Hugely underrated.


Was just watching this for the first time in a long time. I always enjoyed it, but it's even better than I gave it credit for. Peter Weller really shines in this. Terrific performance. Sam Elliot is good, too. And they have a great chemistry together. Cool mix of action and courtroom drama.

Sadly, this flick seems all but forgotten. Any other fans of the film out there?

reply

One of my all time favorites. IT is one of the few "action first" crime dramas that still delivers on the plot and relevance of the action scenes. Underrated fo sho.

reply

i like the actionn scenes because they were actually done in new york city. i m from nyc and the scene in times square brings back memories of how it used to be.

reply

I totally agree. I'm from the UK (where this film was called 'Blue Jean Cop') and as a fan of James Glickenhaus, especially 'The Exterminator' and 'Codename: The Soldier', I thought this was his best film by far. The dialogue was snappy, the action scenes brilliantly handled and the acting far above the level you usually find. Sam Elliot is probably one of the most underrated actors in America and the best thing here. I would disagree with the film being labelled a no-brainer because the film covered any number of contentious issues (corruption/infidelity/plea-bargaining/police brutality) with more realism than usual. If there is one fault, it is in the sound reproduction- the scenes filmed in Times Square are very difficult to hear. Apart from that, a fantastic film and one I would happily sit through time and time again.

reply

Totally agree with the above poster; I watched this film many times years ago and it still holds up as a strong action movie today. Great dialogue, great casting and some truly outstanding stunts. (Larry Joshua is a great bad guy!)
Just a shame it's only available as a poorly pressed dvd.

reply

I agree the only thing I hav a slight problem with uis the plane scene at the end .Other than that very solid flick

reply

I really like this movie.

I think what sets it up was the excellent entries the two leads have.

Peter Weller waking up in the morning and listening to Jimi Hendrix and drinking what must have been a foul tasting cocktail concoction as his morning pick me up before he goes to the PD office, which from this shows it's clearly a job he hates but whats to also be good at.

And Sam Elliot waking up to go brush his teeth inside a dingy movie theater.

Scenes like that setup the characters superbly.

reply

fantastic movie...loved it!

reply


such a *beep* awesome script, great leads and great action. massively underrated
______________________
Eric C 4 Prez

reply

Just watched this for the first time. Pretty good film.

Lee Vervoort

"Get to work."
www.leevervoort.com

reply

Everything was pretty okay decent...than that ending.

I've heard such great things about Glickenhaus but the guy's movies do nothing for me, this one included. Weller/Elliot were fun though.

reply

Completely agreed with the OP! This is one of my fave cop movies of the 80s!

Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.

reply

I saw it in the theater when it was released and thought it was a lot of fun, and now I have it on video. Weller and Elliott are terrific together, and the action scenes are amazing. I could have done without the romantic subplot, but that was easy enough to overlook. It's unfortunately this film is largely forgotten. 7/10 stars.

reply

It is quite an unusual film, crossing between genres so often (though admittedly there are only a couple). The actions scenes were ridiculous and excellent, the chemistry between Weller and Eliot great, the fact that the main character starts cheating on his wife halfway through the film is amazing and generally it is quite bizarre, as action goes.

I enjoyed it a great deal.

Emily? Who's Emily?

reply

Yes, it's definitely a product of the '80s -- very wacky, fast-moving and fun.

reply

It just might be the best movie in the crooked cop action subgenre. It's not boring for a second and is exceptionally well written by Glickenhaus' standards, which is a bit confusing, because Soldier for example had all the action but almost no story to talk about. This really turned out to be a gem.

reply

Damn fun flick. The action scenes are top notch.

What do you think this is, a signature? It's a way of life!

reply

It is a travesty this movie didn't get the recognition of a true late 80s action'er. Yes, most of the plot points, performances and stunt sequences were ridiculous. But THAT'S why it's an amazing flick. I think, unfortunately, it's one of those movies that skated too close to the line of being serious, or being over-the-top crazy and therefore doesn't have the cult of "RoadHouse" nor the pedigree of "Lethal Weapon."

reply