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Visitors Review

Michael O'Keefe 2012-05-17 17:34:40

An unlikely duo that packs a punch for the bad guy; and each other.

Laugh out loud funny. A rough around the edges cop(Nick Nolte)arranges atemporary parole for a cocky convict(Eddie Murphy)in order to help intracking down a couple of killers. Whiskey throated Nolte is perfect asthelaid back, hard hitting cop. Murphy's big screen debut is a delight. TheNolte/Murphy team is like a match along side a twenty gallon drum ofgasoline. Crude and absolutely believable. No big special effects neededtokeep you satisfied. Rib cracking funny. Also featured are:Annette O'Toole,Frank McRae and James Remar.

DON SERIBUTRA 2012-05-17 07:26:31

Classic Cult Favorite

I would consider this timeless classic a masterpiece, since other filmswould be modeled. Eddie Murphy's debut performance set the pinnacle foryoung African American comedians, long before Def Comedy Jam, as well asother comedians like Martin Lawrence and Chris Tucker. Nick Nolte stars as a cop with a drinking problem, while driving a beat-up1964 Cadillac ragtop. He might have used a few harsh racist overtonestowards Eddie Murphy in some parts of the film, and typical scenes (e.g. thefight scene in the alley, and being handcuffed to a steering wheel) becamememorable scenes that would follow in modern-day hits like Money Talks andRush Hour. Even the Ice-T/Suzy Amis flick Judgment Day followed a similarchemistry, but the later films that featured small referential scenes (e.g.handcuffed to a steering wheel, a bar brawl, or a macho showdown scene) areattributed to this timeless classic. The Chris Tucker - Charlie Sheen flick Money Talks might be a slight remakeof 48 HRS, but I would consider this film a cult favorite.

Jizdenky 2012-05-13 17:00:19

We ain't partners, we ain't brothers, we ain't friends

I can understand why '48 Hours' worked during its time. However today,after 1000s of buddy movies, '48 Hours' feels dated. The story has beentried and tested numerous times thereafter. It doesn't have much tooffer today and the execution isn't anything outstanding either butthis is among the 'pioneer' buddy films. However the dialogues areproof of some fine writing. The highlight of '48 Hours' is obviouslyNick Nolte and Eddie Murphy who are terrific together. It is theirscenes, whether action or comedy, that you leave with. Murphy alreadyshows signs of a gifted comedian but he also seems to draw a comedicside from a more experienced actor like Nick Nolte (who is alsoexcellent as the tough cop). Thanks to them '48 Hours' features ahilarious sequence at a rednecks bar and this is one of the funniestmoments on film. Even though '48 Hours' may look outdated, it is worththe watch alone for Murphy and Nolte. I still give it a thumbs up overwannabes like 'Rush Hour'.

TheLittleSongbird 2012-05-12 23:47:34

Great fun, with a heck of a debut from Eddie Murphy

I was not expecting to enjoy 48 Hours as much as I did. It is hugelyenjoyable, and has fun chemistry and no wasted scene. In fact it is forme one of the best buddy cop thrillers ever made. Eddie Murphy gives aheck of a debut in this film, all smoothness, charm and wisecracks, andthis is one of his best films and roles along with Beverly Hills Copand Trading Places. He is perfectly paired with Nick Nolte, who is alsoevery bit as good as the rough, gruff straight man. The story is funand doesn't fall into the trap of being predictable, and has many greatscenes especially Murphy's taming of a redneck bar. The script is wittyand funny, while the direction is solid and the film has some verybeautifully orchestrated action sequences, shoot-ups and chases.In conclusion, 48 Hours is great fun and worth watching for the twoleads, especially Murphy who gives one of his best performances by farhere. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The Godfather 2012-05-06 19:08:50

The first of many 'buddy cop-movies'

