Well I was entertained. I like it. Sue me! I'm not saying it's art but it's an enjoyable time-passer of a movie. I'm not sure if I would call it a romantic comedy since there's a lot of violence and dark parts but there is comedy and there is romance so...yeah. Seems like most Burt Reynolds movies I like are the ones most people hate and the ones most people like I don't care much for. Anyway Burt isn't even the best part here. The best part is Liza Minnelli, who I'm not normally a fan of but she's good here. Also James Remar's psycho villain has some memorable scenes.
25 Reviews
Low-rent, but maybe worth a rent.
gridoon15 June 2001
A low-rent, cheaply made police thriller that's kept bearable by some fair humorous bits, the nice chemistry between the two leads and, especially, by James Remar's satisfying turn as a narcissistic, psychopathic (and, naturally, indestructible) villain. Obviously a low-quality picture, both visually and dramatically, with a rather resigned Burt, but not unwatchable. (**)
Pros make the most out of silly script...
moonspinner5524 June 2006
Motorcycle helmet-wearing psycho thwarts a hotel drug bust by the Chicago police force, leaving several cops dead plus $2M of the department's money and three keys of smack missing. Seasoned vet Burt Reynolds is the only one to survive the ambush--he and chatty hooker Liza Minnelli, who was with a trick that night after getting a good look at the killer sans helmet. Not exactly sophisticated, but a reasonably entertaining action-thriller with comedic and romantic asides. Reynolds and Minnelli are too old for their roles, but Liza at least gives her all (she "won" a Razzie Award for this performance, but she's a comfortable match for her aging co-star--she keeps his head up). James Remar is an interesting villain (a fired cop and former ballroom dancing instructor who reeks of liniment!), but Dionne Warwick as a madam, Robby Benson as a rookie, and Richard Masur as a dirty ex-cop (speaking with a ridiculous nasal voice) are all pretty bad. Chicago locations were used, but most of the movie was shot in Italy (hence all the Italian names in the end credits). If a you're a fan of the stars, this could rate as a guilty pleasure, although there's nothing cheesy about Jerry Goldsmith's fine score or Giuseppe Rotunno's sharp cinematography (which includes a wonderful opening shot flying over the city). **1/2 from ****
The stars of the 70's become comet dust in the 1980's.
mark.waltz26 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
With some of the most laughably bad dialog I've ever heard in a big screen film, this is perhaps the nadir in the career of everybody involved. Even Liza Minnelli's most sympathetic fans will be tempted to laugh out loud as she prepares to visit a client looking as she just got off stage at the Palace Theater. Of course, she's not a cabaret or concert performer; She's involved in the world's oldest profession, and I'm not talking about carpentry. Liza talks non-stop in this, and her character of Della (as in street walker) is dumber than a box of her signature hair style. If that doesn't give away who she is here, that's really enough to make you feel sorry for her, because it is obvious that she is being paid to humiliate herself. When Liza starts mentioning Broadway shows she was in, all gay men may be in camp heaven, but the rest of the audience is cringing. To add into the camp, Dionne Warwick is tossed in a pointless cameo as Liza's madame.
There's a very violent opening where Liza's hooker goes to see her client and ends up at the wrong door, then is shot at and later stabbed. Certainly no lucky lady in this one, reunited with both Burt Reynolds and Robby Benson from that 1975 comedy that was critically panned but made a small profit. This is a complete disaster, and I'm sure that if Gene Hackman was offered a part in this, he was glad he turned it down after reading the reviews. Burt is the fired cop who protects Liza after her attack, and Benson and Bernie Casey are his old pals who aide him to keep Liza safe. The setting here is Chicago, although I bet most of the location footage was stock Chicago shots with Burt and Liza tossed in. The funniest moment has Liza walking nervously through a very "Studio 54" like dance club surrounded by every element of society you can imagine. I bet the extras on this set have dozens of stories to tell!
