Reviews (163)

Almost Great, But . . .
Most of "True Lies" is a wonderful combination of action, adventure, thriller, and comedy. Most of this movie could stand up against most James Bond movies.

However, I have one major concern. In the first third of the movie, when Arnold Schwarzenegger's character thinks his wife, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is having an affair with a car salesman who pretends to be an international spy to attract women, his response is pretty sadistic. He uses his resources, as the international spy that Arnold's character actually is, to have his wife's phone tapped, have her followed, have her captured, have her interrogated, and have her coerced into becoming a spy. He's already gone too far, but he goes even further by having her first assignment be to pose as a prostitute in order to plant a miniature microphone in the hotel room of a sleazy stranger (played by Schwarzenegger, hiding in the dark, and using someone's tape-recorded voice). I find that entire sequence very distasteful and uncomfortable to watch.

My recommendation: watch the movie, but fast-forward through that entire sequence described above. It's cheap, sleazy, and distasteful.

True Lies - An extremely entertaining action/drama film!
"True Lies" is quite simply, one of the most entertaining, fast paced and hilarious films that Arnold Schwarzenegger has ever starred in. From the very first time I saw this movie in the theater to several viewings both in VHS and DVD format, I've found that the superior script and exceptional acting in this film entertains every time. I've read of and heard many lament over some aspects of this film and the best I could say to those is that quite often the movies that Hollywood produces are a sensationalism of real life events and ultimately a movie such as this one is for entertainment not making statements about any one group or individual and as a medium for entertainment, this film succeeds completely!

Performance wise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere and Art Malik all deserve great honors and the accolades they received for their respective parts in this film. "True Lies" was probably Arnold Schwarzenegger's best overall performance both in the action and the dramatic sense. Jamie Lee Curtis couldn't have been any better in this role and I can honestly say that I was impressed with Tom Arnold's performance in this movie whereas any other film or show I've seen him in I was not impressed. I believe the only other movie I've seen that Art Malik was in was "The Living Daylights" and in both that movie and this one his work has been exceptional.

Say what you may like about director James Cameron but you would definitely have to admit that prior to the current but most likely "temporary" culmination of his career as a director with the movie "Titanic" and heading off to run the "Dark Angel" television series, few directors could come close to matching his accomplishments. "True Lies" was James Cameron's fifth highly successful hit in a row and with this movie and "Titanic" one could definitely say that during this run of box office hits, he had the pulse of the fans as he wrote screenplays and directed these extraordinary films.

The Premise:

Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a high speed "spook" working for a highly secretive government agency that is a watch dog/operator spook agency that identifies and handles terrorist threats to the United States. Along with his handler Albert Gibson (Tom Arnold), they uncover a major terrorist operation which is bent on using nuclear warheads against the US to accomplish its goals. As Harry, Albert and their organization are working to uncover the terrorists plot; his family becomes heavily involved in the story which is where Helen Tasker (Jamie Lee Curtis) comes in to play and some extremely hilarious scenes involving Simon (Bill Paxton). What follows from there is one of the most hilarious and exciting action/drama films to have come out of the nineties.

I highly recommend this film to any and all who are interested in seeing a great, fast paced, highly intriguing and hilarious action/drama movie and aren't interested in reading too much into the plot or the characters in the plot that are used as plot devices. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

-Original Theatrical Trailer

A lot of fun - over the top action with humor & drama
True Lies is an action romp with several story lines that flow into each other for the big climax. Harry (Arnold) and Helen (Jamie Lee) are in a stereotypical middle-class marriage where the husband is totally career focused and because he is "successful" he thinks all is well at home. Helen is bored and miserable because she feels invisible to her husband. Their daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku - Faith from Buffy) is alienated from them both and headed down a very bad path.

Harry has a secret life as a spy for a super secret government organization. His partner is Albert (Tom Arnold in his best role / performance anywhere) and they are closer to each other than to anyone else in their lives as they travel the world saving us all from the bad guys.

The terrorism they are battling could have been ripped from today's headlines. However, I doubt such a film could be made today because of political sensitivities. I was surprised how much of it held up.

But this film is about fun more than drama. The action is exciting, but preposterous and the scale of the action crescendos toward the final ridiculous aspect of Harry flying a Harrier jet while saving his daughter, fighting the big bad guy and fending off an attacking helicopter all at the same time. Another problem, a small one for this kind of action film, is the endless weapons fire focused at the heroes to no effect, while Helen can simply drop a machine pistol down the stairs and wipe out a platoon. It is a delightful seen, however. If you can suspend disbelief for this, the movie can be a lot of fun.

Many have called the film misogynistic, and I suppose you can see some of that in the film. But Bill Paxton's wonderful performance as the sleazebag Simon is easily the most despised person in the film and he is a male.

There are other find performances in the film. Faisal, played wonderfully by Grant Heslov (we should see more of him), is a terrific character who holds a lot of the story line together even though his role isn't that large. And Tia Carrere as the mercenary art dealer Juno is simply one of the best things in the movie. Art Malik is great as the villain Salim Abu Aziz. Mr. Malik provides the right kind of energy for such an over the top film. He provides the kind of passionate megalomania that makes all the fighting seem appropriate.

With all the sub-plots weaving in and out, the humor, and the fine performances, I think this is one of Arnold Schwartzenegger's best films. And I thought his pairing with Tom Arnold was great. Too bad we never saw them together again.

One of Arnold's best
Even Tom Arnold is good in this movie, and that's saying alot. Jamie Lee Curtis steals the show, but Arnold is great as the butt kicking spy. Amazingly they even have Middle Eastern terrorists as the bad guys...who would have ever thought of that? Most movies these days stay so far away from that subject they can get downright comical in their efforts to find a bad guy.

This is just a plain fun movie. Bad guys, stuff blowing up, hero dad saves the day. Great for a Saturday evening to get a few laughs and relax.

The best One of All
For sheer appeal and entertainment, "TRUE LIES" surpasses any of the Terminator Series, Twins or really any other Schwarzenegger film. It is about as perfect a movie as one could hope for - with all the action, humor, drama and sex appeal there is to offer. Jamie Lee Curtis is absolutely incredible as the plain Jane wife who becomes entrapped in a world of espionage and shadows. (The strip tease was one of the best scenes in filmdom ever.)

