- Film Review
- Reviewed By John Ferguson
-
4 out of 5
Trading Places apart, Eddie Murphy has never been better than in his exhilarating debut, which is still one of the best "buddy" cop thrillers ever made. Murphy plays the con who is sprung from prison by racist cop Nick Nolte in an attempt to track down psychopathic duo James Remar and Sonny Landham, who have escaped from a chain gang and are now back in town. Nolte and Murphy are perfectly paired: the latter all smooth charm and wisecracks, the former the rough, gruff straight man. Murphy's taming of a redneck bar deserves its place in the cinematic history books, while director Walter Hill also delivers the goods in the action stakes with some beautifully orchestrated shoot-ups and chases. It was followed by an uninspired retread Another 48 HRS in 1990.
Plot Summary
Action thriller starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. With vicious escaped convict Albert Ganz loose in San Francisco, bullish cop Jack Cates needs all the help he can get to track him down. Unfortunately, that "help" comes in the form of smart-mouthed young prisoner Reggie Hammond, who has his own reasons for stopping Ganz's rampage, and only a 48-hour release from jail in which to do it if he and Cates don't kill each other first!
Cast and crew
Cast
- Detective Jack Cates
- Nick Nolte
- Reggie Hammond
- Eddie Murphy
- Elaine
- Annette O'Toole
- Captain Haden
- Frank McRae
- Albert Ganz
- James Remar
- Luther
- David Patrick Kelly
- Billy Bear
- Sonny Landham
- Kehoe
- Brion James
- Rosalie
- Kerry Sherman
- Algren
- Jonathan Banks
- Vanzant
- James Keane
Crew
- Director
- Walter Hill
- Share this episode
-