Tango & Cash (1989)

Framed by their ruthless arch-nemesis, a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo has to put its differences aside to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all.

Directors:

Andrey Konchalovskiy (as Andrei Konchalovsky), Albert Magnoli (uncredited)

Writer:

Randy Feldman

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Lt. Raymond Tango
Kurt Russell	...	Lt. Gabriel Cash
Teri Hatcher	...	Katherine 'Kiki' Tango
Jack Palance	...	Yves Perret
Brion James	...	Requin
James Hong	...	Quan
Marc Alaimo	...	Lopez
Philip Tan	...	Chinese Gunman (as Phillip Tan)
Michael J. Pollard	...	Owen
Robert Z'Dar	...	Face
Lewis Arquette	...	Wyler
Edward Bunker	...	Capt. Holmes (as Eddie Bunker)
Leslie Morris	...	Hendricks
Roy Brocksmith	...	Fed. Agent Davis
Susan Krebs	...	Prosecutor

Storyline

The polar opposites, Ray Tango, a suave and sophisticated police officer, and Gabe Cash, his overzealous long-haired partner, are a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo who work tirelessly to bring down their arch-nemesis, the ruthless drug lord, Yves Perret. However, when Perret manages to incriminate the pesty team with falsified evidence, Ray and Gabe will soon end up in a maximum-security prison, where an almost endless parade of inmates previously incarcerated by them, are waiting for their captors impatiently. Now, more than ever, Tango and Cash need to put their differences aside to come up quickly with a good plan, not only to escape the jail's walls but also to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all. Of course, that's easier said than done.

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Plot Keywords:

1980s | 80s action | time bomb | frame up | bound and gagged | 

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Taglines:

Two of L.A.'s top rival cops are going to have to work together... Even if it kills them.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Set Up

Filming Locations:

117 N Toluca St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$63,408,614

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., The Guber-Peters Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 97 min (heavily cut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints) (4 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the monster trucks at the quarry scene towards the end is the famous Bigfoot truck. Although it's painted different colors than its trademark blue color, and does not feature any Bigfoot decals, it was confirmed that it is in fact Bigfoot by owner of the original monster truck Bob Chandler.

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Goofs

When Cash enters the tunnel at the beginning of the prison escape, he doesn't have the crowbar in his hands. Yet in the following scene, the crowbar reappears.

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Quotes

Gabriel Cash: You know, it's a free country, Tango.
Ray Tango: Yeah.
Gabriel Cash: And people are free to do whatever they want.
Ray Tango: So?
Gabriel Cash: Well, your sister is very, very free.
Ray Tango: I'm going to kill you.

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Alternate Versions

For its original UK cinema release, the BBFC cut 43 seconds from a pre-cut American version of the film so that it would receive a 15, rather than an 18 certificate. The cuts included the removal of a head-butt, a toning down of the strangling of the Chinese suspect, edits to Cash swinging a baseball bat during the prison fight, Tango hitting the fellow inmate's head against the prison cell bars, shots of both men being dipped into water containing live electricity cables, Cash's outburst in the prison where he refers to Requin as a "Limey Immigrant jerk-off", and Requin's response where he calls Cash a "fucking wanker". The full version was released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray with an 18 certificate.

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Connections

Referenced in Caroline in the City: Caroline and the Free Cable (1997)

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Soundtracks

Don't Go
Performed by Yazoo
Courtesy of Mute Records / Sire Records
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Written by Vince Clarke

User Reviews

Lethal Weapon Knockoff VIII

This is pretty good for what it is-Stallone and Russell's take off of Lethal Weapon. Stallone does a pretty good job being the low key guy here, Russell the loose cannon, there are gun fights, fights, escapes, the great prison getaway, fun byplay between the two leads, oodles of belief suspending needed and scads of stunt doubles used all through here.

My memory is mostly of Sly in the glasses, the Pickup from Hell, a lotta car chases and a real 'this is a spoof' air to it all.

Palance chews the scenery, Brion James does his usual good villain work....what more could you want?

*** outta ****, you get what you pay for here, and a little extra...