Tom Arnold was also perfect for his role as the patient buddy spy who is the perfect cover. Tia Carrere was also perfect as the evil villaness with a flair for the upscale. Whoever did the casting deserves a medal. Dialogue, action, plot - I loved it all! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The boys are back in town, but they're wearing their carbon-paper suits in this frantic but not nearly as funny sequel to the action-comedy hit. The first time around, the combination of Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte had the element of surprise going for it: Who expected these two to have chemistry? This time, chemistry is virtually all they have in a veritable rehash of the first film. What plot there is has to do with Nolte's needing Murphy (who is just out of jail) to help him clear his own name and save his job on the police force. Director Walter Hill is back in place, but this time the script is the work of action hack Jeb Stuart and the movie barely gives Murphy room to unleash his comic riffs; when he does, we're expecting them (though he's still entertaining). --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (17)

More of a remake than a sequel
Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) has been tracking an elusive druglord named the Iceman for the last few years. During a botched arrest attempt he discovers that the Iceman has arranged a hit on old friend Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) who's about to be released from prison. Cates is certain to face the loss of his badge if he doesn't wrap this up, so he turns to Hammond to help him bring in the Iceman. Three sadistic bikers (hired by the Iceman) are also hunting the pair, one of whom is the revenge hungry brother of the psycho Cates killed in the first film. Nolte and Murphy still click, and the movie is never boring, but this is basically a rehash with minor changes made here and there. We revisit their fistfights, another redneck bar, another hotel shootout, and so on. One plus is that the profanity has been toned down (at least by Murphy's standards) and there is some exciting gunplay amidst all the shattering glass you would find in a Walter Hill film. Hill might have turned in a much better film had he veered away from all this familar territory.

the boys are back in town
they are back. nick nolte and eddie murphy return in this smash hit sequal another 48 hrs. this time around a killer known as the iceman ganza's brother from the first 48 hrs is doing the dirty work and nick nolte is the only cop on the force who thinks he exists. just like before nick and eddie get 2 days to track this guy down. not to many people like this movie,but i thought it was a very good sequal. of course the first is better but this one is very good to. how can you not like it we have a bus that flips over 17 times with eddie murphy in it,eddie murphy holding up another redneck bar,and the ending is very good as well. rated r for strong violence,strong language,and some nudity

Can anyone please answer this question???
Why didnt Reggie recognize the Iceman (Detective Keyhoe) in the first movie...In the first movie, Reggie was in the precinct quite often, why didnt he recognize the Iceman then??????

I like this movie, but Reggie was the only one who knew what the Iceman looked like and the Iceman worked right next to Nolte?? his friend??...it is just a huge hole in the plot, but I did find the movie fun

Egad!
Should never have been made. A deflated carbon copy of the original. Inaugerated Murphy's early 90's slide. Murphy and Nolte can barely be bothered to show up for this nonsense.

Bad Sequel! Bad, BAD Sequel!
They get in fistfights again, they still treat eachother like dirt, Eddie does "Roxanne" again, Nolte shoots at the guy holding a gun against Eddie's head again, another redneck bar, the same "sky blue Cadillac", the list goes on and on. Never have I seen a sequel so desperate to cling to its predecessor as this one. And sequels are NOTORIOUS for clinging to their predecessors ("American Pie 2" and "American Wedding" anyone?). It has its moments, but trouble is you've seen most of them before when they were still fresh and original. Worth renting if you're a fan of the original, but certainly not a "must-own". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like The Gumball Rally (1976) before it, former stuntman Hal Needham's The Cannonball Run was inspired by the same real-life cross-country road race. If The Gumball Rally was the critical favorite, The Cannonball Run was the box-office favorite (spawning the almost-as-successful sequel, Cannonball Run II, a few years later). Aside from top-billed stars Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise (stars of Needham's Smokey and the Bandit series) plus Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. (as horny priests), the movie features many of the same actors (Bert Convy, Jamie Farr) that could be found on a typical '80s episode of The Love Boat (along with the same caliber of writing). But as the tagline notes, "You'll never guess who wins"--and it's true. As in most road-race movies, it's the journey that counts, not the destination. This particular journey includes cool cars (like Adrienne Barbeau's black Lamborghini), crazed bikers (led by Peter "Easy Rider" Fonda), hot martial arts action (from Jackie Chan as a Japanese racecar driver), a conspicuously braless Farrah Fawcett (recipient of a Golden Raspberry nomination for her performance), and possibly the most egregious use of product placement featured in a movie up until that time (one vehicle has "GMC Trucks" noted prominently along the top of the windshield, another has "Hawaiian Tropic" painted on the hood). As with many of the films Jackie Chan has made for Golden Harvest, the Hong Kong-based production company behind The Cannonball Run, wacky outtakes are included during the closing credits. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (53)

They defnitly dont make em like this anymore!!!!!
Growing up watching two of Hal Needems best movies "Cannonball 1 & 2" and "smokey and the bandit 1, 2, 3" Ive mayured into realising that they just dont make them like this anymore! As said during the commentary, the script was no "gone with the wind" but who cares? These movies are for fun. And its great to see so many actors get together and have a great time making this fun, funny, action, car race accross the USA from sea to shining sea!

With such a great cast, its somthign you dont see too often with the amount of actors that where put into this movie! Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr, Roger Moore, and so many other great cameos and actors in this film! Including the introduction role to introduce Jackie Chan into the American market! This was Jackies first English speaking movie!

This whacky car race accross the states, involves some of the best stunts caught on film! Hal Needham sure knew what he was doing when he put this classic together!

Unfortunalty it dosent come with much of a bonus feature selection, theres an Audio Commetry with a couple of insighfull things about the movie. And the usual cast and bio thing. But it would have been great to see deleted scenes, but they probably dont exsist anymore? but that dosent drag this great fun for all action ride!

I recomend you buy it with Cannonball 2. As I think Cannonball 2 is one of the rare seaqulls that was just as great as the original! And if they ever release Speed Zone (known as Cannonball Fever in other places) I'd recomedn getting that one too!

If you like whacky ,over the top, crazy, action, comedys with alot of great stunts with vehicles, then this is the top of the list for anyones collection!

Fast paced and funny from sea to shining sea.
In this first movie to actually carry the word "Cannonball" in the title, was penned by the genius of Brock Yates, who in 1971, organized and raced in the first "Cannonball Run." Burt Reynolds in his comedic element as "J.J. McClure" who decides to make this trip to California in the guise of an ambulance driver. At his side, is Dom DeLuise who occasionally drifts out of reality when the going gets tough into a self-contrived super hero named "Captain Chaos."

Other stars joining in the challenge are Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, driving a Ferrari dressed as priests.

Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman provide some stimulating appearances as Marcy and Jill in a Lamborhini that looks somewhat like Darth Vaders personal space ship.

There's an hillarious fight scene towards the end of the film featuring Peter Fonda and Jackie Chan that will keep you smiling for days.

Even after twenty years, still wonderfully refreshing and entertaining. Don't miss it. :)

CAN'T COMPARE WITH "The Gumball Rally".
I bought this movie on DVD because it was on sale and "The Gumball Rally" DVD was no where in sight (because it's not on DVD). I have never seen this movie until now but having watched I would happily take my $8.00 back if offered.

The best part of the movie is the opening session, one sleek black Lamborghini tearing up the road. The rest is ridiculous and corny.

More emphasis should have been placed on the cars rather than the actors, actresses, and corny stuff. "The Gumball Rally" did a better job with two lovely cars and serious acting mixed with just the right amount of comedy; not corny and ridiculous antics.

Scenes of beautiful actresses in this movie are nice but who needs it if there are beautiful cars and who wants to see an ambulance go cross country, that killed me. Buy "The Gumball Rally" instead if it ever comes out on DVD. If you still have a (soon to be antique) VHS player then your lucky and can buy it now.

If you really want this movie though buy my copy for four bucks so I can take back 50% of my loss. It's only been used once and I won't use it again.

I am Captain Chaos!
Well seeing this for the first time has changed my alter ego to "him" AKA Captain Chaos on the IRC. Too bad the two good looking chicks didn't get more time though.

The second movie was so so the chimp making phun of people was kinda dumb..will there be a third? who knows.