There are some films that you have to watch through to realize how bad they are and others which tell you from the start. "Rent a Cop" is one of the later, perhaps not a disaster for Burt's career, having moments that just reek of ludicrousness. Along with the unfairly maligned "Arthur II", this practically killed Liza's film career. She is not at all believable as a hooker like Jane Fonda was in "Klute", Kathleen Turner was in "Crime of Passion", and fellow musical diva Barbra Streisand was in "Nuts", released at the same time as this. Liza was of course going through all sorts of problems, and seems at times to talk nonstop continuously to work through them. As a cult fan of "Lucky Lady", I can say that it has great moments in spite of being mediocre, but after seeing (and hearing) Liza in this, I wish I could change the title to "Mute Lady".
There's a very violent opening where Liza's hooker goes to see her client and ends up at the wrong door, then is shot at and later stabbed. Certainly no lucky lady in this one, reunited with both Burt Reynolds and Robby Benson from that 1975 comedy that was critically panned but made a small profit. This is a complete disaster, and I'm sure that if Gene Hackman was offered a part in this, he was glad he turned it down after reading the reviews. Burt is the fired cop who protects Liza after her attack, and Benson and Bernie Casey are his old pals who aide him to keep Liza safe. The setting here is Chicago, although I bet most of the location footage was stock Chicago shots with Burt and Liza tossed in. The funniest moment has Liza walking nervously through a very "Studio 54" like dance club surrounded by every element of society you can imagine. I bet the extras on this set have dozens of stories to tell!
There are some films that you have to watch through to realize how bad they are and others which tell you from the start. "Rent a Cop" is one of the later, perhaps not a disaster for Burt's career, having moments that just reek of ludicrousness. Along with the unfairly maligned "Arthur II", this practically killed Liza's film career. She is not at all believable as a hooker like Jane Fonda was in "Klute", Kathleen Turner was in "Crime of Passion", and fellow musical diva Barbra Streisand was in "Nuts", released at the same time as this. Liza was of course going through all sorts of problems, and seems at times to talk nonstop continuously to work through them. As a cult fan of "Lucky Lady", I can say that it has great moments in spite of being mediocre, but after seeing (and hearing) Liza in this, I wish I could change the title to "Mute Lady".
"You like this all the time, because you're getting on my nerves."
lost-in-limbo1 January 2012
Detective Frank Church resigns from his job when a drug bust goes wrong with the blame being put on him, as he survived along with prostitute Della Roberts who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Della saw the face of killer and now finds herself a target. So she seeks help from the out-of-work Church. Burt Reynolds seems to have his fair share of nothing features and the late 80s crime-thriller "Rent-a-Cop" is hard not to categorise in that bracket, but still it can be amusing and at the same time overbearing. Thanks to the appearance of Liza Minnelli as a flamboyantly overactive hooker who just won't quit talking. She overpowers many scenes. Not helping the case is that the off-balance script is asinine. I just wished it kept on the straight and narrow, than throwing in some light-hearted touches and trite comedy elements. It can be violent pulp and the main killer (a terrifically threatening James Remar) is rather a cold-hearted maniac who has a noticeable costume get-up and deadly arsenal, although he does like to dance (swaying back-and-forth in front of a mirror) and a good dancer he is too. With a nickname Dancer, he must be. Burt Reynolds is pretty much on cruise-control and the chemistry with Minnelli just doesn't seem to click. Someone has already mentioned it, but its true that I couldn't get Reynolds 1981 cop-thriller "Sharky's Machine" out of my mind when watching this. Both films have similar plot threads and are staged in the windy city Chicago, but "Rent-a-Cop" felt like a self-parody of it. Also making appearances are Richard Masur, Bernie Casey and a stern John P. Ryan. Director Jerry London (who mainly does TV) surprisingly gives the film a certain crisp slickness, creating moments of suspense (like the glorified cat and mouse shootout climax that ends with someone losing their head) and uses the wintry urban Chicago backdrop to good affect. Jerry Goldsmith contributes the music score. Routine, clingy star vehicle.
"Read my lips. Don't screw around."
"Read my lips. Don't screw around."
