This late-80s Burt Reynolds vehicle, while fun at times, is very cliched and run-of-the-mill as a whole. All the basic police-themed action thriller elements are there. It's not without its moments though, and it is still entertaining, if you can forgive its obvious flaws.
The tough but disgraced former cop seeking a purpose. The helpless hooker looking for help. The budding romance. The bad guys on their trail. Sound familiar? It should. It is, after all, the plot to pretty basically ANY 80s cop movie, with a few changed details. This film follows the formulas to a T. It even has the opening shootout in which a sting operation goes badly, and the cop is taken off the case. It has the loud and stubborn superior officer who chews out the good cop. It also has the obligatory climax in the villain's mansion. These are only a few of the cliches.
It's also awkward sometimes, with some lulls in the story's pacing and some boring moments. I've seen this described as part comedy, basically an action comedy, but the only potentially funny moments come from Liza Minnelli, who is the most annoying thing about the film. But while the movie is obviously a cookie-cutter copy of so many other 80s action movies, it's still fun. Burt Reynolds is there, and even when he looks bored, he's still entertaining. The action is fun and the characters are interesting enough.
The action sequences are pretty good, even if they are few and far between. There's a bloody opening shootout, a fine fight scene at a party, a car chase, and the final showdown, which is the film's highlight. The action isn't really plentiful, but it's well-directed and entertaining enough, and the climax, as I said, is pretty good.
Overall, this isn't the greatest Burt Reynolds movie for sure, but it's fine, and you could do a lot worse.
The tough but disgraced former cop seeking a purpose. The helpless hooker looking for help. The budding romance. The bad guys on their trail. Sound familiar? It should. It is, after all, the plot to pretty basically ANY 80s cop movie, with a few changed details. This film follows the formulas to a T. It even has the opening shootout in which a sting operation goes badly, and the cop is taken off the case. It has the loud and stubborn superior officer who chews out the good cop. It also has the obligatory climax in the villain's mansion. These are only a few of the cliches.
It's also awkward sometimes, with some lulls in the story's pacing and some boring moments. I've seen this described as part comedy, basically an action comedy, but the only potentially funny moments come from Liza Minnelli, who is the most annoying thing about the film. But while the movie is obviously a cookie-cutter copy of so many other 80s action movies, it's still fun. Burt Reynolds is there, and even when he looks bored, he's still entertaining. The action is fun and the characters are interesting enough.
The action sequences are pretty good, even if they are few and far between. There's a bloody opening shootout, a fine fight scene at a party, a car chase, and the final showdown, which is the film's highlight. The action isn't really plentiful, but it's well-directed and entertaining enough, and the climax, as I said, is pretty good.
Overall, this isn't the greatest Burt Reynolds movie for sure, but it's fine, and you could do a lot worse.