/me gets a captain chaos costume a bunch of friends ready to drive cross country (with cameras) walla Cannonball Run 3.. Fort Walton Beach, FL to Hawthorne, CA.

(It would be fun)

-
Rob
--

http://www.robfwb.com

They dont make movies like this anymore
Whatever happened to movies that were just plain FUN?

This is a hilarious movie that never gets old, despite the fact that it was released in 1982. Big name starts (at the time) Burt Reynolds, Dom Deluise, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Farrah Fawcett, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Tillis, Roger Moore, Jamie Farr, and...some unknown guy named Jackie Chan, all race against each other in The Cannonball Run, a race from sea to shining sea.

This movie is way better than its sequel, the Cannonball Run 2.
Fans of Smokey and The Bandit, also starring Burt Reynolds, will love this movie for the cars, the women, and the laughs. Buy this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (219)

rush hour 2
Rush Hour 2 is an unbelievably hilarious, action packed, better-than-the first sequel to Rush Hour. I strongly recommend that you rent and watch the first one before you go see Rush Hour 2 because much of the humor and jokes are based on the original one, however, this is not necessary because you will catch on quickly and only miss a couple of the related jokes. Rush Hour 2 begins exactly where the first movie leaves off. If you watch both movies in order it will just seem like one long movie. This is a nice feature because it makes the movie easier to follow and understand.
Rush Hour 2 is about two detectives, Detective Lee (Jackie Chan) and Detective Carter (Chris Tucker). While on their vacation to Hong Kong Lee and Carter are called back to duty to investigate and bust an international counterfeiting ring. This is no easy task, however, as they soon find out. Carter and Lee find themselves locations around the world such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even Tokyo.
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker give a perfect and encore performance doing what they do best. Jackie Chan plays the serious logical and skilled martial artist Detective Lee. Chris Tucker portrays the never serious, ego boosted LAPD officer, Detective Carter. I don't believe that this movie would have had the same punch without these talented actors working together in this fabulous duo.
The action in this movie is spectacular. As always, Jackie Chan performs unbelievable stunts during his fighting rendezvous. At one point in the movie he jumps and dives through a very tight slot, much like one at a cashiers cage. On the other hand
Chris Tucker, let's just say... is not very good at Kung Fu, but nevertheless great comical relief.
The humor in this movie is absolutely bladder busting. Ethnic and personality differences between Carter and Lee create humorous situations. For instance: Carter speaks his own version of Chinese. Obviously, he just says a bunch of random gibberish and makes himself look like a total idiot in front of a rather large group of Chinese people. Carter is quick to the tongue and is always bashing on the Chinese culture. Lee is just simply funny while acting so serious and straight-faced: A perfect contradiction.
I recommend that you go see this movie or rent it when it comes out in January 2002 It will be worth your time and money, and because it stars Jackie Chan, you will get to watch the comical, and quite painful out-takes at the end of the film during the credits. You'll laugh your way through Rush Hour 2 with its wonderful blend of action and comedy.

Feel the Rush...
A sequel that exceeds its predecessor. That in itself is an anomaly these days, but Rush Hour 2 packs enough wallop for both movies. How about some of the best lines in an action comedy in recent years? From one liners to the chemistry that has evolved between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, this movie will make you pause the scenes until you finish laughing. Hit play again and you'll be slapped with more humor. Carter runs through downtown Hong Kong, where no one knows what he is saying, yelling, "Get outta the way! L.A.P.D!" There's a moment in Hong Kong where Carter meets up with a chicken vendor and the laughs keep coming. Rush Hour 2 opts for a more sexy approach with the Chinese massage parlor scene, and the 2 main female characters who are sure to boggle the eyes of the male population. As for action, there's plenty of it to support the clever dialogue. The movie is so realistic and unrealistic at the same time, you'll be bringing the first movie back out and panting for Rush Hour 3. I can't leave out the fact that a story goes with this and it's told quite well, and for what this movie is, it doesn't burden the high-jinks, but supports it. Simply put, Inspector Lee has an old vendetta with the man who killed his father and Carter is pulled along from Hong Kong to L.A. A few plates need to be found from a counterfeit ring using them to make a "Superbill," which is identical to a real bill. Not quite an original story, right? Well, it's all in the way you tell it and Rush Hour 2 pulls off a good time and that's what we wanted to see.

Robert Eldridge (...)

Funnier Then The First...
Slick, chaotic, and decently entertaining sequel picks up where the first movie left off. LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) is on vacation in Hong Kong with his friend, Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan). Carter just wants to relax, have fun, get some "mu shu", but Lee can't stop doing his job even for a minute. This time, he's hot on the trail of gangster Ricky Tan (John Lone), who may have been behind an Embassy bombing.

More-of-the-same in terms of content AND style, but still pretty engaging, with lots of action and thrills. Chan and Tucker still share the same chemistry, and overall there are some good laughs. (Worth it just to see Tucker perform Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"...) For me, one of the perks of this sequel is watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" beauty Zhang Ziyi as a very fetching and lethal assassin.

Terrific High energy sequel is GREEN!
Not satisfied to just build on the personalities and chemistry created in Rush Hour -RH1, this action movie delivers an inventive script and great action. I would have given 5 stars but I down grade for language.

Chris Tucker delivers another high energy, comedic performance. Since Chris first caught my attention in the Bruce Willis vehicle, Fifth Element. He has proven himself to be a real comedy - action star. This movie might have worked with a different actor playing chans part, but jackie chan is the genious that created these incredible films and may now be our top action star.

Highly recommended, but only partially family friendly.

Better than the first, alot better!
Take peoples word for it when they tell you this is better than the first Rush Hour movie, even Chris Tucker is much funnier in this one. The movie is funny, not amazingly funny but you can expect for laughs than the first one. Though there's alot of stupid things in this movie it wasn't made to be serious, now really two guys fighting off 10 guys at once on several different occasions. The ending was not bad, it was a pretty cliche ending but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. After watching it, I am looking forward to a possibly Rush Hour 3 and I hope they make one, if you're into action/comedies this is a must watch. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Before the action-oriented "buddy movie" formula settled into place in the 1980s and 1990s with the Lethal Weapon films, Walter Hill's 48 HRS. presented a much more irreverent and politically incorrect version of the genre. Eddie Murphy made an auspicious film debut alongside veteran Nick Nolte's consummate performance as a worn cop. Murphy plays a convict on a two-day furlough from prison to help capture his former partner (James Remar). The intense animosity between his character and Nolte's impatient detective is rude and violent--albeit in a comic way--and the film's racist and sexist banter is so ubiquitous that some viewers might be turned off. (This early, raw Murphy is not the Murphy of The Nutty Professor.) Then again, sometimes deliberate overkill is funny in itself, which is certainly closer to Hill's intention. There are a couple of scenes for the ages in this film, especially Murphy's single-handed shutdown of the action in a redneck bar. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (25)

