If you broadly described the plot of '48 Hrs. (1982)' to someone and asked them to guess what it is you're talking about, I'm pretty confident that they'd come up with almost any 80s movie before they came up with this. That's because this film is, essentially, every 80s movie ever (or, at least, every 80s action/ cop movie ever). Two unlikely allies have to work through their personal troubles - and do it fast - in order to bring down the bad guy, eventually learning that maybe they're not so different after all before enjoying one last bit of now truly 'friendly' banter as they drive off into the sunset together. There is one thing that sets this apart from most of its decade's more memorable entries, however: it's just not that good. Generally, it's a generic experience devoid of any real charm, one that often feels as though it's actively going out of its way to make you dislike it. It feels quite 'nasty' - or, perhaps, pessimistic - pretty much for the sake of it, while still trying to end on a high, a "we're friends now so let's forget about all that racism". It truly is bizarre, not least of all because there aren't really any characters and so we just don't care about the core relationship. I mean, Nolte's just an unlikable walking bag of sand who growls at everyone he sees and who's constantly really unpleasant to his newfound partner for no real reason. He uses racial slurs like playground insults and doesn't ever learn his lesson - in fact, the flick never even makes a point of it. His only development comes off-screen when, around the start of the third-act, he decides he likes Murphy, for some reason; subsequently, he doesn't treat him like something he scraped off his shoe. Meanwhile, Murphy is... Murphy. He's as charismatic, and occasionally problematic (when he gets a chance to turn the tables on some racist rednecks, he immediately resorts to homophobia), as ever. Still, he's clearly the best part of this picture. Even the action, which is hard-boiled and 'violent', doesn't really live up to the standards of the era, despite being competent enough. It's this that makes for the movie's most memorable stuff, though. Overall, the film doesn't really amount to much. It's not really entertaining and it's also incredibly forgettable. As I mentioned, its only merits are Murphy's charisma and the occasional bit of blank-firing, squib-triggering gun-play or (perhaps more ironically enjoyable than straightforwardly so) stunt-doubled, turn-taking fisticuffs. Still, that's not enough for a recommendation. 4/10
Review of 48 Hrs.