Chicago cops
jotix10030 March 2005
This 1988 movie was shown recently on a cable channel. We wanted to see another film, which supposedly was starting, but because a mix up, Rent-a-Cop, was shown in that time slot. Never having seen it when it was commercially released, we took a chance at it. Bad decision.
One wonders what possessed the people behind the picture to go ahead with "Rent-a-Cop", or how they sold it to the studio behind the distribution. It appears this movie misfired big time. This film doesn't add anything new to its genre. It's totally predictable, as once the basic premise is shown, we know how it will end.
Burt Reynolds plays a wooden Church. This actor can do better, but who knows what was going on behind the scenes, or perhaps the direction given to him by Jerry London, had the opposite effect. Mr. Reynolds has one expression throughout the movie. He just doesn't register any emotion at all.
Lisa Minnelli, as the hooker who witnessed the original slaughter at the Chicago hotel, makes no sense at all. The romance between her Della and Church seems phony from the beginning. She and Mr. Reynolds play one dimensional characters.
Don't waste your time with this turkey.
One wonders what possessed the people behind the picture to go ahead with "Rent-a-Cop", or how they sold it to the studio behind the distribution. It appears this movie misfired big time. This film doesn't add anything new to its genre. It's totally predictable, as once the basic premise is shown, we know how it will end.
Burt Reynolds plays a wooden Church. This actor can do better, but who knows what was going on behind the scenes, or perhaps the direction given to him by Jerry London, had the opposite effect. Mr. Reynolds has one expression throughout the movie. He just doesn't register any emotion at all.
Lisa Minnelli, as the hooker who witnessed the original slaughter at the Chicago hotel, makes no sense at all. The romance between her Della and Church seems phony from the beginning. She and Mr. Reynolds play one dimensional characters.
Don't waste your time with this turkey.
...but we love you anyway, Liza
Die beste Freundin19 July 2000
This disgusting combination of violence and cheap jokes has to be avoided, unless you are a devoted Liza Minnelli fan... like me. Liza has this very personal acting style (a nervous kind of energy) you either love or hate. I think it´s great, and it almost turns trash like Rent-a-cop into something watchable. For the real Liza experience, watch ´Sterile Cuckoo´ or ´Cabaret´.
Decent Movie
ThomasColquith27 December 2021
"Rent-a-cop" is a decent movie, better than most say. It is not terrible and is worth watching. Though of course it is not a masterpiece so I appropriately rate it a 5/10. The two stars are good and have a certain chemistry which is realistic, in the way that they sort of get along, but are also very different people so they grate on each other as well. Also a nice musical score and good cinematography in Chicago. It definitely has an 80's feel as well which can be good or bad depending on one's perspective. Somewhat similar to another Reynold's film "Malone" from the same year.
Seems Familiar
broadfoot22 October 2010
In 1981, Burt Reynolds did a movie called SHARKEY'S MACHINE. He played a cop who is demoted to the vice squad after a shootout with a drug dealer results in several deaths. In RENT-A-COP, he plays a cop who is reduced to working as a security guard when a masked killer botches a drug bust and kills his fellow police officers. In the former movie, Burt watches a hooker, played by Rachel Ward, whom he hopes will help him nab a crimelord. In the latter movie, a hooker, played by Liza Minnelli, joins forces with Burt to track down the killer. Both of these movies co-starred Bernie Casey. The plots of both movies seem familiar, and Liza is not really believable as a hooker, but RENT-A-COP is just one of those Eighties movies that is far more fun to watch on TV rather than the big screen.
get rid of jaws
sandcrab27727 September 2021
John p ryan plays the same role in every film i've seen him in, salivating jaws and james remar plays the same villain in every film he's been in, that leaves burt reynolds the same crooked cop but without ned beatty to shore him up.... please get a script that is not the same used up ground with hackneyed actors as well.
A FUN BURT REYNOLDS FLICK!
plasmapilot9 October 2021
Not a fan of Liza Minnelli, but her chemistry with Burt Reynolds was extraordinary! This older film lacks CGI, but really delivered on the action & intrigue! If you're looking for a great plot & excellent character development, try this film. A great deal of fun for your time & I loved the outcome 😀! Take a chance on this movie!.
