The Rookie (1990)

Clint Eastwood plays a veteran detective who gets stuck with a rookie cop (Charlie Sheen) to chase down a German crook (Raul Julia.)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Boaz Yakin, Scott Spiegel

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Charlie Sheen, Raul Julia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Nick Pulovski
Charlie Sheen	...	David Ackerman
Raul Julia	...	Strom
Sônia Braga	...	Liesl (as Sonia Braga)
Tom Skerritt	...	Eugene Ackerman
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Sarah
Pepe Serna	...	Lt. Raymond Garcia
Marco Rodríguez	...	Loco Martinez
Pete Randall	...	Cruz
Donna Mitchell	...	Laura Ackerman
Xander Berkeley	...	Ken Blackwell
Tony Plana	...	Morales
David Sherrill	...	Max
Hal Williams	...	Powell
Lloyd Nelson	...	Freeway Motorist

Storyline

Nick Pulovski is a cop, who is presently assigned to the auto theft division and who for the most part of his career has not done anything worthwhile. But when he discovers that a man named Strom is the brains behind a major car theft and chop shop ring, he sees this as his opportunity to do something. After his partner is killed, the case is then transfered to homicide, so he is taken off the case. And he is assigned a new partner, David Ackerman. a cop who has just recently been promoted to detective. But Pulovski feeling as if Strom is his decides to continue pursuing him but Ackerman who tries to play by the rules is not sure what to do, and he is also a little afraid cause of a childhood incident.

---

Plot Keywords:

explosion | woman on top | baggage carousel | pitbull | rottweiler | 

---

Taglines:

What could a veteran and a rookie cop do this Christmas.

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

El principiante

Filming Locations:

Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,510,056, 9 December 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$21,633,874

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions, Kazanjian/Siebert Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Third of four films that co-starred both Sônia Braga and Raul Julia. The movies were The Rookie (1990), Moon Over Parador (1988), The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story (1994) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985).

---

Goofs

When Strom is going up the conveyor belt to the baggage carousel it is moving, but when he gets to the top it is stationary. The belt should be running since the carousel is running.

---

Quotes

Strom: What made you think that a dumb Polack like you could outsmart someone like me?
Nick Pulovski: Well, it's just that the arrogant fuckin' Kraut like you was in the firing line.

---

Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: They'll Do It Every Time: Part Two (1992)

---

Soundtracks

Red Zone
Written by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens

User Reviews

Should you check this movie out? Why the hell not?

"The Rookie" may not be heavy on plot or even very original, but it's a blast! Lots of cool action, lots of cool stunts and a consistently energetic pace that never takes a beat. Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen make a great team. Eastwood spouts great one-liners by the second ("If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster"). One of the keys to a good action movie is a good sense of humor, which this movie does not lack. There's a hilarious scene where Sheen points a gun at two attack dogs who were chasing after him. Eastwood comments, "Good job. Now read them their rights." Raul Julia (who will be missed terribly) and Sonia Braga make a great team of villains. Basically, "The Rookie" is good, solid action entertainment. As long as you're not looking to watch "Henry V," you should be very impressed! To quote Eastwood's character, "Why the hell not?"