Paramount Presents: 48hrs. / Another 48hrs. review by Bobby Blakey
Paramount has a long history with some iconic films in their vast library. Now they are digging into that library and offering up a new selection of releases in their Paramount Presents collection. They have also been releasing a lot of Eddie Murphy classics lately and now they are bringing the one that started it all the 1982 film 48hrs. along with the 1990 sequel Another 48hrs. to the Paramount Presents label.
48hrs. follows Jack Cates, a rough-edged Inspector on the hunt for two vicious cop-killers. Unlikely ride-along con Reggie Hammond, is given a 48-hour leave from prison to help Cates on the case. The laughs fly almost as much as the punches, as both men pursue two very different goals in a short amount of time. First of all I totally forgot that Walter Hill directed these films so revisiting them were all the more exciting when I was made aware. This first film was not only Murphy’s big screen debut, but screams 80s cop action flick in the best way possible. While it would be considered a buddy cop action comedy it is in genre alone as they clearly are not buddies. It’s this relationship between Murphy and Nolte that make the film work so much better than just your average entry into the genre.
While the film is dated in its overall look Hill crafted what I think is the perfect flick of the genre. There are tons of laughs, action and everything in between that will keep you entertained as they rush to bring the criminal played by the always great James Remar to justice. Infused with witty banter and some iconic movie sequences I think this one still stands tall today. This was a dup that needed a lot more outings together, but alas we only got one sequel and it took eight years for it to happen.
Another 48hrs. follows eight years later where Reggie is about to be released from the pen. But, after the bus transporting him flips over (17 times), Inspector Jack Cates enlists the ex-con for another seemingly impossible two-day task to nail an elusive drug lord with a price on Reggie’s head. You never know what you are going to get with a sequel and there are only a handful that capture the same magic of their predecessor and thankfully this is one of them. There are a lot of the literal same set ups and ideas rehashed here, but with just enough of a twist that keeps it working.
Much like the original this one hinges a lot on dysfunctional relationship of Murphy and Nolte and they let all hang out. The banter is there, the fights and the chaos are all right back into play and push the boundaries even more this time around. I actually enjoy this second one a lot more than the first, but love them both so its an easy balance. You can see Murphy’s heavy influence this time around along with his top billing now that he was a bonafide movie star by the time it was made. In the end it is everything and more that the original is and so happy they are bringing these both out together, but would be lying if I said it is just a reminder that we sadly never got any more adventures with the two of them.
Both of these releases offer up bonus content including trailers, interviews and more as well as a fun fold out cover showcasing the original theatrical poster the films. Grab your copy of 48hrs and Another 48hrs from the new Paramount Presents brand available now on Blu-ray from Paramount Home Entertainment.