Great fun for Liza fans
Capboy22 September 1999
Didja know that, contrary to popular belief (and the Razzies), Liza-with-a-Z actually received rave reviews from Variety and the NEW YORK TIMES (!) for her performance in this otherwise utterly ordinary cop thriller. She's actually very funny in it, and Reynolds has his moments as well. There is an absolutely hysterical scene near the beginning with Burt as a security guard disguised as Santa in a department store, bantering with his new boss, an overly officious matron yammering about his failure to scrutinize his "policy manual."
Burt and Liza gravitate to each other
bkoganbing3 August 2020
Rent-A-Cop has Burt Reynold as the soul survivor of a massacre of narcotiics
that were killed in a drug bust gone bad. Liza Minnelli is a an escort who was the only witness and can identify the shooter.
When Liza finds Burt working store security because he was bounced off the Chicago PD on general suspicion the two gravitate to each other. She's the only one who can identify the shooter and Burt hopes to get back on the force.
This is a routine action/adventure film with Reynolds and Minnelli fitting comfortably into roles they've done before. Dionne Warick has a non-singing role as an escort booker. Too bad that with Warwick and Minnelli in the same film we do't get a single note.
Standingout are Richard Masur as a corrupt ex-cop who is Burt's friend and James Remar as a ruly deranged assassin.
Par for the course for the 80s.
When Liza finds Burt working store security because he was bounced off the Chicago PD on general suspicion the two gravitate to each other. She's the only one who can identify the shooter and Burt hopes to get back on the force.
This is a routine action/adventure film with Reynolds and Minnelli fitting comfortably into roles they've done before. Dionne Warick has a non-singing role as an escort booker. Too bad that with Warwick and Minnelli in the same film we do't get a single note.
Standingout are Richard Masur as a corrupt ex-cop who is Burt's friend and James Remar as a ruly deranged assassin.
Par for the course for the 80s.
Contains Spoiler (Like it matters!)
trinityparadox31 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I was sick one day and was skimming channels and I came upon this terribly rank movie. The plot and even the subplots (if you can find one) have been done to extinction. BUT, as bad as the story was, I reserve a special comment for Liza Minelli. Her character was absolutely one of the most annoying characters I have ever has the misfortune of seeing on film. Her only two competitors in this category are John Leguziamo in "The Pest" and Julia Stiles in anything she's done (or half-done). Maybe she performed exactly as the script suggested or maybe (groan!) that is the limit she has to her acting range. Either way, they should have had a rewrite and killed her off in the first 30 seconds of the film (eg. Like the girl that fell off the balcony in Lethal Weapon (I) (but at least she had nice breasts))
Most Humbly Submitted...Douglas Neidermeyer
Most Humbly Submitted...Douglas Neidermeyer
Hilarious but not as intended
mls41827 April 2023
Did people really pay to see Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli at the theater?
The only fun in this movie is watching the leads make asses of themselves.
Liza plays a middle aged, flabby hooker with bulbous thighs, a large rump and bloated gut. Burt Reynolds looks the same except he is wearing a wig. Both appear to have just undergone their first round of plastic surgery.
The dialogue us so horrible I can't stop laughing.
I hear Robert Stack and Lanie Kazan turned down this script before Burt and Liza agreed to do it. I think what bothers me the most is that I'm sure Loni Anderson is the person who ended up with most of the proceeds from this film.
The only fun in this movie is watching the leads make asses of themselves.
Liza plays a middle aged, flabby hooker with bulbous thighs, a large rump and bloated gut. Burt Reynolds looks the same except he is wearing a wig. Both appear to have just undergone their first round of plastic surgery.
The dialogue us so horrible I can't stop laughing.
I hear Robert Stack and Lanie Kazan turned down this script before Burt and Liza agreed to do it. I think what bothers me the most is that I'm sure Loni Anderson is the person who ended up with most of the proceeds from this film.
