Red Heat (1988)

A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Walter Hill (story), Harry Kleiner (screenplay)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi, Peter Boyle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Ivan Danko
Jim Belushi	...	Art Ridzik (as James Belushi)
Peter Boyle	...	Lou Donnelly
Ed O'Ross	...	Viktor Rostavili
Laurence Fishburne	...	Lt. Stobbs (as Larry Fishburne)
Gina Gershon	...	Cat Manzetti
Richard Bright	...	Sgt. Gallagher
J.W. Smith	...	Salim
Brent Jennings	...	Abdul Elijah
Gretchen Palmer	...	Hooker
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Night Clerk
Mike Hagerty	...	Pat Nunn (as Michael Hagerty)
Brion James	...	Streak
Gloria Delaney	...	Intern
Peter Jason	...	TV Announcer

Storyline

A mutually uneasy alliance is formed between the stern Captain Ivan Danko of the Moscow Police and his American equivalent, the Chicago Detective Art Ridzik when the latter captures Viktor Rostavili, a dangerous Georgian drug kingpin. With his partner murdered by Viktor's hands, Ivan lands in Chicago to extradite the crime lord back to Russia, however, when he manages to escape, a frenzied chase in the bustling downtown will begin. In the end, to bring down the ruthless criminal, are the two reluctant comrades who are worlds apart willing to put their differences aside?

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Plot Keywords:

policeman | drug dealer | drug lord | drug cartel | american actor playing foreigner | 

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Taglines:

Moscow's toughest detective. Chicago's craziest cop. There's only one thing worse than making them mad. Making them partners.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

17 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dimitri

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,133,822, 19 June 1988, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$34,994,648

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures,Lone Wolf,Oak Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was a box office success, but was far outpaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger's other film in 1988, Twins.

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Goofs

The movie is set in Chicago, but palm trees are visible during the street chase.

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Quotes

Ivan Danko: I have car under control.
Art Ridzik: Yeah, I'm sure they taught you all about cars and the price of insurance at your famous Russian school in Kiev!
Ivan Danko: In socialist countries, insurance not necessary. State pays for everything.
Art Ridzik: Yeah? Well, tell me something, Captain. If you've got such a fucking paradise over there, how come you're up the same creek as we are with heroin and cocaine?
Ivan Danko: Chinese find way. Right after revolution, they round up all drug dealers, all drug addicts, take them to public square, and ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits certain letters are reversed so as to imitate Russian Cyrillic script. In particular, "Rs" and "Ns" are reversed.

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Alternate Versions

German theatrical version was edited for violence to secure a "Not under 16" rating. Rental VHS (Starlight) was also edited for violence. Retail VHS (Starlight, EuroVideo) included all the violence but missed 9 minutes of dialogue (oddly both versions were rated "Not under 16"). In 1997 the film was re-released by Astro, this time in its uncut form with a "Not under 18" rating (it was advertised as being a "Director's Cut"). DVD (Kinowelt) is also uncut.

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Connections

References Dirty Harry (1971)

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Soundtracks

CANTATA FOR THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION
Op.74: "The Philosophers"
Written by Sergei Prokofiev
Arranged and Conducted by James Horner

User Reviews

Good For What It Is

RED HEAT is yet another of those buddy movies from the 1980s . Cops set up a sting , the bad guy kills a cop during an escape , turns out that the dead cop is the hero's best buddy and he's going to stop at nothing to get the bad guy with all this happening in the first 15 minutes of the movie . If all this sounds similar to 48 HOURS that's possibly because it was directed and co written by Walter Hill who also directed and co wrote the aforementioned movie . It might not be original in structure but it's certainly entertaining due in no small part of the two protagonists - Serious communist cop from the Ukraine , wise cracking Chicago cop - playing off each other in a story that could have so often become predictable and boring due to its familiar plot . It's hardly groundbreaking in concept but when a film made in 1988 starts hinting that gangsters from the Soviet Union will be taking charge of much of the black market in drugs , this alone gives it an edge missing in so many of its contemporaries