Why I Bought It

Spoilers for 48 HRS to follow.

Director Walter Hill is a master of Tough Guy Cinema. The Warriors. Streets of Fire and Red Heat are just a few of the 70s and 80s action classics he directed. Hill also had a hand in producing and co-writing the entire Alien franchise. In short, Walter Hill is the Real Deal, and with 48 HRS, Hill crafted the granddaddy of buddy action comedies.

For those unaware, 48 HRS stars Nick Nolte as Jack Cates, a San Francisco cop on the hunt for a cop killer, played by 80s staple James Remar (AKA Dexter's Dad). Cates' best bet on finding him? Eddie Murphy of course! Murphy plays Reggie Hammond, a career con man and former crew member of Remar's who is currently holed up in jail, so Cates gets him out for 48 hours in hopes of catching the bad guy, making for a classic odd couple scenario.

It's understandable to think that because of Murphy's presence here that 48 HRS is a full blown comedy, but it's my duty to inform you that is a real deal 80s cop movie. Nolte's character is an alcoholic cop who is constantly getting yelled at by his captain for going his own way and is always on the outs with his lady despite his bare minimum efforts. The bad guys are genuinely despicable people who don't hesitate to kill innocent civilians if it means saving their ass. Even Nolte's fellow officers are mostly assholes. But that's Hill's aesthetic. His movies feel grimy and dirty, and in this case he gives you the scummiest of antiheroes with Nolte's Jack Cates.

Truthfully, even if this was a solo flick with just Cates going after the baddies I would still love it. Nolte is an ideal tough guy/asshole (complete with an A+ shitty car that only a down and out detective would drive) and the supporting cast is filled with recognizable faces from other great action flicks of the time. You got Sonny Landham from Predator, David Patrick Kelly from The Warriors (and many, many other classics of the genre), Brion James from Blade Runner and even Jonathan Banks of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fame.

But the fact of the matter is that 48 HRS is a buddy picture, and it turns out that Eddie Murphy is the absolute perfect foil for Nolte's tough guy cop. This was actually Murphy's first film role (!) and it proves to be a defining example of a star making performance. Murphy is on fucking fire here, bursting with confidence from the second he appears on screen. Is he hilarious here? Duh, ya goof. The film's most famous scene involves Murphy harassing an entire bar of rednecks while pretending to be a cop to get information on their case, and it's an all timer. But what I was surprised with the most on this rewatch was how well Murphy actually fits into director Hill's aesthetic. Yes, Murphy is hilarious, but his character is often just as hard boiled as the bad guys (and always more cunning), and Murphy is completely believable every step of the way (I've got Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America coming up with this column as well so get ready for some Eddie Murphy worship).

So why did I buy 48 HRS? I bought this flick because I love 80s action movies, I love Eddie Murphy and I love Walter Hill, and 48 HRS is a shining example of all three. The action is clean, simple and effective. Murphy gives one of his best performances right out of the gate, and Hill throws his glorious Tough Guy magic all over the screen. I bought 48 HRS because I love it and I would do it again, I tell ya. Though honestly I couldn't tell you why I haven't watched it in so long, especially since this is so clearly my shit. Either way, I'm just happy to have revisited it. I'm really hoping to have many experiences like this while doing this column. Time will tell, I guess, but I'm all in now, that's for sure.

*SIDE NOTE*

48 HRS was released in December of 1982 and went on to gross $78 million domestically off a $12 million budget. It was because of this success that Hill was able to make Streets of Fire, a rock and roll action drama that will at some point have an entry on here as well. Point being, without 48 HRS, it's very likely that Streets of Fire would never have happened, and for that I will remain forever grateful.