Quintessential 80's Eddide Murphy movie, complete with humor I'll never seem to understand. Case in point: Eddie Murphy's joke about how he's so good in bed he 'should have his dick bronzed'. Oddly every synopsis of this film refrains from mentioning how utterly racist detective Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) is. He is almost nonsensically and idiotically racist. He lets his racism get in the way of solving the murder of two of his colleagues. He calls Reggie (Murphy) n***er, charcoal, watermelon, spear chucker....etc.
The story of Cates' is odd, because he is technically a very very bad detective. His horrible MO led directly to the death of an officer. And yet he wins in the end, which would make him a good detective... But there is a lot of things that are unbelievable about this film, for instance Cates' relationship, we never for an instant feel it's legitimate. The insane ups and downs of their relationship seemed like a roller coaster, and that was just within the first few scenes. This goes on throughout the whole movie. So does this undercurrent of Reggie and his quest for some "trim". Ultimately when he amazingly achieves in getting some "trim", the woman he just met insanely agrees to wait six months for him to get out of prison.
While the overall story is technically a good idea. The execution leaves much to be desired. Particularity in the acting dept. We only are convinced by Eddie half of the time. And James Remar does a horrible job as Ganz. His acting belongs in the B-rated films he was finally destined for. Not once was I convinced he was killer or dangerous. David Patrick Kelly must have played the same character throughout my entire childhood in the 80's. He had one note: scenery chewing neurotic highly explosive weirdo. In fact everyone in the film seemed almost unjustifiably volatile. As if overacting was the only way to bring the ridiculous script to life.
The few redeeming factors: nostalgia, the handful of topless scenes, the sets, and the score. San Fransisco brought some reality and grit into this film. And James Horner's score created drama and excitement where there was little.

Review to come.

Review to come.

Review to come.

Review to come.