Another 48 Hrs. (1990) Paramount/Action-Comedy RT: 95 minutes Rated R (pervasive language, strong bloody violence, nudity, sexual content, drugs) Director: Walter Hill Screenplay: John Fasano, Jeb Stuart and Larry Gross Music: James Horner Cinematography: Matthew F. Leonetti Release date: June 8, 1990 (US) Cast: Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Kevin Tighe, Ed O’Ross, David Anthony Marshall, Andrew Divoff, Bernie Casey, Brent Jennings, Ted Markland, Tisha Campbell. Box Office: $80.8M (US)/$153.5M (World)
Rating: ***
Eight years after his remarkable film debut in 48 Hrs, Eddie Murphy gets top billing over co-star Nick Nolte in Another 48 Hrs. In the sequel to the hit 1982 action-comedy from returning director Walter Hill, the con and the cop team up again to find the elusive drug dealer “The Iceman” that’s been ducking San Francisco cop Jack Cates (Nolte) for the past four years. Nobody else believes he even exists. To make matters worse, Cates finds himself in hot water with IA investigator Lt. Wilson (Tighe, Road House) when he’s falsely accused of shooting an unarmed suspect.
Meanwhile, still-incarcerated Reggie Hammond (Murphy) has problems of his own. It seems that some rough biker types would like to see him dead. One of them (Divoff, Toy Soldiers) is the brother of Albert Ganz, the creep killed by Cates and Hammond at the end of the previous film. He wants revenge. When Cates learns of the plot to kill Hammond, he goes to see him in prison. He needs his help catching Iceman and clearing his name. He’s the only one who can identify the Iceman as he’s the only one who’s ever seen him. Angry because Cates didn’t step up for him when his sentence was extended on a bogus robbery charge, Hammond refuses to help. He has one day until he’s released and doesn’t want any more trouble.
On the day of his release, Hammond is on a bus back to San Francisco when the bikers show up and start shooting, causing the bus to flip over several times. These same guys also make an attempt on Cates’ life. Cates takes Hammond into custody and forces him to help with the investigation. He uses Hammond’s money- the $500,000 he and his pals stole from the drug dealer- as leverage. If he doesn’t help, he’ll never see that money again. Thus, the partnership begins anew. BTW, guess who the drug dealer turns out to be? Yep, you guessed it right, the Iceman! Give yourself a gold star!
Although it still has a fair amount of humor, the emphasis is on the action in Another 48 Hrs. There’s plenty of it. There’s also a lot of breaking glass. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a movie where so many windows get shattered. It seems like it happens about every five minutes or so. Was Hill afraid people in the audience might fall asleep? All this racket will surely keep everybody awake.
Murphy and Nolte still have good rapport, but the magic from the first movie is gone. Murphy is a big star now; he doesn’t have to try so hard to make an impression. At times, his performance feels forced. If he’d just cut loose and given the same caliber performance he did in the first movie, Another 48 Hrs. would have been better than good. The stars’ chemistry is further hindered by the toning down of Nolte’s character. He’s become a nicer guy. He no longer drinks or hurls racial slurs at his partner. [Insert audible sigh] Another victim of the PC Nazis ruining everything. Also, Frank McRae as Cates’ perennially pissed-off CO is sorely missed. He was dead-on perfect in the role. He’s replaced by the arrogant IA detective trying to put Cates in jail. Tighe is great in the part, but he’s no substitute for McRae.
With more money at his disposal ($50 million compared to the original’s $12 million budget), Hill could create bigger action scenes for Another 48 Hrs. They look mighty impressive. I’m especially fond of the scene where two bikers crash through the screen at a movie theater and ride their bikes up the aisle and out the lobby doors. Unfortunately, the villains aren’t as memorable this time around. It’s hard to tell the bikers apart; they pretty much look the same. Of course, it’s kind of difficult, impossible even, to top James Remar and Sonny Landham. The Iceman’s associates aren’t much better. Who cares about some white-collar sleaze that does the Iceman’s bidding? He pales to the point of invisibility when compared to David Patrick Kelly’s unhinged creep in the first movie. Ah, speaking of the Iceman, get this. When his identity is finally revealed, you’ll be hit by the sudden realization you should have known it all along.
In general, Another 48 Hrs. is an entertaining movie. It’s better than most sequels, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to the original. The screenplay isn’t as tight this time. There aren’t any centerpiece scenes like when Murphy rousts a redneck bar in the first one. It’s the scene that made him a star. This one just coasts on his star power. Still, I like it; it’s enjoyable enough. Let me put it this way. I’d rather watch Another 48 Hrs. than Beverly Hills Cop III. It’s not as lazy. How can anybody sleep through all that noise and destruction?
