Monday, June 10, 2013

48 Hrs. (1982)

Director: Walter Hill

Starring: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O'Toole, Frank McRae, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, Sonny Landham, Brion James

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The boys are back in town. Nick Nolte is a cop. Eddie Murphy is a convict. They couldn't have liked each other less. They couldn't have needed each other more. And the last place they ever expected to be is on the same side. Even for... 48 HRS

Plot: A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a cop killer.


My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

It's probably been at least 25 years since I saw this and it still holds up.  I miss the days of the early-to-mid 80s when you could have an action comedy that had a good deal of action and enough comedy to satisfy the requirement.  This picture has a nice balance of both without overloading it with jokes;  there are just enough.  The country bar scene is still a classic as is the fist fight between Nolte and Murphy.  I like how their rocky relationship evens out by the end but it's not a sudden friendship.  It's so gradual I couldn't see the lines.  You don't get that type of transition in films today.  It's usually defined by some big moment or revelation.  Why can't things progress nicely, you know, like in real life?  There doesn't always have to be a black and white reason why something happens.   Anyway, it's a fun ride and it was a good finish for the night after watching the disappointing KING ARTHUR (2004).  I think I'm ready for the not-as-good sequel, ANOTHER 48 Hrs. (1990).  Now, can someone explain to me why the poster below says "The boys are back in town" when we're being introduced to them in this picture and they never left town or weren't together in the first place until this movie?  It's a great song and all but it's got nothing to do with the story yet it's featured so prominently.


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