48 Hrs. had the right stuff in an action/comedy that worked perfectly. It's violent, foul mouthed, and there are laughs aplenty. It is hard to see these types of movies nowadays with the political correctness and Hollywood's main aim to attract wider audiences with toned down movies. Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy (in his feature film debut) created a great chemistry as the hard nosed cop and fast talking criminal who are made reluctant partners to bring down a common enemy. Director Walter Hill has done a fine job and his midas touch with bringing gritty action movies to the big screen is sorely missed.
The movie starts with Billy Bear (Sonny Landham, Predator) breaking Albert Ganz (James Remar, The Warriors) out of prison by staging a fight and killing three prison guards. Two days later, SFPD Inspector Jack Cates (Nick Nolte, Cape Fear) and two other detectives track down Albert Ganz and Billy Bear hiding out at the Walden Hotel in downtown San Francisco which ends in a bloodbath and two of the police detectives accompanying Cates are killed.
Jack Cates is determined to bring down Albert Ganz and Billy Bear but must also enlist the help of a fast talking hustler Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy, Trading Places) to help track down Ganz and Billy who was also previously associated with the crazed criminals. Ganz and Billy are also killing off their previous associates and have kidnapped the girlfriend of another associate Luther (David Patrick Kelly, Commando) to find $500,000 that has been mysteriously stashed away in a hiding spot. Tracking down the crazed criminals won't be easy given that Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond have already developed an antagonistic relationship.
In Eddie Murphy's feature film debut, he explodes onto the scene in a huge way, and his comedic talents have not been wasted for one moment. Nick Nolte as Jack Cates plays it perfectly as the straight man who doesn't always see eye to eye with Reggie Hammond and many others. James Remar and Sonny Landham make a great duo as the crazed criminals creating a rampaging path through San Francisco.
Keep an eye out for many other character actors in small roles including but not limited to Jack's boss Captain Haden (Frank McRae, Lock Up), Jack's girlfriend Elaine (Annette O'Toole, Superman III), Inspector Algren (Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad), and in other small roles Chris Mulkey (First Blood) as a patrol officer and Denise Crosby (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Sally, the woman who attacks Reggie with a baseball bat.
The movie has non stop foul mouthed, politically incorrect humour which counterbalances the strong violence, but there is no denying that 48 Hrs. is well worth the time. Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy are certainly are at their likable best.
9/10.
The movie starts with Billy Bear (Sonny Landham, Predator) breaking Albert Ganz (James Remar, The Warriors) out of prison by staging a fight and killing three prison guards. Two days later, SFPD Inspector Jack Cates (Nick Nolte, Cape Fear) and two other detectives track down Albert Ganz and Billy Bear hiding out at the Walden Hotel in downtown San Francisco which ends in a bloodbath and two of the police detectives accompanying Cates are killed.
Jack Cates is determined to bring down Albert Ganz and Billy Bear but must also enlist the help of a fast talking hustler Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy, Trading Places) to help track down Ganz and Billy who was also previously associated with the crazed criminals. Ganz and Billy are also killing off their previous associates and have kidnapped the girlfriend of another associate Luther (David Patrick Kelly, Commando) to find $500,000 that has been mysteriously stashed away in a hiding spot. Tracking down the crazed criminals won't be easy given that Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond have already developed an antagonistic relationship.
In Eddie Murphy's feature film debut, he explodes onto the scene in a huge way, and his comedic talents have not been wasted for one moment. Nick Nolte as Jack Cates plays it perfectly as the straight man who doesn't always see eye to eye with Reggie Hammond and many others. James Remar and Sonny Landham make a great duo as the crazed criminals creating a rampaging path through San Francisco.
Keep an eye out for many other character actors in small roles including but not limited to Jack's boss Captain Haden (Frank McRae, Lock Up), Jack's girlfriend Elaine (Annette O'Toole, Superman III), Inspector Algren (Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad), and in other small roles Chris Mulkey (First Blood) as a patrol officer and Denise Crosby (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Sally, the woman who attacks Reggie with a baseball bat.
The movie has non stop foul mouthed, politically incorrect humour which counterbalances the strong violence, but there is no denying that 48 Hrs. is well worth the time. Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy are certainly are at their likable best.
9/10.