At first sight, "48 hrs." may seem like your typical action movie in whichtwo conflicting characters HAVE to work together in order to catch the badguys ... and guess what? That's exactly what it is. The only differencehere is that this film was the very first of its kind. Its unique style hasbeen copied over and over again, but no film nor series has ever done abetter job. Series such as "Miami Vice" and films such as "Rising sun","Rush hour", "Beverly Hills cop" or "Lethal weapon" all contain the sameobvious elements that this film came up with back in 1982.The most satisfying thing about "48 hrs." is without a doubt the chemistrybetween Nick Nolte and Eddy Murphy. Nick Nolte is flawless as the rusty,tough-guy who's constantly smoking cigarettes in order to forget that he hasa drinking problem. Eddy Murphy, on the other hand, is a hyper, non-stopbabbling, know-it-all convict and as expected from someone like Eddy Murphy:before we even get a first glimpse of him, we already hear his voice loudand clear from a great distance. Eventually, it would be this verycharacter that he would get to play several times over and over again. In"Trading places", "Beverly Hills cop", "Metro" and even as Buddy Love in"The nutty professor" or as the voice of Donkey in "Shrek"; all thesecharacters share the same obvious characteristics. Come to think of it:Eddy Murphy is one of the very first Afro-American comedians; that is ...after Richard Pryor of course.Although the acting performances of both Nick Nolte and Eddy Murphy aretop-notch, not everything about "48 hrs." is that good. It's a pity thatthe film only has two interesting characters overshadowing the rest of thecast. And that goes for the acting as well. The storyline is pretty lame,but it's backed up by the great action scenes. And the dialogues CAN befunny if you don't mind the bad language that lasts throughout the entirepicture.All in all, this is an important action movie that has become a classic inits own right.

mjos1 2012-05-06 06:57:37

one of the best cop movies ever

this is truly a great movie. plus i love cop movies and this is truly anoriginal.Murphy is one of my favorite comedians and the cool thing is thatthis is his first movie ever and it's great.i say go out and buy this moviebecause you will be entertained.

Roedy Green 2012-05-02 15:28:04

Not a Comedy

You see Eddie Murphy's name and you think comedy. But that not so.There is a bit of wisecracking, but this is far from a comedy. The keyfeature of the film is its aggressively in-your-face foul language.Every third word is p*ssy, m*therf*cker, d*ck, *ssh*le, trim(sex) orn*gger. It is a very violent film with many scenes of women being heldhostage in gun battles, and people being gratuitously killed or beatento a pulp.Most of the action takes place in sleazy night spots in San Francisco,with plenty of bumping and grinding female flesh.They have a great band who does "The Boys Are Back in Town" and otherget up and dance songs. The band hop about with the intensity ofcartoon characters, putting on a lively show.

maxshreck 2012-05-02 05:32:07

One of the better buddy-buddy cop actioners

Well, they may not be Steiger and Poitier, but as a mismatched, mixed race,mutual loathing duo forced to work together, Nolte and Murphy put in goodperformances. In fact, out of all the buddy-buddy movies I have ever seen,both dated before (Freebie and the Bean) and after (Lethal Weapon) this one,48 Hours has to be one of the best. Nolte is his usual grizzly, growlingself and Murphy (in his feature film debut) is great, although not yetachieving his comic peak as he did in Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop.The chemistry between these two leads is also excellent. Hill, as always,maintains a deft mix of action and comedy throughout the film (with slightlymore emphasis on the action), and never sacrifices one in favour of theother. All in all, a great film, shame about the sequel.

Matt-014 2012-05-01 12:33:22

Hysterical

48 HRS. is one of the funniest movies I have seen. Especially that sceneinthe redneck bar. Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte are the perfect duo, andMurphymakes it funny. It was great how Nolte grew to trust Murphy and they keptemphasizing their hate for each other. I think I liked this movie alsobecause I love 80's movies with cops investigating drugs or money, and 48HRS. LETHAL WEAPON and BEVERLY HILLS COP are my favorite 80's cop movies.They all have comedy and action, and I think this is my fav of all of thembut its really close. This is a great film go see it its an 8/10!

mhasheider 2012-05-01 08:26:06

A seriously edgy and explosive thriller.

A seriously edgy and explosive thriller about an untidy yet tenaciousSan Francisco cop, Jack Cates (Nick Nolte), who must take ReggieHammond (Eddie Murphy), an ultra-cocky convict with him and searcharound the city for a brutish cop-killer, Ganz (James Remar)and hisnearly out-spoken Indian accomplice, Billy Bear (Sonny Landham) andtake them down in less than forty-eight hours. What made me enjoy themovie is the trust and respect that the Murphy and Nolte charactersbegin to show, even there are moments where they want to pound eachother's head in. In addition to Nolte and Murphy (who's in his filmdebut), Remar is pretty good here despite having a limited amount ofscreen time. The photography of the city by Ric Waite is well,excellent and the skillful direction by Walter Hill can't go unnoticed."48 Hrs." may not look as well-crafted as "The French Connection", butHill sure knows how to make something memorable out of nothing.

