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Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law

Original title: Torrente: El brazo tonto de la ley
  • 1998
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
14K
YOUR RATING
Santiago Segura in Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law (1998)
Watch Tráiler [VO]
Play trailer1:13
3 Videos
6 Photos
ComedyCrime

José Luis Torrente, a former policeman fights against the oriental mafia in Madrid.José Luis Torrente, a former policeman fights against the oriental mafia in Madrid.José Luis Torrente, a former policeman fights against the oriental mafia in Madrid.

  • Director
    • Santiago Segura
  • Writer
    • Santiago Segura
  • Stars
    • Santiago Segura
    • Javier Cámara
    • Neus Asensi
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    14K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Santiago Segura
    • Writer
      • Santiago Segura
    • Stars
      • Santiago Segura
      • Javier Cámara
      • Neus Asensi
    • 27User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos3

    Tráiler [VO]
    Trailer 1:13
    Tráiler [VO]
    Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law
    Trailer 1:49
    Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law
    Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law
    Trailer 1:49
    Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law
    The Torrente Package - Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:48
    The Torrente Package - Official Trailer

    Photos5

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    View Poster
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    View Poster

    Top cast57

    Edit
    Santiago Segura
    Santiago Segura
    • Torrente
    Javier Cámara
    Javier Cámara
    • Rafi
    Neus Asensi
    Neus Asensi
    • Amparito
    Chus Lampreave
    Chus Lampreave
    • Reme
    Tony Leblanc
    Tony Leblanc
    • Padre
    Julio Sanjuán
    • Malaguita
    Jimmy Barnatán
    Jimmy Barnatán
    • Toneti
    • (as Jaime Barnatán)
    Darío Paso
    • Bombilla
    Carlos Perea
    • Carlitos
    Manuel Manquiña
    Manuel Manquiña
    • El Francés
    Espartaco Santoni
    Espartaco Santoni
    • Mendoza
    Antonio de la Torre
    Antonio de la Torre
    • Rodrigo
    Javier Jurdao
    • Israel
    Carlos Bardem
    Carlos Bardem
    • Cayetano
    César Vea
    César Vea
    • Borja
    Manuel Tallafé
    • El Mudo
    Rosa Zhidán
    • Lio-Chi
    Jake Nong
    • Wang
    • (as Hi-Chong Nong)
    • Director
      • Santiago Segura
    • Writer
      • Santiago Segura
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    6.814.1K
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    Featured reviews

    10fertilecelluloid

    An absolute blast!

    Jaw-droppingly hilarious from beginning to end, the brilliant Santiago Segura delivers one of the funniest films ever made about an unbelievably likable racist, homophobic, misogynistic, gloriously non-PC, ex-cop.

    You really have to see it to truly appreciate its unique sense of lusty invention and bravura staging.

    Segura's Torrente is a filthy, fat bastard who partners with an insufferable nerd to crack a drug smuggling operation. But the plot merely provides Segura with a framework for his non-stop barrage of brilliant gags and set pieces.

    Torrente's attempt to seduce his nerd partner's slutty sister is hilarious, as are Torrente's off-the-cuff comments about all women wanting it up the rear and his lecture on how washing your hands before you take a leak shows greater respect for your penis.

    There are so many gems in this movie it's impossible to catalog them all. Another corker, which occurs near the film's climax, has the kidnapped slut sister dropping to her knees to enthusiastically fellate her captor. When the nerd expresses concern that his sister is being "forced" to have oral sex, Torrente quips: "I don't think she's being forced too hard."

    The sequel, while still very funny, doesn't have the rough, crude edge of the original.

    Sublime!
    7jakenong

    A useless man pretending to be a police

    Torrente, a useless medium aged man, overweight, coward and ugly. He has a dream of being a police, and he actually pretends to be one. At times, it does reflect what the real policemen do. Always be there, at the end of any incident.

    Rafi is his friend, a action movie freak who is living with his mum and cousin Amparito.

