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:

gunfire | shot to death | brutal cop | policeman | drug dealer | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marjorie Bransfield, Jim Belushi's second wife, makes a cameo as a waitress.

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Goofs

The heroin that Ridzik places in Streak's pocket during the questioning is visible, gone and then visible again.

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Quotes

Art Ridzik: I'm gonna bust that bitch so hard she bounces.

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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

Referenced in Evening Urgant: Arnold Schwarzenegger/Alexei Yashin/Pilot (2013)

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Soundtracks

DISKO YUK
Keprohi Music (BMI)
Written and Performed by Michael Welsh

User Reviews

So what if it's a cliche

It's a fun action-comedy and that's that! You can make all the arguments you want. This is definitely not for the discerning viewer. Maybe I'm just easily satisfied by the buddy cop genre. Plus, I love Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies, in general. His action scenes are always fun to watch, and he always seems to come up with great one-liners. In this case, he spouts out a few dryly humorous lines as his stonefaced Russian character. Jim Belushi provides most of the laughs, though, as his unorthodox partner. They both do a good job, though Arnold's Russian accent seems quite strained. Then again, as the film heats up, you really don't pay attention to details like that. Also look out for the beautiful Gena Gershon in an early performance. Those in the mood for "Henry V" should definitely steer clear. Those in the mood for mindless buddy cop fluff that'll keep you excited and keep you laughing should check this movie out.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian Spanish

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

Gross USA:

$34,994,648

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1