American city will be consumed by a nuclear fire… President Mayfield gives the go ahead for the military to strike Rashid’s compound in Afghanistan. That mission ends up being a complete and utter failure. Time to call in The President’s Man!!
• Mission Accomplished: Deke goes over to Afghanistan stealth style! Deke manages to get into Rashid’s compound and with Que’s help track exactly where Abdul Rashid is hiding thanks to Abdul using a satellite phone. Deke injects Abdul with a drug that knocks him out, then Deke throws him over his shoulder and walks out of the compound. It isn’t until Deke is getting the jet pack that was left for him that any of Abdul’s soldiers try to prevent the capture of their beloved leader. Deke (with Abdul in custody) makes it to the sea, where a submarine takes them back to America… once he is in the United States, Abdul Rashid is given a deal… they won’t push for the death penalty IF Abdul will give up the location of nuclear device. Abdul says he doesn’t know and the only way to find out is if he can get a message to his followers, so the President agrees to let Abdul make a televised public statement. The statement is a complete 180 from what you’d expect Abdul to say… Abdul urges his followers to take a new path, one of piece and friendship. This doesn’t track at all.

• Crack the Code: Leave it to Joshua McCord to know what Abdul was really saying… Joshua was able to decipher that Abdul was telling his men with the bomb (one of which is his own son Abir) to not detonate the bomb in Chicago, but instead do it in Dallas where Abdul is being held, allowing Abdul to go out a martyr. If Joshua McCord was played by anyone other than Chuck Norris, I would not believe in this code cracking… Our heroes trace the location of the nuclear device to an oil refinery, and it is there where Deke will be tasked with taking out all the guards, to allow Joshua to disarm the bomb before it blows up Dallas. Our heroes are against the odds and more importantly against the clock!

While I was impressed with the original The President’s Man, I have to say the sequel felt like a step down. With that said… the kick that Joshua McCord delivers to Abdul Rashid at the end of the movie made it worth the 90 minute investment. It was absolutely incredible and is further proof that a satisfying ending will make you overlook a lot the crap along the way… like the completely out of place music?!! What was that?!?! Whoever got paid to compose/perform that music should consider themselves liars and thieves, because they did not earn it. They stole from Norris Brothers Entertainment!

If you’ve made it this far into my review, you have earned yourself some Bonus Bullet Points…

• AKA: The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand is also known by the much simpler title of The President’s Man 2.
• If You Ever: …wanted to Judson Mills hit a homerun, then The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand is the TV movie for you.
• Directed By: The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand was directed by Eric Norris, Chuck’s youngest son.
• If You Ever: …wanted to see Judson Mills play dodge ball while blindfolded, then The President’s Man: A Line in the Sand is the TV movie for you.