This is the REAL thing. Accept no imitations.
In order to appreciate this film fully, you hafta turn yourself back in time to 1982, an' try an' remember the political an' social mindset of the day. Then imagine watching '48 HRS.' an unabashed an' raucous cop thriller that breaks the very foundation of political correctness. Now how does that make you feel? If you say, sick to your stomach, then maybe you needa loosen your jock strap an' try it again. E'ybody knows the plot, the hard-drinkin', chain-smokin' San Francisco cop Jack Cates, played by Nick Nolte (who looks almost TOO comfortable in the role of a wasted, burn-out), is lookin' to put two recent prison escapees an' vicious cop killers away after he tried an' failed to apprehend them. In going over the case he comes across several members of their old gang an' decides to go talk to one'a the incarcerated ones. Here's where Eddie Murphy comes in. Reggie Hammond is the smooth an' dapper, fast-talking convict who convinces Cates to get him out of jail an' on the street to help him solve this case. Cates reluctantly does so, an' from there is' jus' the two of them together goin' from place to place, crook to crook, bar to bar, lead to lead, tryin' to keep from killing each other in the process. Cates is a rough-edged, semi-bigot with an apparent vendetta toward these crooks (though apparently jus' for stealing his gun), Reggie is the charming, jive-talking criminal, with a more obvious vendetta toward the crooks (they dropped the dime on him, got him locked up, an' are now tryin' to steal a half a million dollars of his hard-earned, er, um, hard-stolen cash). Both are on the same mission, but with two TOTALLY different personalities an' when they mix it up, oh, is' gunpowder. E'ybody talks about the scene with Murphy in the country-western bar playin' cop ("Alright listen up. I don't like white people. An' I HATE rednecks. You people're rednecks. That means I'm enjoyin' this s---.") an' although it is funny, my favorite scene comes right after they question the two ladies who were s'posedly in cahoots with the killers, when Nolte an' Murphy finally drop the trash-talkin' an' jus' have a drunken brawl in the street only to be broken up by two cops on the beat.

This is the original buddy cop flick. With two guys who're ironically ANYTHING but buddies. Depending on the way you've come up watching movies, this one will either be a wonderfully offensive cop thriller, or a horribly offensive cop thriller. Of course, no matter how you look at it, '48 HRS.' will forever be a hallmark, because it was one'a the first movies of its kind: a rough-edged, blatant politically-incorrect film centering on characters that are so sleazy at times you hafta force yourself to like them, an' revolving around racial stereotypes an' sexist banter thas' thrown around like it's nothing, not to mention some brutal violence. Now it'd be much harder to overlook all the coldness if it wasn't for the charm an' appeal of Eddie Murphy, in his film debut. He is the main reason to watch the flick, although Nolte's character also provides the perfect counterbalance. Directed by Walter Hill, '48 HRS.' set a new standard for the way action flicks were to be played for the rest of the 1980s. With laughs, wit, chemistry, an' a not-so-serious attitude set against a very serious backdrop.

Fun cop buddy flick
Eddie Murphy made his debut in this Walter Hill film, and he is really the star here, even though Nick Nolte gets top billing. Nolte does a fine job, but his part is not as showy, and one's eyes are not drawn to him as much as Murphy, at his best in the country-western bar scene.

You probably know the story, but I'll summarize it here by saying that this is simply a buddy movie with an antagonistic twist. Murphy is the con, in for three years with six months left. Nolte is the cop on a search for James Remar, who stole a lot of money with Murphy long ago.

The story is set up as a mystery, with the pair questioning several possible connections, but the story doesn't really matter. The main attraction is the relationship between Murphy and Nolte and the slow growth towards friendship.

One complaint is that since this was filmed in 1982, they had a different idea of gritty police drama than today. The police department's atmosphere is incredibly tame compared to shows like NYPD Blue. Nolte does his best, chain-smoking and nipping from a flask (I read once you could tell an '80's movie by how much they smoked), but he still doesn't come across as jaded as any scene with Andy Sipowicz.

It's still fun and good entertainment, especially if you are looking for a film with an American Indian character that dresses like a '50's relic.

Wonderful
This is Eddie Murphy in is prime, when he was at the height of his acting career. He is so wonderful in this movie. He steals the show from Nick Nolte.

Worth Owning on DVD
At less than $15, this movie should be flying off the shelves. Both Nolte and Murphy are great. Their characters are are perfectly scripted to each actor's abilities and personality. Murphy plays a loudmouth penny ante punk. Nolte plays a grumpy, rascist tough guy. They, of course, learn to respect and like each other as they chase down the bad guys. The story isn't bad either. The soundtrack is good and 48 Hrs is set all over San Francisco. If your a fan of either or of comedy action or movies set in SF, you can't go wrong. My favorite Eddie Murphy movie.

Murphy's best is his first
Some of the best 1-liners ever reside in this film. Simply put, its a great comedy with a flare for drama, and in the cop buddy genre. Lots of cursing, some nudity, but ultimately, a great flick. It kicks today's cop buddy flicks in the Mother F-ing Aholes Mother F-ers! ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Perhaps the funniest sports comedy of all time
This is simply a hilarious movie about a hockey team fighting for its very survival in Charlestown, West Virginia. The style of hockey portrayed in the movie is Don Cherry-style "Old Time Hockey" - Sweethearts who don't like violence in sports should check out another video.
Although Paul Newman stars, it is the no-name actors (minor league hockey players in real life) who play the Hanson brothers who steal the show.
Life eventually imitated art: A couple of years after this movie came out, the Boston Bruins went into the stands to beat up fans in New York's Madison Square Garden, and, a few years later, the Montreal Canadians and Philadelphia Flyers had a huge brawl before the game even started - just like in this movie.

One of the funniest films ever!
Like USED CARS, this movie is bawdy, rude, over the top, politically incorrect, profane, gratuitous, and loving every minute of it! Newman plays the captain of a bush-league hockey team that's going down the tubes. For most of the players, it's either hockey or an assembly-line job, so Newman decides to bring in the fans with violence. He succeeds, thanks to some brilliant manipulation and a trio of hockey-playing idiot savants (mostly idiot) named the Hanson Brothers. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. The first scene where the Hanson's get off the bench (heck, EVERY scene with the Hansons) is a classic and will make you laugh until you need surgery! The DVD isn't much better than the VHS, unfortunately, as far as picture quality or features go. There are some alternate language tracks (if you're a big fan of Newman in French), but no director's commentary, etc. SEE THIS MOVIE! Every performance is hilarious and perfectly-cast. George Roy Hill (who also directed Newman in the classics BUTCH CASSIDY and THE STING) seems to just bring out Newman's best no matter what the genre. Also Strother Martin (of COOL HAND LUKE, "failure to communicate") fame, is in this and is totally hilarious!

HAT TRICK.
Many were amazed that SLAP SHOT was written by a woman when it was released in 1977. More amazing was that Nancy Dowd's original screenplay was robbed of an Oscar nomination in 1977. Dowd got the feel of the game and the players as perfect as the paint on the blue lines (her brother Ned Dowd plays the infamous Oggie Ogelthorpe in a nano-second cameo that has reverbs throughout the film). George Roy Hill works his A-list players, Newman, Strother Martin and the now heralded Hanson Brothers, into sports (not just sports films) legends. SLAP SHOT is a winner.

Baldwin needs to be a little more observant!
Um, did you perhaps fail to notice that this is an R rated movie? That usually means that there is a fair amount of coarse language, expletives, violence, nudity, etc. Just what made you think that this was a movie for children? Anyway, it's a great movie and being a *huge* Paul Newman fan, I really enjoyed seeing him in this very amusing comedy role.

