The Presidio (1988)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writer (WGA):

Larry Ferguson (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

THE PRESIDIO ARMY BASE, SAN FRANCISCO. When a landmark of historic tradition becomes the scene of a shocking murder, a military commander and a street-tough cop are forced into action... against the killer, the mysterious past, and each other.

Plot:

Jay Austin is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell was his commanding officer years before...

Plot Keywords:

Army | Detective | Presidio | Chase | Female Nudity

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Nov. 10	8:15 PM	MAX
Sat. Nov. 14	10:35 AM	MAX

Cast

Sean Connery	...	Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell
Mark Harmon	...	Jay Austin
Meg Ryan	...	Donna Caldwell
Jack Warden	...	Sgt. Maj. Ross Maclure
Mark Blum	...	Arthur Peale
Dana Gladstone	...	Col. Paul Lawrence
Jenette Goldstein	...	Patti Jean Lynch
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	MP Zeke
Don Calfa	...	Howard Buckely
John DiSanti	...	Det. Marvin Powell
Robert Lesser	...	Sgt. Mueller
James Hooks Reynolds	...	George Spota
Curtis W. Sims	...	Sgt. Garfield
Rick Zumwalt	...	Bully in Bar
Rosalyn Marshall	...	Lawrence's Secretary

Also Known As:

The Presidio: The Scene of the Crime (UK)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario - 2006) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Originally meant to star Sir Sean Connery and Don Johnson, but Johnson had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with "Miami Vice" (1984). Mark Harmon was brought in as a last-minute replacement.

Goofs:

Continuity: The same few stuntmen keep getting knocked down over and over during the Chinatown chase.

Quotes:

[Lt.Col Caldwell has just beaten up the bully in the bar who had started a fight with him]
Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell: You see these little oak leaves?
[points to the silver oak leaves on his lapels]
Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell: They're silver. That means I'm a lieutenant-colonel. If they were gold, THEN I'd be a major! Understand?
[hits the bully's head on the bar]
Bully in Bar: [grunts & nods] Yes sir!
Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell: Now, next time you see an officer of the Army, you'll know how to recognize his rank!
[Lt-Col. Caldwell walks out of the bar]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game K N B: (2007-03-03)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

I Get Along Without You Very Well

Every reviewer before me is narrow minded!

I thought this movie was great! Peter Hyams proves again that he is both a talented director and cinematographer, and this movie is a perfect showcase for his talents.

Sure this movie is basically a rip off of the LETHAL WEAPON formula, but wasn't THAT movie a rip off of 48 HRS. as well? You can't complain about the movie being poorly written, because I've seen movies worse then this get Academy Awards!

I probably like the movie because of Sean Connery and Mark Harmon's chemistry, as well as all the cool chase scenes (the opening chase through the streets of San Francisco is one of the best ever filmed!) True, Meg Ryan is virtually wasted in this movie, but what did you expect? This movie was from 1988, years before SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE made her famous, so she was lucky she even got a role in it!

All in all, I recommend it to anyone who likes the 80's buddy cop genre (BLACK RAIN, TANGO AND CASH, LETHAL WEAPON, etc). And for those of you before me who bad talked it, lighten up! It's not like this movie was boring or anything. If you don't like, don't ruin it for those of us who do!