juneebuggy A story that meanders and sort of goes nowhere despite the best of intentions. Nice cinematography and great cast though, Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell bounce well off each other as two old friends on opposite sides of the law. Michelle Pfeiffer is a perfect addition as the woman they both fall for.I remember liking this movie when I originally saw it, way back when but this time around not so much. Hideously dated sax music throughout -as all the movies from this time 80s tended to have- was partially to blame but the whole story just felt a bit dry.On the plus side the cast is superb Raul Julia steals every scene he's in as Carlos the charismatic dealer, Kurt is sleazy with his cocky cop attitude, cigarettes and slicked back hair, determined to get the girl and bring down his old friend. He actually reminded me of Dano from Hawaii five-0. Michelle Pfieiffer is beautiful and lovely as per, a sweet romance there. Yeah poor Mel, nobody will believe he's gone straight.

Nobody-27 Sometimes there are films that are so bad, you don't even know where to start. This one is just bad - you know where to start. Hence, I give it two stars, although, maybe I am just in a good mood...By now, most people know this is about crime, buddies and a girl. The story could have and should have worked. That part was not terrible, although it probably needed a bit of massage.But everything else was your typical film school example of "how not to make a film". Let's see: - On the nose dialogue - check. - Changing the tone from action to drama to comedy to tragedy - check. - Actors have no motivation for their emotions - check. - Characters that get out of character all the time - check. (e.g. Joanne or Jovana starts of as super-self-confident only to end up insecure and then over emotional and as a result entirely unbelievable) - Boring editing and direction - check (even the love making scene was too forced in terms of visuals) - Forced story and forced dialogues - check. - Too contrived - check. - Plenty of bad acting (due to bad script) - check. - Predictable - check. (my friend even guessed the key point of the film some 30 min into it! I only guessed the general setup, but within first five minutes) - No chemistry whatsoever between ANY of the characters - check. - I could not really care less if any one of them lived or died - check. And so on. This is one of those films that deserves to be seen as an excellent example of how not to write, direct and generally make a film. I don't care how famous or big Robert Towne is, he managed to make a piece of junk that is barely watchable. Some of the dialogues I thought were written by a teenager and not a very smart one. The score was entirely forgettable. Photography too, even thought it was shot in S. California where there is plenty of opportunity for good images (seems it was shot in Long Beach judging by some of the oil rigs in the film). I could go on and on about all that is wrong with the film but I will not. I will leave it up to you, a true film lover, to analyze this film and learn from it. Yes, we all benefit when a director/ writer screws up a decent idea. So, bad film, but educational.

LeonLouisRicci A Trio of Attractive Movie Stars and an Award Winning Writer, Robert Towne, who also Directed, serve up this Lifeless, Confusing, and Boring attempt at a Neo-Noir that is Pretty Looking, but also Pretty Unremarkable.It's Flat and Frustratingly Flaccid as it shows itself to be a Hollow Hollywood Picture making Love to Itself and Failing to Reach a Climax for its Audience. The Money Shot is there but Fallow.Mel Gibson comes off as Second Best, after Kurt Russell in the Character/Acting Department. Michelle Pfeiffer is Surprisingly Robotic in Appearance on Screen despite having some Clever Dialog but Fails to Enhance the Film to any Degree.Overall, a Disappointing Movie despite the Personnel Involved. J.T. Walsh Plays a Convincing Enough Slimeball Law Enforcement Type, but Raul Julia Shouts His Rants as if Everyone is Hard of Hearing. He's so Over the Top it's Cringe Inducing. Average at Best.

Jerry Toppa This was a really dumb movie. It's mainly a silly love-triangle romance with a super-thin, drug caper plot. I vaguely remember watching this one as a kid, and being very bored, but I couldn't remember exactly what it was about or anything. Now, here I am, watching it again, and it really is the same boring, stupid movie. It's nice to see Kurt Russell and Mel Gibson along with Michelle Pfeiffer, but not only that, it's also got Raul Julia and JT Walsh, two late, great character actors, from way back. I just wish it were in a better movie. Ironically, of these two film greats, both of whom I, myself, remember fondly, one's character kills the other, immediately before effectively bringing about his own death, while recklessly lashing out at one of the leads.This movie has some good parts, namely the acting, which I could find no fault with, but the nonsense crime plot and silly romance really hang it up.Frankly, I'm fairly amused by all the positive reviews, but also by the fact that the director, Towne, also wrote Chinatown, possibly the best film of it's type, and which was a far, far, better flick than this one. Worth noting: in addition to Chinatown, (and despite Tequila Sunrise), Towne is also credited with writing multiple other of my own personal favorite movies, such as The Last Detail, Frantic, The Firm, The Parallax View, Bonnie & Clyde, and even a couple of the Mission: Impossible movies. I guess everyone has a bad day, from time to time...