Rent-a-Cop (1988)

Here's a film I reckon, was judged quite unfairly, if harshly. Although it's no hit, it's still a lot of fun, with danger at many a turn, and a worthwhile view. What makes the film work is the bonding and excellent casting of Minelli and Reynolds. Starting out very much like Code Of Silence, one of the producers attached to that, worked on this one. We have a drug buy, gone to s..t and a very p..sed off Captain who pushes Burt's buttons, not a good thing to do. A psychotic (Remar) highjacks the shipment, Minelli a hooker with heart, witness to Remar's features. She was with a sicko client in the next room, of this ritzy hotel when this mayhem went down, resulting in a score of Burt's men being taken down. Now Burt's demoted, working as a rent a cop, his new job has him undercover in Santa Claus guise. With a few attempts made on Minelli's life, running scared, she implores Burt's services, which at first, he's so very much reluctant, zero tolerance I'm talking, as she is a stroke of bad luck for him as far as his career prospects go. With the story that moves unhurriedly along, the building of the relationship, between our leads, I really liked. Minelli provides a lot of laughs, where things even turn romantic, something that had to happen I guess. Minelli's larger than life character sold the film, where Burt is just Burt here. He's done far better work. There are moments you think, he really doesn't care. Australia's own John Stanton (Bellamy) makes an appearance, as a bad guy, and it was good to see him in this, his second overseas flick, after that so called dud Taipan. It's good to see Bernie Casey re team with Burt after Sharky's Machine. On the surface, Rent a Cop appears pretty weak and washy, and this is cause of Burt and Liza's antics, stuffing about, straying away the business of the story, but it has a good moments of action, well executed in a not a half bad flick. You get laughs, like you don't expect, and it's quite the adventure with our two, where we owe most of our thanks to the wonderful Liza. For Burt fans especially, and others who don't enjoy a not so bad action flick. Love the instrumental theme song.

Why did some one hire Liza Minnelli? Did they not think she she would show up? Was it a prank phone call that backfired horribly? These are the key questions that lie at the heart of Rent-A-Cop. Surely Ms. Minnelli wasn't hired for her looks or talent, so why did she end up on film? Her acting reminds one of the dangers of coke addiction. Hey and can you believe it, Burt Reynolds shows up in this movie too, I think he might even play the lead role as Detective Bandit, the Trans Am is in the shop. A human is given a writing credit for this movie which must be a typo, also Bobby Benson appears as the voice of the Beast for Disney's Beauty And The Beast, although he has to dress like a human in Rent-A-Cop, I guess Disney wouldn't let Benson wear the costume, something about copyright law.

I was sick one day and was skimming channels and I came upon this terribly rank movie. The plot and even the subplots (if you can find one) have been done to extinction. BUT, as bad as the story was, I reserve a special comment for Liza Minelli. Her character was absolutely one of the most annoying characters I have ever has the misfortune of seeing on film. Her only two competitors in this category are John Leguziamo in "The Pest" and Julia Stiles in anything she's done (or half-done). Maybe she performed exactly as the script suggested or maybe (groan!) that is the limit she has to her acting range. Either way, they should have had a rewrite and killed her off in the first 30 seconds of the film (eg. Like the girl that fell off the balcony in Lethal Weapon (I) (but at least she had nice breasts))Most Humbly Submitted...Douglas Neidermeyer

This disgusting combination of violence and cheap jokes has to be avoided, unless you are a devoted Liza Minnelli fan... like me. Liza has this very personal acting style (a nervous kind of energy) you either love or hate. I think it´s great, and it almost turns trash like Rent-a-cop into something watchable. For the real Liza experience, watch ´Sterile Cuckoo´ or ´Cabaret´.