Baldwin you are clueless
As a hockey player and hockey coach I can tell you one thing, you are not a hockey dad. This movie is definately one of the most hilarious sports movies ever. Don't even bother with any other hockey movie, except maybe Youngblood, because those other movies, especially Mighty Ducks (puke) is not hockey, flying V my behind (did we forget about offsides?).
The Hanson brothers were everyone's heroes. While we all wished to be Gretzky or Orr, we all wanted to be the Hansons. They are some of the best caricatures of hockey players in the 1970s. Hockey was a brutal, lawless game that while some had skating skills, most had fighting skills. It was fun growing up in the 70's and early 80's playing hockey as a kid. While playing high school and college was not quite like this movie, go see a junior game or a USHL game and this is what you'll see, albeit a bit more toned down.
Mighty Ducks - please. Give me Reg Dunlop, Killer Carlson and the Hansons - which being from Minnesota gives me pleasure seeing some hometown skaters. Enjoy the movie, enjoy the hits and the humor. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Best Ever!
Jumping Jack Flash must be my all-time favourite film - it is the only one I can watch over and over again without getting bored. Whoopi Goldberg was hilarious in this film (but then she is a wonderful, natural comedian who can also bring tears to the eyes when needed). Whatever she does, she does well and puts so much feeling into her work. Needless to say she is also my favourite actress. Keep up the good work, Cheers, Blue Wren.

Outrageously hilarious comedy
Whoopi Goldberg shined in this film. The plot, characters and laughs all worked together to create a truly remarkable and fun movie. Lots of very hilarious scenes and sticky situations. The perfect balance of comedy, action, drama, supsense and romance. Recommended for late nights and rainy afternoons.

PLEASE put this on DVD!!!
PLEASE read the other reviews of this movie because they express everything in my heart about this film. Whoopi...you are just totally incredible in this movie. Your timing...your delivery of lines, your "aura" in the role, it's impecible I can't believe that this film is not on DVD yet, AND I hope when they DO release it that there are OUTTAKES and special features galore. This is truly my FAVORITE comedy of ALL times. You, Whoopi, have captured the best of all of the comedians of our time in this film. I loved this from the first because I am a bigtime computer fanatic. I started on mainframes and sent messages to friends and co-workers LIVE and it's SO real it's scary. SOMEONE at the top is missing it (or they are holding out on us and hopefully preparing a DVD with lots of special features).

Dogs barking can't fly without umbrella!
I am so excited one of my all-time favorites has finally been released on DVD. "Jumpin' Jack Flash", along with "Ruthless People" are my two favorite 80's movies. I must respectfully correct one reviewer and report that there is a theatrical trailer on the DVD. But some of the scenes were cut out of the film, and that was a bit of a disappointment because they looked real funny. Full screen & wide screen are available. Everyone has seen this movie so I won't detail it, just wanted to say it is great!

DVD at last!
JJF is one of those excellent 80's comedies that has begged for a DVD release for some time. I presumed the delay was because Fox were preparing a bunch of extras to add to the DVD, but not so. JJF has finally arrived on DVD, and despite there not being a single special feature (not even the trailer), it is still worth owning! Would have been nice for Whoopi to do an audio-commentary. A nice 5.1 surround sound has been given to the soundtrack, and the widescreen anamorphic is nice to have after years of watching the video cropped version. I will say that the DVD transfer is not sharp, but acceptable considering the film's age. JJF is Whoopi at her finest. She plays a bank computer operator who starts receiving help messages on her screen from a spy. It's one adventure after another from then on. Please remember .... it's a gas, gas, gas! ... Read more

Amazon.com

You can chalk it up to good timing and a heavy dose of video-game synergy, but this 1990 hit remains the box-office champ of independent films, with a total gross of $135 million. Of course the Turtles began as a phenomenally successful Nintendo video game, so it was a given that the movie would be a hit with its target audience of rabid young video addicts. This is what comic books fans call "the origin story," in which we learn how a foursome of small turtles were mutated by a green radioactive goo and turned into human-sized turtle crime fighters. Their large rodent mentor, Splinter, teaches them to master the martial arts. They're also gifted pop musicians, by the way (think of them as amphibious Spice Guys), so they can rock the house while they're cracking a crime wave with the help of their cute friend and television reporter April O'Neil (Judith Hoag). The script is terrible, of course, but countless millions of children don't seem to care, as long as the Turtles keep ordering pizza and dispensing their wisecracking brand of justice. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Perfection.
Okay, ever since I was a kid, I loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle animated television series. My attention came to the show somewhere around 1992 or so since I was only a year old when the series aired, so I was kind of a late-bloomer among TMNT fans. But three of the four forms of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles don't please me: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series (okay, it's cool, but it still comes up short), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic series (which was the beginning of TMNT; not some video game), and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation live-action television series that was on Fox in the fall of 1998. What form of TMNT does that leave us with? The movies.

My definite favorite of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies is this one. The plot doesn't go just skin-deep. This movie isn't just about teenage turtle mutants fighting crime; its main theme is family. This film really goes into the brotherhood that the turtles share, and the father-son relationship that they share with their mentor and ninja master Splinter.

For those of you that are preparing to click the back button on your browsers, please just hold on one more second. Even if you're not the kind of person that goes for "chick flicks," don't fear; there's something in this film for everybody. There's great humor, (for the lack of a better word) awesome fighting, perfect drama, and wonderful characters brought to life by excellent acting. All of the turtles and Splinter have perfect-fitting voice-actors, the actress that did April O'Neil in this film did a great job, and whoever did the acting and voice-acting for Shredder should get big pats on the back. I'm sorry that not everybody who viewed this film enjoyed it, but I think that anyone who is reading this should check it out sometime. Even though we all have our own tastes, I think everyone should take a chance and see this film because it would be a shame if someone passed up the opportunity to view what would have been his or her new favorite movie.

Good
TMNT the Movie was pretty good. It had a lot of action and it was funny. You can't take that away from it because it was. America's most favorite Turtles made a huge impact in this film that was originally geared towards kids but turned out to be huge for fans of all types (action, martial arts, comedy and of course the TMNT fans).

I won't deny it, I did like this movie. It was pretty good. The action sequences were excellent and choreographed very well. No "one hit and go down" stuff. The fight scenes in this were very fluid. The turtles were well represented as well (from the comic) and made this movie a pretty good adaptation.

One thing that will forever bother me was that Hockey Mask toting psychopath Casey Jones was perceived as this little pretty boy with a mask on instead of his true comic book personality of a deranged, former athlete turned vigilante. In the comics, Casey Jones is very intimidating but in the movie, he was just another baby face which I could've done without.

If you were going to buy any of the Turtles movies, this would be the one because this one was more of a Martial Arts action film instead of what it turned into later in Secret of the Ooze, a cheap slapstick comedy with the occasional fight scene with let's not forget the horrid "Ninja Rap" song by everyone's favorite most chewed up, spit out and now washed up MC, Vanilla Ice.