2012-04-28 16:30:00

Classic Eddie

This review is from: 48 HRS. / Another 48 HRS. (DVD) Good, solid early Eddie Murphy movies. These were made back when he was still learning his craft & they were both decently entertaining...both when I saw the original releases & now. Nolte was perfect for his role too...back when he was a good dependable actor. The movies had pretty good supporting actors too (the first moreso than the sequel). Overall, a respectable effort of " classic" '80s popularmoviemaking.

jonmon 2012-04-27 18:00:16

Jon Monsarrat review solid but showing its age

I enjoyed this film when it originally came out, but I believe commentsshould reflect the times and when I caught this on TV 20 years later,it had aged.This was Eddy Murphy's first movie. He's good. Nick Nolte is good. In1982, this was quite the cop buddy film. Compared with modern standardsin witty dialogue and action, the film still holds up but does notcompete with Rush Hour, or even Beverly Hills Cop. The plot is solidand not goofy, but not especially compelling or clever either.Therefore, I would not recommend this movie as a straight comedy, norto youngsters who have no reason to reminisce about the early 80's.Rent "Trading Places" instead, Eddy Murphy's 2nd film, which is still aclassic, or see "Showtime".Who should see this film:-- Eddy Murphy fans who just have to see all his films-- Action lovers who have nothing better to do on a rainy day and wouldlike to reminisce about the early 80s-- I can't think of anyone elseI rate "48 Hrs" a 5 out of 10.

blanche-2 2012-04-26 13:35:56

A huge hit that inspired a lot of imitators

Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy have "48 Hours" to catch two bad guys inthis 1982 film, directed and co-written by Walter Hill. Nolte is arenegade cop, Jack Cates, with a quick temper and a big mouth. Hemanages the release of a criminal, Reggie Hammond (Murphy) for 48 hoursso that Hammond can help him arrest two loose canon escapees from awork gang, Albert Ganz and Billy Bear (James Remar and Sonny Landham).The two have left a trail of dead bodies on a quest for robbery money.Reggie promises that he knows his former associates well enough totrack them down."48 Hours" provides plenty of action in the form of gunfire and carchases as these two get to know one another and appreciate what theother brings to the table. There's plenty of comedy, too, includingNolte's introduction to Murphy in his prison cell.There have been many of these buddy movies since "48 Hours," which wasa huge hit. While I admit to liking the "Lethal Weapon" series better,Nolte and Murphy are great together, both delivering strong, edgyperformances.Though it's a formula film, the two actors and the good direction lift"48 Hours" out of the formula to provide great characterizations and ahigh level of entertainment.

MadBluntz 2012-04-26 01:30:14

One of Eddie Murphy's best.

MPAA Rating:Rated R for Strong Language,Violence and Some Nudity.Quebec Rating:13+ Canadian Home Video Rating:R(should be 18A)48 Hrs is a really good Eddie Murphy debut film.He was on SaturdayNight Live before but it was 48 Hrs that got him big in the filmindustry.Nick Nolte fits his character really well and so does EddieMurphy.The performances are pretty good.The plot is like a normalcop/buddy movie.Its about a cop who has to team up with a con-artistand catch a criminal in 48 Hrs while getting into misadventures andmeeting people etc.There is not much to say about 48 Hrs.Its you'reaverage cop/buddy movie.I found this film to be way better than the1990 sequel another 48 hrs.Another 48 Hrs was more dramatic.This filmwas just you're average 80's cop/buddy action/comedy.Fans of EddieMurphy will really enjoy this film.Runtime:96min 9/10

lastliberal 2012-04-25 09:22:33

A super "buddy" movie

"I've been in prison for three years. My dick gets hard if the windblows." That's Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy). Getting out of prison,even for a weekend, he has only one thing on his mind. It's a runningjoke throughout the entire movie and one of the things that makes ithilarious.Now, don't get me wrong. Jack (Nick Nolte) and Reggie weren't buddiesat the beginning. It took a lot of foreplay before they came together,but it finally happens and it's a beautiful thing.This is Murphy at his funniest. James Horner's music is great, andWalter Hill kept this film moving along without a hitch. Don't miss it.

Lone Solo-2 2012-04-24 22:18:43

Good Walter Hill film....he excelled at these in the 1980's.