Rent something else
dworldeater13 March 2024
I have been on a big Burt Reynolds kick as late. Rent A Cop is one I have not seen, but heard was bad. Unfortunately for me, the reports that I got previously are accurate. Rent A Cop has a mismatched duo of Burt Reynolds and Lizza Minnelli in a annoying kind of buddy cop movie with action, romance, basically throwing anything together and hoping it sticks. Every cliche imaginable is played to the hilt. It does have a good cast with Bernie Casey as one of Burt's cop buddies and James Remar as main villain and psychopath. There even is a cameo by Michael Rooker. All of this is wasted on a pointless crap movie.
I really like it
heldal17 October 2006
I love the music score, the relaxed jokes and the expected turns in the story. I have no idea how it did in 1987, but it is among my favorite cop comedies from the period. A little rip of off Beverly Hills Cop but I'm able to forgive them. It is among those I go back to watch again when I have forgotten it.
The worst thing about it is the villains. None of them go down in history. No special features to mention on the DVD I got, which is crappy. However, I believe they could have created a lasting DVD audience if they had invested a little in the extra quality features.
You can probably drop buying it if you're not likely to enjoy the genre, Minelli or Reynolds. If you can rent/borrow it cheap and are able to enjoy simple action/comedy from the eighties then pop the corn, relax and enjoy.
The worst thing about it is the villains. None of them go down in history. No special features to mention on the DVD I got, which is crappy. However, I believe they could have created a lasting DVD audience if they had invested a little in the extra quality features.
You can probably drop buying it if you're not likely to enjoy the genre, Minelli or Reynolds. If you can rent/borrow it cheap and are able to enjoy simple action/comedy from the eighties then pop the corn, relax and enjoy.
Don't listen to the critics!
carbonfiber-469319 September 2020
Cliche: The Movie
monkeysgalore8 March 2020
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.
An enjoyable movie...
paul_haakonsen23 April 2024
I had actually never heard about this 1987 movie from director Jerry London prior to sitting down here in 2024 to watch it for the very first time. I happened to stumble upon the movie by random chance, and seeing that it had Burt Reynolds in the lead, of course I opted to sit down and watch it.
Writers Michael Blodgett and Dennis Shryack put together an enjoyable script. The movie proved to be entertaining and enjoyable, without being an archetypical cheesy late 1980s movie. The movie is a combination of crime, action and comedy, with the latter being found in light moderation, thankfully. The comedy in the movie helped lighten the mood and spruce things up, so it was an enjoyable light-hearted action crime movie with a pinch of comedy, if you will.
The cast ensemble in "Rent-a-Cop" is pretty good, with the likes of Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, James Remar, Bernie Casey, Richard Masur, Dionne Warwick and others, so you definitely have some familiar faces on the screen. The acting performances were good, and there was a good chemistry between leading actor Burt Reynolds and leading actress Liza Minnelli.
I found it well-worth taking 96 minutes to sit down and watch "Rent-a-Cop", because it was an enjoyable movie.
My rating of director Jerry London's 1987 movie "Rent-a-Cop" lands on a six out of ten stars.
Writers Michael Blodgett and Dennis Shryack put together an enjoyable script. The movie proved to be entertaining and enjoyable, without being an archetypical cheesy late 1980s movie. The movie is a combination of crime, action and comedy, with the latter being found in light moderation, thankfully. The comedy in the movie helped lighten the mood and spruce things up, so it was an enjoyable light-hearted action crime movie with a pinch of comedy, if you will.
The cast ensemble in "Rent-a-Cop" is pretty good, with the likes of Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, James Remar, Bernie Casey, Richard Masur, Dionne Warwick and others, so you definitely have some familiar faces on the screen. The acting performances were good, and there was a good chemistry between leading actor Burt Reynolds and leading actress Liza Minnelli.
I found it well-worth taking 96 minutes to sit down and watch "Rent-a-Cop", because it was an enjoyable movie.