Again, TMNT the Movie is good. It's not astonishing and it's not poor but it is good. I personally wouldn't give it anymore than that. If you're looking for any other comic book to movie DVD's, check out Brandon Lee's lasr movie THE CROW, SPIDERMAN and of course X-MEN.

Amazing Turtles film. Don't go near the DVD though
They just don't make movies (especially ones for children) like this anymore. I saw this in theaters fifteen years ago, and I loved it. I proudly paid only $5.00 for this during Wal-Mart's video liquidation sale last year. I've owned Turtles II and the sub-par III for ten years, but I never did have my favourite first one on tape until now. As for the DVD release: don't bother. DVDs scrath just as badly as CDs, and there's nothing that can protect you collection from careless younger siblings intent on taking your fragile CD and DVD collection. Plus, the street market allows you to find (on VHS) extra-violent fight scenes that originally earned the first Turtles movie a PG-13 rating. If you want information on this workprint you're missing out on, go to http://www.comics2film.com/StoryFrame.php?f_id=50

Great!
This movie is so good because everything in it is so well made and funny. It's just great! See it!

A classis and intriguing movie
This was the first movie I ever owned. I used to watch it at least three times a day. After going back and watching it now that I am 18 years old I think I like this movie even more than I did as a 5 year old kid.

This movie is dark and after watching it I dont understand why I liked it as a child, but as an adult it appeals to me in a whole new way.

This movie does have some pretty good acting and I cant figure out if the turtles are guys in costumes or completely puppeteered,(Can someone tell me please).

This movie is much more for the teenager/adult crowd and if you havn't seen it or its been a while give it a chance and I'm sure you'll find something you'll like about it. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

I give you "BENJAMINS", you give me funny!
Here is a movie that you don't have to take seriously to have a good time. Ice Cube as a bounty hunter was really on the money, because he had the grit and savvy to pull it off, but the show belonged to Mike Epps, who played the con artist. Epps is no Chris Tucker, but he's also not afraid to go the distance, and that is what makes his appearances memorable. This time around, Mike portrays a con-artist with more on his plate than his latest scam. Not only is he being chased by Cube, but he makes the mistake of stumbling onto a murder involving 26 million dollars in diamonds. On top of that, he loses his wallet with the killers. Scary enough they know where you live, but what if the wallet contained a lottery ticket that your girlfriend paid for with her hard earned money, and it hit for sixty million? Throughout this flick, both actors looked like they were having a ball. If your looking for a load of comedy mixed with a little mayhem, this could be for you.

Very good plot and hella funny!
This is a very good movie and Ice Cube has proven himself as a filmmaker. Mike Epps is one of the funniest people out there today and if you don't think so then you don't like or understand black comedy. That's cool though because a lot of times I don't understand white comedy. We as people just think different and there is nothing wrong with that. Anyway, before I get to deep with y'all out there, back to the movie. Like I was saying, the movie has a very good plot or theme to it. It was well thought out and was not just a movie to make you laugh, but make you think "what's go happen next." It had twist in it that you was not expecting. I don't want to write a whole two page article about the movie because it is time consuming and plus I'm not getting paid. I bought it before I ever saw it and I was very pleased with the purchase. Rent it or buy it, you won't be diasppointed.

It's entertaining and fun.
Fun movie to watch. It's even ok to watch over again. I do have a question though. How in the world did Reggie survive all of the shots into the van? Was he was able to anchor himself to the top of the van while the Bucum was shooting?

Get that money!!!!
I thought the movie was okay. It's one I would watch once in a while. Mike Epps has some serious big screen potential if he continues to pick some decent roles, and does not get type cast. He and Ice Cube make a good team. Decent flick.

bloody daft...and the bad guy wasn't Irish!
I was hoping for a good, light-hearted laugh on a Friday after a trying week. I didn't get it with this film. I found the whole thing to be stupid, sexist and downright offensive. I don't think I'm going to be getting this one any time soon. I've seen better writing from twelve year olds!
BTW, the bad guy in this is Scottish, not Irish! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ever wonder if there was a class system in the world of superheroes?After all the big names like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc., who were the supporting players? The folks assigned to the less-than-stellar gigs of saving only a small part of the world? According to this intermittently successful send-up of comic book heroism, there are indeed masked heroes who struggle and toil for their moment in the super sun. Based on the Dark Horse comic book series, Mystery Men follows the travails of three B-list avengers--Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), the Shoveler (William H.Macy), and the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria)--as they fight to make themselves known to the citizens of Champion City, quite difficult to do when the flashy Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear, never better) takes all the cool gigs and has product endorsements up the ying-yang. According to them, it's all a matter of timing--never mind that Mr. Furious never rises abovea snit, or that the Blue Raja wears green. Their big break comes when Captain Amazing is abducted by the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), and it's up to this motley crew to save Champion City.

Blessed with a wondrously gifted comic cast and full of droll details, Mystery Men struggles in fits and spurts towards its climax. Transcendently witty in parts, it's also woefully sophomoric in others. Literally, this is the kind of movie in which someone gets off a brilliant line and then sits on a fork. Still, when this movie is rolling, it's gleefully on target, thanks primarily to the mordantly cocky Stiller and Janeane Garofalo as a latecomer to the superhero gang; her secret weapon is a bowling ball in which her dead father's head is encased. The comic chemistry between these two is fierce, and when you add the dryly funny Macy and the endearing Azaria (who finally gets a chance to let loose with his comic gifts), it's a hilarious joyride. Too bad that the gas tank is only half-full; this stunning cast deserves a first-rate vehicle. With Tom Waits as a weapons expert, Claire Forlani as the requisite babe, and Paul Reubens as the Spleen, the world's most flatulent superhero. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (192)

a big bag of stinky wind
This movie looked expensive, but it was cheaply done. Poor screenplay, bad timing. No laughs, whatsoever. The entire audience seemed like they were in a coma when I saw this in the theater...

Deserves a goose egg
This was a horrendous flick. Slow moving, delayed punch-lines and waste of money and talent on what was obviously poor direction and/or screenplay. The Oscar goes to the editor who put the trailer together making this appear to be a well-timed comedy. Bravo for talking me out of my $7. What a load of garbage this film was. This is the last time I go to a movie when it first comes out. There was a big reason this was in theaters for less than a month... word of mouth spreads like wild fire. Yuck yuck yuck. I feel like I must warn the world about what a waste of time it is to sit through this torture.

Delightful superhero satire
I rented this video and decided that I absolutely had to buy a copy for myself. This movie is a delightfully satirical sendup of superhero flicks. The story revolves around a group of wannabe superheroes who ineptly try to fight crime only to wind up face down on the floor time and again. Their big chance comes when supervillain Casanova Frankenstein abducts the self-centered protector of the city, Captain Amazing, and they must ride to Amazing's rescue. Unfortunately, they botch the rescue and must fend off Frankenstein and his evil forces on their own. The trio of William Macy (the Shoveler), Ben Stiller (Mr. Furious), and Janene Garofalo (the Bowler) anchor the movie, but they receive excellent help from the rest of the cast. If you have always rooted for the underdog, you will enjoy this movie.

Trashed by Critics Who Don't Understand It
The negative reviews for this movie on this site are just as bad as the negative reviews that were given to this film upon its opening, and apparently, there's a whole bunch of people who try to give support to a negative review for MYSTERY MEN on Amazon (or perhaps it's only three or so people, and one person's voting twice). So allow me to enlighten you.