    Torrente and Rafi will be patrolling Madrid and they get involve in real gun shooting, as they meet drug traffickers and other undesirable human beings.

    Highly recommended to have nice laughing time. Nice watch and very funny, one of the best comedies in the Spanish movie industry :)
    teje

    Disgustingly funny

    This was movie of the year in Spain in 1998 following Ulloas success with Airbag the year before. It's about a truly revolting cop in Madrid. He's a sexist,egotistical,dirty pig. There are some memorable scenes in the film and it's quite funny if you don't have any problems with political correctness. It's probably more fun to a Spanish audience who get the jokes about Atlético Madrid fans, "in" expressions and other national references. A Spanish viewer can also appreciate all the cameos. Some of Spain's most renowned actors appear in little parts and add an extra twist to it all. The pace of the movie is fast and there are no dull moments. Go and see it if you can but have a couple of beers before you go.
    10Y-Sly

    Fantastic action-comedy

    This guy (Torrente) is an ex-cop, El Fary and Altético Madrid fan. This movie (and the whole Torrente-saga) is about stupid and bizarre characters and they are very funny, you can trust in me. He is very fumbler and his "friends" are also flumbers. He has a few mates like Rafi who wants to be a cop, Amparito is a slag but somehow she likes Torrente('s carrot), Malaguita is his informer who can't give a true information for the Spanish super cop and... there are a few more unbelievable characters but I don't really want to spoil the whole movie. Overall, this film is an excellent action-comedy and you will laugh the whole approximately 97 minutes. Watch it! My opinion: 10 out of 10!
    Matt Moses

    darker than dark comedy with no eleventh hour apologies

    Spanish auteur Santiago Segura, who wrote, directed and stars in this film, creates a decent if overly dark comedy about corruption. Segura claims to be a member of the Madrid police force, but his outlandish behavior – he drinks before going on duty and forces his wheelchair-bound father to beg to increase his income – hardly demonstrates the qualities required of a representative of the law. When sleazy nymphomaniac Neus Asensi moves in next door, he befriends her cousin, extremely nerdy Javier Cámara. When Segura and his new sidekick accidentally discover a drug ring run through a Chinese restaurant, Cámara calls in his loser friends to help. As the cast gets significantly reduced in a flurry of bullets and tragedy, Segura concludes the film with a few plot twists and the unsettling suggestion that sometimes people are as bad as they seem. An inherently unfunny story gets injected with a dose of morbid wit through Segura's approach to the characters. His attitude toward humanity appears quite dark. Everyone in the film either takes advantage of others or finds himself exploited, and no one seems to wind up punished for their wrongdoings. True, a number of maniacal drug dealers get offed, but so do all of Cámara's awkward, endearing friends. Segura follows few conventions in his portrayal of the world of his deluded cop. Chus Lampreave, familiar from several of Pedro Almodóvar's films, has a nice role as Cámara's mother.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Santiago Segura has claimed that the inspiration for this movie was Cobra (1986), that he conceived as a parody of the 80s action movies. In fact, the own title is a spoof of Stallone's movie, since then in Spain Cobra was titled as "Cobra, el brazo fuerte de la ley" (Cobra, the strong arm of the law).
    • Goofs
      Torrente's father name is Felipe, but Torrente's ID says that he's son of Antonio.
    • Quotes

      Rafi: [into the mirror] You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?

    • Connections
      Followed by Torrente 2: Misión en Marbella (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Apatrullando la ciudad
      Written by Santiago Segura

      Canciones del Mundo/Warner Chappell Music

      Performed by El Fary

      Courtesy of B.M.G. Ariola

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    FAQ16

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 13, 1998 (Spain)
    • Country of origin
      • Spain
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Torrente, the Stupid Arm of the Law
    • Filming locations
      • Madrid, Madrid, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Rocabruno S.A.
      • Creativos Asociados de Radio y Televisión (CARTEL)
      • Vía Digital
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €1,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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