48 Hrs.

1982 "One cop. One con. No mercy."
6.9| 1h36m| R| en| More Info
Released: 07 December 1982 Released
Producted By: Paramount
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.

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videorama-759-859391 Watching it just recently again, 48 HRS, is a well formulated movie, and first rate film making done solid, with a great script and two great bolstered performances to boot, especially Murphy, in still what I believe is one of his best performances. The movie is well plotted, even though we know we are walking that predictable path, to where the next scene will take us, like a lot of eighties movies did. On a quest for revenge, for two cops dying, in front of his eyes, is hot dog cop, Jack Cates (Nolte giving us another great character performance). They were killed by escaped and very dangerous prisoner, Ganz, (a splendid James Remar) and buddy, Billy Bear (Sonny Landham) who sprung his mate out. Cates enlists help from prisoner/expert thief, Reggie Hammond (Murphy) who he takes into his custody for 48 hours. He has ties with our dangerously violent cop killers, who are after this money, Reggie has stashed away somewhere. Reggie wants to protect his money, Nolte just wants to blow our murderous duo away. Featuring quite a bit of Commando music, a lot of hostility and hate, not just from Nolte, that doesn't take s..t, a bit of violence, a little t and a from some hot broads, this is a hard edged cop film, featuring other good performances too, like David E Kelly, as the luckless loser, Luther, who in one scene, Murphy, causes a considerable amount of pain too. Overall what I love is, that 48 HRS is a cop film with a great recipe of comedy and drama, entwined, Murphy, who we have to thank a lot of this. Murphy is given a lot of great lines to work with: a lot of snappy cutting remarks. Both two leads are at the top of their game in one of the best partnerships in film I've seen. The bare knuckle fight between the two is hilarious. I really loved the character Nolte created, though, his attitudes towards some women here, was kind of off putting. A tight shot I loved was a CU of Nolte's car approaching a steep San Francisco street decline, among some other captured ones in the film. Nolte's moment of vengeance was fantastic few words, while also I liked him, defending Murphy, in front of his colleagues. This was one of the strongest moments in the film, while also being another great acting moment of Nolte's. This is a well shaped, compacted actioner, and another reminder of those unforgotten and well made '83 flicks. I mean films.
seymourblack-1 The incredible box office success of "48 Hours" was attributable to its brilliant combination of action, pace and comedy and the pairing of a couple of guys whose relationship was a continuous source of entertainment. This formula proved to be so successful that it blazed the trail for the whole genre of "buddy cop movies" that followed. "48 Hours" was also significant, however, for being Eddie Murphy's first film and the one that made him into an instant star.Detective Sergeant Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) is a tough San Francisco cop who's out for revenge after two of his colleagues are killed by escaped convicts Albert Ganz (James Remar) and Billy Bear (Sonny Landham) in a shootout at a local apartment building. Jack's investigations soon reveal that another member of their gang is still in prison serving a three-year sentence for robbery and so he arranges for Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) to be released on a 48 hour pass so that he can help to track down the two killers.Reggie proves to be useful in assisting Jack's pursuit of Ganz and Bear who'd killed a couple of guards when they broke out of prison and are now intent on finding the $500,000 that they stole before being sent to jail. Reggie discloses that the money was stashed away in the trunk of his car which had been parked in a garage for the 30 months that he'd been in prison. Predictably though, Jack and Reggie's mission to recover the money and bring Ganz and Bear to justice within the 48 hours available, proves to be both challenging and extremely dangerous.The relationship between Jack and Reggie is so highly-charged as it develops from open hostility to mutual respect (and eventually friendship) that it becomes absolutely fascinating to watch. It's also incredibly funny because they're so different and their interactions are so abrasive. The dialogue is sharp, witty and often coarse and when they trade insults (in pre-politically correct language) their brilliantly-written quick-fire exchanges are delivered with tremendous panache.Nick Nolte is excellent as the gruff, hard-drinking detective who chain-smokes, always looks dishevelled and has a totally dysfunctional relationship with his badly-treated girlfriend Elaine (Annette O'Toole). Eddie Murphy is sensational as Reggie, who's a fast-talking, wisecracking, smartly-dressed ladies man with a lot of attitude and reasons of his own for being prepared to help Jack. Murphy's first appearance in the movie is very memorable because of the excruciating way in which he sings "Roxanne" and the now-legendary scene in which he takes control of a redneck bar while posing as a police officer is still terrific and laugh-out-loud funny.In retrospect, it's clear that, as well as being a fantastically successful movie that's hugely entertaining, "48 Hours" also proved to be far more influential than anyone could possibly have imagined at the time of its original release.