Let's face facts: This is a movie parodying superheroes. The fact that the description says parody means that it may not be for people who don't read superhero comics. That's already a huge flare signal. Second, the only reason fart jokes and the more juvenile jokes were included were to hold interest from the people who can't understand a joke from a clever line in the film. Someone sitting next to me in the theatre, and as the clever and funny answer as to why Lance Hunt couldn't be Captain Amazing was said, the guy next to me had a rather clueless look on his face. But when the Spleen farted, he went, "Hey! he farted! That's the only joke in here so far and it's dumb!"

Moral of the story? IF YOU KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT SUPERHEROES AND COMIC BOOKS, WATCH IT. IT'S ENJOYABLE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW ENOUGH, SEE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK, OR ASK SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN THE JOKES TO YOU.

Horrendously MISUNDERSTOOD!
Judging from the negative reviews and the people who found them helpful, I have to ask this question: How many of the jokes did you actually understand? If all you could understand were the parts involving fart jokes and sitting on forks, then you're not getting anything from the movie. If you didn't enjoy this, then hey--fine. Go ahead and go back to watching "Seinfeld" or an Adam Sandler film. The jokes in there are about as subtle as a a gasoline truck crashing through your backyard. You'll be able to understand those jokes and be able to laugh. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bumbling cop Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) is a terrible driver who loses his license and so recruits reluctant Belle (Queen Latifah) and her souped-up mega-cab after he stumbles onto a team of supermodel bank robbers. Several klutzy encounters and high-speed car chases ensue. If this sounds to you like the obvious result of a Hollywood pitch session ("Hey, let's pair some guy from Saturday Night Live with a tough-talking African-American and set them after babes on wheels!"), you're right; it doesn't mean, however, that you won't get in a few decent laughs before director Tim (Barbershop) Story's amiable time-killer falls into a steaming pile of would-be blockbuster buddy film cliches. The ever-ingratiating Latifah has long since proved her star charisma, and Fallon does an amusingly offhand parody of failed machismo. They're clearly having a good time together, and you could do worse than their company. There isn't a frame here that isn't cheaply recycled from some other lame action comedy, but if you grit your teeth for the very bumpy ride, you'll come out without too many scratches.--Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (54)

ha ha jay!!! This film is crap
I have a friend called Jason o' Byrne and he loves this film... i just wanted to say...Jay this film is REALLY BAD!!!

But the models are bleedin animal lookin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fast, Funny and enjoyable
I found this movie to be a good laugh even so it wasn't brilliant as some parts where just dam right stupid. But I think that Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah kept this film above water as they where a good team against crime. The storyline is pretty straight forward, Fallon is playing the role of a cop who is a terrible driver and ends up losing his licence by driving his car into a store window and killing a partite. City banks are being robbed around the streets of New York by 4 women who are super models. This is where queen Latifah comes into the picture, as she is a cab driver who helps Fallon out as he can't drive any more.

This film is not a Oscar winning but it's something easy to watch as there are a few laughs their and than. I found it to be pleasing to the point of saying its just OK. I thought Jimmy Fallon was a pretty funny guy as this was his first real movie. I am looking forward to seeing his new movie with Drew Barrymore in Fever Pitch.

Taxi runs outta gas real quick
Wow this is a stupid movie. Jimmy Fallon annoys the hell outta me, I don't like Jennifer Espositio either, and the super model thieves had cheesy dialogue. And the plot was stupid. Queen Latifah is super talented but she couldn't even save this movie. What were her, Henry Simmons, and Christian Kane thinking accepting the roles that they accepted? This movie ran on empty from start to finish. A big pile of garbage!

funny movie
this movie was great! Queen Latifa and Jimmy fallen should make more movies together. every funny. I gave it 3 stars cause i feel a few parts were slow. but overall a great movie.

PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i would rather get a root canal without novicane than see this piece of cinematic garbage again! and i rated it 1 star because there is no zero or negative rating. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Neither Good Nor Bad
ROMANCING THE STONE could be seen as the poor man's Indiana Jones movie. It's short on snappy dialogue, coherent plot and memorable characters.

Essentially this is a vehicle for Douglas as rough and ready Jack Colton, and Turner to show her versatility as Joan Wilder, the novelist who sheds her loner image and eventually becomes a heroine. Danny DeVito crops up as a slimy rival to the duo's quest, but his part is overplayed and underwritten.

The story as it is revolves around Wilder going to Columbia to rescue her kidnapped sister. This leads her into a journey of adventure to recover a fabled jewel with adventurer Colton. An almost sinister kidnapping becomes a farcical adventure comedy: I found the switching in tone of this movie at times confusing, and at other times far too blunt.

Whilst ROMANCING THE STONE is not a movie that will leave any lasting impression on you, it is passable as entertainment - saved as it is by the one thing that causes it so many problems: the reliance on the Turner-Douglas on-screen relationship to carry it through.

On A Par With Indiana Jones Movies
Without even looking at other reviews, I'm sure I'm the first to draw this parallel.

*uses pliers to remove tongue from cheek*

Romancing the Stone jumped in to ride the wave of adventure movie semi-fanaticism spawned by the Indiana Jones movies, but gave us a more comedic villain in Danny DeVito; a less indomitable and less scrupulous hero in Michael Douglas; more pratfalls, and a stronger, less nice, more sultry heroine in Kathleen Turner.

There are several things that make this a five-star adventure movie. The action and the pace are great; there is a moderately complex plot; the special effects, while less than what you see in an Indy movie, are well-done; the music is rousing, and the scenery/setting is gorgeous. But, what I see as setting this film apart is the same factor I've noticed in most of my favorite films: the actors appear to be having the times of their lives playing their parts to the utmost. They seem to be enjoying being their absolute most in their parts, and their enthusiatic spills off the screen and flows through the room.

If you are a fan of adventure movies, you should see this one.

Romantic Comedy Adventure: Turner And Douglas
This 1984 film was the first that brought together the incredible on-screen chemistry of Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. The film, a romantic and comic version of the Indiana Jones films, involves a romance novelist (Kathleen T) and how she gets wrapped up in a hunt for a rare and valuable diamond. As her love interest and her partner in the search is Michael Douglas. At first, the two don't get along very well. Their fighting and bickering as well as game-playing (they each plan to dump the other and take the diamond for themselves) is only an overture to the subsequent romance and passion that overwhelms them. At the end of the movie, they are on a boat on top of a car in New York City headed for a romantic world travel adventure.

This movie also stars Danny Devito (this team- Turner, Douglas and Da Vito would later make War Of The Roses which was a darker comedy about a nightmare divorce). Danny DeVito is hilarious as he is a shlemiel. The location was shot in South America, specifically Columbia, and the lush scenes of photographic landscapes - jungles, rivers, waterfalls, rapids and villages, make this a very engaging adventure story. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas are really great together and it is the real salvation of the movie. For Turner's character, her life becomes an adventure and a romance as any of the novels she has written. Highly enjoyable, very comedic and never aging, this movie is a welcome fill for any space in your DVD collection. On DVD, it's even better. Greater color and sound, picture quality and bonus feature such as insight on the film, the actors and commentary.