My rating of director Jerry London's 1987 movie "Rent-a-Cop" lands on a six out of ten stars.
features professional actors
jessegehrig10 July 2013
Why did some one hire Liza Minnelli? Did they not think she she would show up? Was it a prank phone call that backfired horribly? These are the key questions that lie at the heart of Rent-A-Cop. Surely Ms. Minnelli wasn't hired for her looks or talent, so why did she end up on film? Her acting reminds one of the dangers of coke addiction. Hey and can you believe it, Burt Reynolds shows up in this movie too, I think he might even play the lead role as Detective Bandit, the Trans Am is in the shop. A human is given a writing credit for this movie which must be a typo, also Bobby Benson appears as the voice of the Beast for Disney's Beauty And The Beast, although he has to dress like a human in Rent-A-Cop, I guess Disney wouldn't let Benson wear the costume, something about copyright law.
I love this movie
dave_hillman18 February 2023
Rent-a-Cop is lots of fun if you're just in the mood for a good popcorn flick.
It has two big stars: Liza MInnelli and Burt Reynolds.
Liza walks away with this little project quite handily. Burt looks tired, but since his aging cop character is written that way, this is not really a detriment.
Burt does have a few good deadpan comic moments, but again, Liza is the engine that drives this well-produced B-movie to completion.
There is also a truly wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score.
And a motley crew of a supporting cast: James Remar, Bernie Casey, Robby Benson, Richard Masur, John Ryan, and Dionne Warwick (!)
I truly love Rent-a-Cop, and I am not alone. Give it a shot.
It has two big stars: Liza MInnelli and Burt Reynolds.
Liza walks away with this little project quite handily. Burt looks tired, but since his aging cop character is written that way, this is not really a detriment.
Burt does have a few good deadpan comic moments, but again, Liza is the engine that drives this well-produced B-movie to completion.
There is also a truly wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score.
And a motley crew of a supporting cast: James Remar, Bernie Casey, Robby Benson, Richard Masur, John Ryan, and Dionne Warwick (!)
I truly love Rent-a-Cop, and I am not alone. Give it a shot.
A near miss
pmtelefon9 April 2022
"Rent-a-Cop" has its flaws but it also has a lot going for it. The cast is main thing that makes this second tier Burt Reynolds' movie worth watching. They bring a lot of goodwill to the movie. "Rent-a-Cop" works well when it's trying to be funny. It's very likeable in those moments. It's the serious part of the movie that doesn't work as well. "Rent-a-Cop" is a mixed bag but it's a pretty easy watch for fans of Burt, like me.
Burt, a not so bad cop flick to went
videorama-759-8593912 June 2014
Here's a film I reckon, was judged quite unfairly, if harshly. Although it's no hit, it's still a lot of fun, with danger at many a turn, and a worthwhile view. What makes the film work is the bonding and excellent casting of Minelli and Reynolds. Starting out very much like Code Of Silence, one of the producers attached to that, worked on this one. We have a drug buy, gone to s..t and a very p..sed off Captain who pushes Burt's buttons, not a good thing to do. A psychotic (Remar) highjacks the shipment, Minelli a hooker with heart, witness to Remar's features. She was with a sicko client in the next room, of this ritzy hotel when this mayhem went down, resulting in a score of Burt's men being taken down. Now Burt's demoted, working as a rent a cop, his new job has him undercover in Santa Claus guise. With a few attempts made on Minelli's life, running scared, she implores Burt's services, which at first, he's so very much reluctant, zero tolerance I'm talking, as she is a stroke of bad luck for him as far as his career prospects go. With the story that moves unhurriedly along, the building of the relationship, between our leads, I really liked. Minelli provides a lot of laughs, where things even turn romantic, something that had to happen I guess. Minelli's larger than life character sold the film, where Burt is just Burt here. He's done far better work. There are moments you think, he really doesn't care. Australia's own John Stanton (Bellamy) makes an appearance, as a bad guy, and it was good to see him in this, his second overseas flick, after that so called dud Taipan. It's good to see Bernie Casey re team with Burt after Sharky's Machine. On the surface, Rent a Cop appears pretty weak and washy, and this is cause of Burt and Liza's antics, stuffing about, straying away the business of the story, but it has a good moments of action, well executed in a not a half bad flick. You get laughs, like you don't expect, and it's quite the adventure with our two, where we owe most of our thanks to the wonderful Liza. For Burt fans especially, and others who don't enjoy a not so bad action flick. Love the instrumental theme song.
