Number One with a Bullet

This standard action pic, which clearly apes the buddy cop formula of Lethal Weapon, marks something of a climb-down for Jack Smight, who in his prime directed major studio movies such as Airport 1975 and Battle of Midway. Here the veteran can do little with the hackneyed cops-versus-drug lord plotline. He does at least manage to wring a few laughs out of the mismatched pairing of Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars sequels), a smooth and urbane cop, and Robert Carradine. Known for his unorthodox police tactics (yes it's Dirty Harry revisited, again), Carradine is obsessed with bringing down the Mr Big of the Los Angeles drug scene. Mission: Impossible's Peter Graves is also on board; he must have wished that this lame affair had self-destructed in five seconds.