Jewls For Romance
This is the story of a romance writer, who needs a romance. It's a silly story but fun none the less. It's a chick flick I guess but it's fun.

Great casting
Who knew that Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas would turn out to be such a super casting duo? And then add Danny DeVito to the mix as the inept, addled wannabe villain, and you've got an instant winner. The story line revolves around a romance novelist (Turner) accidentally gone astray in Colombia. Douglas is her opportunistic rescuer/ally, and the pratfalls and plot twists keep coming fast enough to keep an audience on the edge of their seats. ... Read more

Reviews (236)

Still LMAO
I first saw Kung Pow in a theater a couple of years ago and laughed 'til it hurt. This DVD version makes the transition to the small screen very well and I've enjoyed it many times since. Kung Pow's critics are correct in saying it's "stupid". But it's deliberately stupid...brilliantly stupid. Steve Oedekerk takes an old kung-fu potboiler and through computer imaging, inserts his image into the older movie, then dubs in voiceovers and narrative to create a comedy classic.

Oedekerk stars as "The Chosen One"; a martial arts virtuoso out to avenge his parents deaths at the hands of "Evil Master Pain", aka "Betty". However, the standard plotline is merely the vehicle for a series of hilarious send ups, visual jokes and witticisms. Along the way we meet the despicably cruel "Betty", "Tonguey", Moon Yu (a kung-fu fighting cow), and a host of other zany characters. Oedekerk pours on the laughs and there probably isn't a ten second stretch in the movie without a joke of some kind.

It surprises me greatly that there are people here who *really* disliked Kung Pow. How can anyone not get it? Fortunately, the naysayers are a minority, and hopefully Kung Pow II will be along soon.

So dumb it's actually funny!
Steve Oedekerk, the warped mind that gave us Thumb Wars (parody of Star Wars), Thumbtanic (parody of Titanic) and the infamous Blair Thumb, now inflicts upon us his bizarre humor in Kung Pow.

This is not a movie that will stretch your cerebral cortex, and is probably best enjoyed while on thorazine. It is a dumb movie, nearly tragically so, but despite my personal cynicism, I found myself laughing right out loud. Perhaps the reason this movie seems funny is that Kung Pow is almost as stupid as most of the martial arts movies themselves. Stupid begets stupid, but at least Oedekerk employed creative and entertaining stupidity.

Do not mistake my meaning here, as I was entirely entertained watching this movie. If the viewer can appreciate "ludirous as art", they will find this an entertaining movie. With wild abandon, Oedekerk unleashes his wit on everything in sight, particularly other movies, such as the Matrix.

Personally, I do not see this movie being any more, nor less ludicrious, than many Jett Li movies or those of Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. Lets be ruthlessly honest. Some of the traditional martial art flicks are really insipid, and Oedekerk lampoons them with ruthless satire and deadly accurate humor.

I suspect those who are fans of foreign karate pictures may be highly upset with Oedekerk and regard this movie with a hypercritically jaundiced eye. For others who regard most martial arts flicks as absurd, if not ridiculous, they will be thoroughly entertained as Oedekerk renders his parody with black belt humor.

It isn't a movie that is going to appeal to everybody. It isn't a movie that will enhance your baseline I.Q. It is a dumb movie. Dumb, funny, silly, and even ridiculous. But I enjoyed this film, and if you accept it for what it is, then you are likely to find it entertaining as well.

Funny as hell!
I NEVER laughed so hard!!! My favorite part was when the main character used the "gopher chucks". It was so funny!!!! And the voices of that girl and Master Pain(I think that's his name, i'm talking about that badguy)were so funny!!

SPARE ME THIS MOCKERY OF THE MARTIAL ARTS!!!!
Kung Pow: Enter The Fist? Oh, bruddah! As if it needed a review. I mean, Toungie, Moon-Yu the Cow, MASTER "BETTY" PAIN?!?!?!? Please don't buy this wanna-be martial arts movie.

"Your story makes my heart heavy, and my prostate weak."
"Kung Pow!" is an extremely original and hillarious comedy, period! I LOVED this film, it had me rolling on the floor! There are a few amount of clunkers (the talking tongue and the French aliens could've been left out), and it begins to lose it's charm about two thirds of the way through, but most of it is ingenious! I have no idea why critics hate this movie so much, don't listen to them. It is one of the funniest movies in recent years whether those uptight cinema snobs admit it or not. It's tempting to list every hillarious moment in this film, but you really should see it yourself. I know it looks stupid, but just trust me. You WILL laugh, and laugh often. It's not the perfect comedy, but it's pretty damn close! It breathes new life into a genre that's currently overflowing with clones of the "different people switch places" and "white guy meets black cop" plots.

If you enter a film like this with a bad attitude, like most of the critics out there, you'll hate it. If you enter it with an open mind and the willingness to laugh at a group of really stupid yet really clever jokes, you may find it to be the funniest comedy that you've seen in a long, long, time.

I give "Kung Pow! Enter the Fist" a very solid 8.0 out of 10.0 ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Right turn, Clyde
This is a great movie, even if it is a sequel, and even if it is a little bit on the thin and choppy side.
It opens in classic style, with Philo Beddoe (Eastwood) getting ready to take down another sucker at yet another fight, and just rolls along from there. The main gist of the movie that Beddoe is recruited for a major fight, against a man from the East who has a nasty reputation for crippling and killing his opponents.
At first Beddoe agrees to the match, but with the resurfacing of his relationship with old girlfriend Sondra Locke, he eventually decides the risks are too high. Desperate to stage the fight, and save their own rears, the two crooks running the show kidnap Philo's girl in an effort to force his hand.
The rest is somewhat predictable, but fun to watch regardless....
There are a few side stories on the go as well - particularly, Clyde's interest in the newest addition to the orangutan enclosure at the zoo, and Ma's wild ride in the pick-up truck with a car wreck hooked up to the back (at least, at the start of her trip).
Also, if nothing else, it's worth watching for the insane antics of the Black Widows bikers' gang. These scene stealers get plenty of air time, and are worth every minute of it - especially their hapless leader.
Scenes to watch for - the tar scene, and every time Clyde gets into a police car.
This is a movie to sit back and roar laughing at. Forget logic. Just enjoy yourself.

Redneck But funny
i thought this movie was really good considering clint eastwoods movies are really all the same. The famous pick up truck,the ape,bikers,g/f it all in one movie explains that this is a really good way for clint eastwood to show his other side

Addicted to This Movie
I'm a huge Clint Eastwood fan, and I enjoy watching and discussing his deep, dark movies like "The Beguiled" and "Unforgiven." But my guilty secret is: whenever "Any Which Way You Can" show up on cable TV, I get a big goofy grin on my face, drop everything I'm doing, and watch it. I realize this film is an acquired taste, but I *love* it. It's my redneck roots coming out. The overage bikers, Clyde the orangutang, William Smith, crazy old Ruth Gordon, Geoffrey Lewis, Clint crooning with Ray Charles on the soundtrack, even Sondra Locke's singing and acting (which comes off as enjoyably campy in this context)--it's all great! And I love the message of "we rustic rural types are just as interesting as anybody else" (because these *are* my people, as I've said.) I don't think Eastwood has made a more enjoyable mo