The Grand Master 48 Hrs. had the right stuff in an action/comedy that worked perfectly. It's violent, foul mouthed, and there are laughs aplenty. It is hard to see these types of movies nowadays with the political correctness and Hollywood's main aim to attract wider audiences with toned down movies. Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy (in his feature film debut) created a great chemistry as the hard nosed cop and fast talking criminal who are made reluctant partners to bring down a common enemy. Director Walter Hill has done a fine job and his midas touch with bringing gritty action movies to the big screen is sorely missed.The movie starts with Billy Bear (Sonny Landham, Predator) breaking Albert Ganz (James Remar, The Warriors) out of prison by staging a fight and killing three prison guards. Two days later, SFPD Inspector Jack Cates (Nick Nolte, Cape Fear) and two other detectives track down Albert Ganz and Billy Bear hiding out at the Walden Hotel in downtown San Francisco which ends in a bloodbath and two of the police detectives accompanying Cates are killed.Jack Cates is determined to bring down Albert Ganz and Billy Bear but must also enlist the help of a fast talking hustler Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy, Trading Places) to help track down Ganz and Billy who was also previously associated with the crazed criminals. Ganz and Billy are also killing off their previous associates and have kidnapped the girlfriend of another associate Luther (David Patrick Kelly, Commando) to find $500,000 that has been mysteriously stashed away in a hiding spot. Tracking down the crazed criminals won't be easy given that Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond have already developed an antagonistic relationship.In Eddie Murphy's feature film debut, he explodes onto the scene in a huge way, and his comedic talents have not been wasted for one moment. Nick Nolte as Jack Cates plays it perfectly as the straight man who doesn't always see eye to eye with Reggie Hammond and many others. James Remar and Sonny Landham make a great duo as the crazed criminals creating a rampaging path through San Francisco.Keep an eye out for many other character actors in small roles including but not limited to Jack's boss Captain Haden (Frank McRae, Lock Up), Jack's girlfriend Elaine (Annette O'Toole, Superman III), Inspector Algren (Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad), and in other small roles Chris Mulkey (First Blood) as a patrol officer and Denise Crosby (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as Sally, the woman who attacks Reggie with a baseball bat.The movie has non stop foul mouthed, politically incorrect humour which counterbalances the strong violence, but there is no denying that 48 Hrs. is well worth the time. Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy are certainly are at their likable best.9/10.
Gideon24 48 HRS was one of the best action/adventure/buddy cop movies ever made that introduced a brand new movie star to the world named Eddie Murphy.The film stars Nick Nolte as Jack Cates, a world weary cop, who finds himself in a bind when a fellow officer is killed with his gun by a slimy criminal who broke out of jail in order to get his hands on a booty that is in the trunk of the car of a former running partner named Reggie Hammond, who is now in jail. Cates realizes the only way to get this guy is by enlisting the aid of Hammond, who he gets a 48-hour pass out of jail in order to nab the bad guy.Eddie Murphy deservedly became a movie star with his star-making turn as Reggie Hammond, but Nolte's Cates is an equally effective characterization, a veteran cop who might be slightly over the hill but in complete denial about it. Nolte effortlessly nails the world- weariness of his character without ever letting Murphy blow him off the screen. James Remar also had one of his best roles as Ganz, the bad guy that Cates and Hammond are after. The scene where Murphy takes command of a redneck bar is just outstanding.Nolte and Murphy were reunited for a sequel, but like I always say, stick to the original.