An outright failure
lor_22 April 2023
My review was written in January 1988 after a Manhattan theater screening.
Burt Reynolds racks up three flops in a row on his current comeback trail (with two more pictures in the can) via "Rent-A-Cop", a cheesy little crime thriller. Maiden release from Kings Road Entertainment pointlessly reunites Reynolds with "Lucky Lady" co-star Liza Minnelli, but even her flamboyant thesing in a stock role fails to make this one watchable.
Pic starts off promisingly as a sort of followup to Reynolds' "Sharky's Machine", with him working again with fellow cop Bernie Casey on a big drug bust. Nutcase James Remar wipes everybody out except Reynolds, who is suspected of being crooked and bounced from the force. He gets work as a "rent-a-cop", working undercover (dressed as a Santa Claus) in a department store. In an awkwardly staged but key subplot, Minnelli, as a Chicago hooker, has been saved from Remar by Reynolds and now attaches herself to him for protection.
He laboriously traces the killer to a potential scandal involving hookers and ex-cops, with shady RIchard Masur the key link in the underworld chain. Loose ends of the plot are sorted out via gunplay.
Low-grade programmer is an inauspicious feature from tv helmer Jerry London, and plays on the big screen like a subpar episode of "Starsky & Hutch". Interiors were filmed in Rome evidently to save a buck, not noticeable except in a disco sequence where all the extras look Italian. Top creative team including cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno and scorer Jerry Goldsmith turn in uncharacteristically ho-hu work.
Reynolds looks bored and is boring here, with an ill-fitting toupe that is downright embarrassing from one closeup angle. Minnelli is a lot of fun as the flamboyant prostitute, but one inevitably wonders why no better role (or screen vehicle) can be concocted for the star, to exploit her musical talents. Ditto Dionne Warwick, absent from the screen since "Slaves" in 1969, and thoroughly wasted here as head of a call girl ring. Remar is laughably hammy as the narcissistic killer.
Burt Reynolds racks up three flops in a row on his current comeback trail (with two more pictures in the can) via "Rent-A-Cop", a cheesy little crime thriller. Maiden release from Kings Road Entertainment pointlessly reunites Reynolds with "Lucky Lady" co-star Liza Minnelli, but even her flamboyant thesing in a stock role fails to make this one watchable.
Pic starts off promisingly as a sort of followup to Reynolds' "Sharky's Machine", with him working again with fellow cop Bernie Casey on a big drug bust. Nutcase James Remar wipes everybody out except Reynolds, who is suspected of being crooked and bounced from the force. He gets work as a "rent-a-cop", working undercover (dressed as a Santa Claus) in a department store. In an awkwardly staged but key subplot, Minnelli, as a Chicago hooker, has been saved from Remar by Reynolds and now attaches herself to him for protection.
He laboriously traces the killer to a potential scandal involving hookers and ex-cops, with shady RIchard Masur the key link in the underworld chain. Loose ends of the plot are sorted out via gunplay.
Low-grade programmer is an inauspicious feature from tv helmer Jerry London, and plays on the big screen like a subpar episode of "Starsky & Hutch". Interiors were filmed in Rome evidently to save a buck, not noticeable except in a disco sequence where all the extras look Italian. Top creative team including cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno and scorer Jerry Goldsmith turn in uncharacteristically ho-hu work.
Reynolds looks bored and is boring here, with an ill-fitting toupe that is downright embarrassing from one closeup angle. Minnelli is a lot of fun as the flamboyant prostitute, but one inevitably wonders why no better role (or screen vehicle) can be concocted for the star, to exploit her musical talents. Ditto Dionne Warwick, absent from the screen since "Slaves" in 1969, and thoroughly wasted here as head of a call girl ring. Remar is laughably hammy as the narcissistic killer.
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