Daniel Petrie, Jr.

Better than I expected. I haven't seen it since the 80s, and I registered it back than as a mildly diverting action movie. But the non-action parts are really well-done. It's not a paint-by-numbers buddy cop flick -- Judge Reinhold's character gets involved gradually and organically. It also lets the cranky older cops' characters evolve, so that when they decide to support Axel Foley it feels earned. What's most surprising is Eddie Murphy's subtlety -- that goofy laugh he does became iconic to the point where it overshadowed how restrained the rest of his performance is. He chooses genuinely relating to the other characters over playing for laughs, making it easier for the viewer to feel invested in his mission to avenge his murdered friend. It's also refreshing that his friendship with the main female character is never shoehorned into romance, thought that might be due to the times, and the risk of inserting a mixed-race romance into a blockbuster.… (more)

This colorful and fast-moving film from director Jim McBride about an only slightly corrupt cop in the “Big Easy” and the pretty Assistant District Attorney sent to investigate the department is filled with cajun spice and atmosphere. The lines between right and wrong are blurred like a rainy windshield in this lightning-paced and very sexy cop film.

Dennis Quaid gives a terrific performance as Remy McSwain, a second-generation cop who sold out early on in his career, accepting it as the norm but not letting it hinder him from doing his job. When the prim but sexy Ellen Barkin arrives on the scene in the form of DA Anne Osborne, he attempts to wine and dine his way out of trouble as the bodies start piling up in an apparent drug war.

The charged encounters between Remy and the shy Anne blend seamlessly with some very brutal crime scenes and a lot of New Orleans’ music to propel this film at a breezy and very enjoyable pace. When Remy’s own corruption is exposed, their relationship becomes more complicated. Her comment to him that he is no longer one of the “Good Guys” causes him to take a serious look at himself and the actions he’s taken. When Remy discovers what’s behind all the trouble, it may hit close to home.

A very unique cop thriller that manages to maintain a light and breezy ambiance throughout, this is one of the most memorable films of its kind. Its spicy flavor goes down easy and makes you crave more. A supporting cast that includes Ned Beatty, John Goodman, and Lisa Jane Persky, offer fine support in this very seductive and one-of-a-kind film you must see.… (more)

Substance: A police investigator (Turner) caught up in a murder ends up with a dog (Hooch), which is not love at first sight; and a girlfriend, which sort-of is. The PG rating slides over the explicit indications that the couple has sex, although the screenplay is discrete; and the tec displays a maximum of male hunkiness and stupidity (confronting the bad guys without backup). Set in late 1990s.
Style: Straightforward adventure-romance-comedy, with some pathos passing as drama. Entertaining cinematography, especially with the dog. Sets up Turner's personality very well in the first few minutes, but has him undergo a massive revamp within a too-short time frame. Lets whole days go by without much action, despite the face that Turner is "leaving in a week" to take a new job in San Francisco.
NOTES:
I picked this one up because of the references to it in the TV-sitcom "Castle". Probably won't watch it a second time.… (more)