Turner & Hooch (1989)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers (WGA):

Dennis Shryack (story) &
Michael Blodgett (story) ...

Release Date:

28 July 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

The Oddest Couple Ever Unleashed!

Plot:

A detective must adopt the dog of a dead man to help him find the murderer.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Police | Opposites Attract | Affection | Investigator

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Det. Scott Turner
Mare Winningham	...	Dr. Emily Carson
Craig T. Nelson	...	Chief Howard Hyde
Reginald VelJohnson	...	Det. David Sutton (as Reginald Veljohnson)
Scott Paulin	...	Zack Gregory
J.C. Quinn	...	Walter Boyett
John McIntire	...	Amos Reed
David Knell	...	Ernie
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Harley McCabe
Kevin Scannell	...	Jeff Foster
Joel Bailey	...	Ferraday
Mary McCusker	...	Katie
Ernie Lively	...	Motel Clerk
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Kevin Williams
Elaine Renee Bush	...	Store Clerk

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-12 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #29890) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Silver Screen Partners IV

Trivia:

Hooch is a Dogue de Bordeaux, one of the most ancient French breeds.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one of the beginning sequences in the film, when Scott Turner is going to visit Amos Reed and Hooch gets loose, Hooch chases Scott down the walkway and tackles him. Scott was holding a muffin for hooch to distract him, and he drops it. We see a shot of the muffin rolling on the ground, and it lands upright. A few scenes later when Hooch picks up the muffin, it is laying on its side.

Quotes:

Amos Reed: Let him go, Hooch! I'm sorry, Scott. I don't have the hand-strength I used to. You're OK, aren't you?
Scott Turner: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I was looking forward to a nice quiet cup of coffee, BUT NOW I'M AWAKE!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Operation Double 007 (#6.8)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA

Hooch, the police dog

"Turner & Hooch" isn't a great movie, but it is an okay comedy-crime film which, if not terrific, at least is entertaining enough.

The movie's best known actor is Tom Hanks, here in one of his early roles. Tom Hanks really isn't my kind of actor. He often portrays ridiculous and annoying characters and his humor is usually too much clown-like, but here he's not bad. Even here he shows off some of his irritating side, but more natural and less irritating than usual.

Tom Hanks's character, the police-detective Scott Turner, is more of a straight guy and funny sometimes, although obsessive and with a major tendency for anger (he loses his temper easily and yells a lot).

Reginald VelJohnson is more funny than great, but one can't deny that his character, detective David Sutton, has sense of humor. Mare Winningham is okay too as the veterinarian Emily Carson.

The dog, however, is the real star of the movie and naturally a great "actor". Beasley the Dog, a Dogue de Bordeaux, portrays Hooch, apparently a foul-tempered dog that loves to destroy things, but once we get to know him better, he proves to have an even temper. By the way, that dog really drools in such a way that's unbelievable. I wonder if that's a characteristic of that dog breed or if they just overdo it in the movie for comical effect.

Hooch, however, isn't the only dog worth mentioning. There is also Camilla, the gorgeous Collie owned by the veterinarian.