This film is the buddy cop movie with a twist...the cop's buddy is acriminal. 48 hrs. combines the wesstern in the big city with a police dramaabout a cop who pursues a couple of fugitives through San Francisco. Thiswas EDDIE MURPHY's first big screen movie and was a hit...then followed bythe flop BEST DEFENSE which sucked. 48 hrs. was one of the first gritty copdramas of the 1980's and came in the wake of SHARKY's MACHINE and THEHUNTER. This is a classic to say the least. The formula used in this one isthe most imitated of all time, however it works well in this movie. Thisfilm was one of a series of blockbusters for paramount in the 1980's whenbrandon tartikoff was the head of the studio. This was one of the firstfilms to use a faster paced plot. By mid 1980's films were moving at breakneck speed...much to the delight of audiences.

moonspinner55 2012-04-23 00:40:34

Satisfying the masses...

Walter Hill's hard, profane action-comedy, littered with as many deadbodies as it is wisecracks, redefined the 'buddy movie' for audiencesof the 1980s, rocketing "Saturday Night Live" TV-comedian Eddie Murphyto stardom. Murphy plays a self-righteous, self-amused convict sprungfrom jail by beat-out cop Nick Nolte to help him catch two escapedpsychopaths, who are busy mowing down various residents of SanFrancisco. Cocky set-pieces, such as Murphy's big scene impersonating abitter, enraged cop in a redneck bar, sent viewers out on a high, butthe recklessness of the verbal put-downs which form the basis of thescreenplay aren't so very funny. Nolte and Murphy are quite a pair, andboth get hammered pretty hard for the sake of some macho laughs, butthe fast-pacing can only compensate for so much mindless violence, allof which is undermined by despicable behavior. Hill doesn't seem tounderstand the irony of turning irresponsible people into heroes--hejust wants to satisfy the audience. For some, being pummeled andinsulted may equal a good time. Followed by a belated sequel in 1990.** from ****

jyoung-11 2012-04-22 10:44:44

The Black Man in 80's Hollywood

At the age of 21, Eddie Murphy exploded onto our screens in this Hollywoodfeature film titled '48 Hours' with Nick Nolte. Having been bombarded withBlaxploitation films in the 70's where black American characters were pimps,drug addicts, gangsters and jailbirds, we were accustomed to Eddie Murphybeing introduced to us as another jailbird. However, when he is releasedfrom prison for '48 Hours' to assist Nick Nolte in finding an antagonist, webegin the serious actor Eddie Murphy take the profile of the black man inHollywood to another level. He is engaging, exciting, and as brave as theJohn Wayne of the John Ford American West. Every black member of theaudience could identify with Murphy in his portrayal of this 21 year oldcharacter, and even though he looks older than his real age, he does displaymaturity and potential to push back the boundaries of the black man in 80'sHollywood.

kidwltm 2012-04-21 21:25:42

An Action Film, 80's Style

48 Hrs. is one of the first, and best, examples of the 80's action genre. Walter Hill's style set up a structure a lot of films would borrow from fora long time. It's also was the first time the "buddy" system was applied insuch a way. It had been seen before, but not with characters like this. Not with the same banter and chemistry by Nolte and Murphy. They are agreat team, which is something a lot of recent buddie cop films have beenmissing. Their performances together was the foundation for a lot of otherbuddie cop films, including anothe black & white pair, Mel Gibson and DannyGlover in Lethal Weapon. The movie provides some good action scenes, but atthe time they could only do so much. It's better viewed with the frame ofmind that this has a comedy foreground and action background. There aresome weak spots, like with any action film. Some scenes drag a bit. Thething with Nolte's girlfriend is underdeveloped and thus it's inclusion inthe film at all is a waste of time. And the film lacks a great villain. Hey, I love James Remar as much as the next guy, but the entire second actgoes without an appearnce by the main baddie. Overall, it has flaws. But the Nolte/Murphy combo combined with WalterHill's directing makes this a worthwhile venture.7/10* * */****

Car316 2012-04-21 06:06:07

Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte are timeless.

Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte are timeless, in this '80s Comedy-Actionmovie.The dialogue, Murphy and Nolte, are so good, that I can overlook thesomewhat threadbare plot. The dialogue is, to me, the best dialogue everwritten in any buddy-cop movie ever made. The scene in the CountryWesternbar, is one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. Overall,although a somewhat threadbare plot, Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte are puremagic. *** (out of four)