48 Hrs. (1982)

Totally forgotten that "48 Hrs" was Eddie Murphy's debut. The man's acting is so mature and natural, that I would have guessed he had been starring in blockbusters for years, before he made "48 Hrs". Eddie Murphy is really a force of nature: energetic, rude and incredible funny. Unfortunately many movies in his carreer were mediocre, he made 2 movies that really excelled: "Beverly Hills Cop" and "48 Hrs". If you like this movie you WILL love "Beverly Hills Cop" too. These 2 movies have a lot in common, because they are both funny buddy cop movies.What's the story? Thief Eddie Murphy gets temporarily released from jail in order to track down a cop killer. The suspenseful and action packed pursuit of this cop killer is what "48 Hrs" is all about. The cop who accompanies Eddie Murphy on his search is played by Nick Nolte, a smoking, cussing, alcholic cop. Nick Nolte is the other force of nature in this picture. The chemistry between Nolte and Murphy is what makes this movie to die for. A lot of scenes were improvised and that is what makes this movie really special. It is street smart and credible. Serious and suspenseful, but still funny.I can't help but keep comparing "Beverly Hills Cop" to this movie because there is another similarity: the long scenes. It could have been a Tarantino movie where the characters also get plenty of time to talk. Just to talk. It is refreshing to see an action movie that gives its characters the opportunity to interact with eachother. It makes the characters credible. And because both Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte were both at the peak of their carreers while making 48 Hours, it is a contineous joy to see those 2 talents perform excellently."48 Hrs" is really one of the best buddy cop movies I know. I love the photography with the long telelenses shots. I love the hilarious, but still credible chemistry between the actors. It is a classic that I havent seen being made for a while. Truly a movie I cherish...

I remember seeing this when it first came out, and I thought it was a stupid plot-Cop needs help from convict to catch a cop killer- Cop drives prisoner around looking for bad guys--- well to this day in the real world,that has not happened-- if it did in the past - the prisoner was most likely restrained with hand cuffs,and guarded by 10 other cops-- Hollywood and reality just don't mix- the other things is how easy it was for Nick Nolte to get him out of prison, and how when he went into the jail cell un-escorted. everything from a county lock-up to a state prison don't allow cops to just go in there. very stupid movie

"48 HRS." (1982) is a crime thriller starring Nick Nolte as a tough guy/alcoholic cop in San Francisco who survives a fracas where two officers are killed. To apprehend the culprits (James Remar & Sonny Landham) he enlists the services of a convict (Eddie Murphy) for 48 hours. Annette O'Toole plays the cop's barely-seen babe and is therefore neglected.The film was directed by Walter Hill, the director and co-writer of 1979's "The Warriors," and so it has some of the flair of that movie, as well as two of its main actors (Remar and David Patrick Kelly). It's easy to confuse it with "Beverly Hills Cop," which came out two years later, since they're both cop thrillers starring Eddie Murphy, but "Beverly Hills Cop" is the superior film IMHO. Of course, it depends on what you're in the mood for. "48 HRS" is more serious, brutal and edgy while "BHC" is lighter and more likable. The latter could be described as part comedy (although mostly serious) whereas the former is rough and nigh profane with amusing touches. "BHC" is just more palatable and has better themes in my opinion. The streetwise edginess of "48 HRS" is too over-the-top comic booky and it's a turn-off. Nonetheless, it's a quality cop thriller and the character ark of the main characters is good, albeit predictable.The film runs 96 minutes and was shot in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California.GRADE: B-

48 HRS was one of the best action/adventure/buddy cop movies ever made that introduced a brand new movie star to the world named Eddie Murphy.The film stars Nick Nolte as Jack Cates, a world weary cop, who finds himself in a bind when a fellow officer is killed with his gun by a slimy criminal who broke out of jail in order to get his hands on a booty that is in the trunk of the car of a former running partner named Reggie Hammond, who is now in jail. Cates realizes the only way to get this guy is by enlisting the aid of Hammond, who he gets a 48-hour pass out of jail in order to nab the bad guy.Eddie Murphy deservedly became a movie star with his star-making turn as Reggie Hammond, but Nolte's Cates is an equally effective characterization, a veteran cop who might be slightly over the hill but in complete denial about it. Nolte effortlessly nails the world- weariness of his character without ever letting Murphy blow him off the screen. James Remar also had one of his best roles as Ganz, the bad guy that Cates and Hammond are after. The scene where Murphy takes command of a redneck bar is just outstanding.Nolte and Murphy were reunited for a sequel, but like I always say, stick to the original.