Another 48 Hrs (1990)
The boys are back in town
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Kevin Tighe, Ed O'Ross, David Anthony Marshall, Andrew Divoff, Bernie Casey, Brent Jennings, Ted Markland, Tisha Campbell, Felice Orlandi, Edward Walsh, Page Leong, Cathy Haase
Director: Walter Hill
Running Time: 93 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 18
Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
On DVD Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte back together again after eight years? It can only mean one thing - 'Another 48 Hrs' of swearies, pub brawls and tepid humour. The good news is, it doesn't REALLY last another 48 hours. It just feels like it.
Just as in the similarly horrendous - yet inexplicably popular - 48 Hrs, rule-breakin' detective Jack Cates (Nolte) turns to quick-talkin' convict Reggie Hammond (Murphy) for help in tracking down some crims. The plot is virtually impossible to keep track of from then on in, but roughly centres around a secretive druglord called "The Iceman" and the hairy gang of bikers working for him. In a nutshell, they want Reggie dead, Jack wants them banged up, and we want the end credits to start rolling.
In fairness, it's not much worse than the 1982 original, though admittedly that would be extremely difficult. The extent of the so-called "chemistry" between Murphy and Nolte only stretches as far as the pair of them repeatedly punching each other - something I was sorely tempted to do to my TV set whilst watching this garbage. It also contains not a single fleeting moment of originality, preferring instead to recycle large chunks from a predecessor that wasn't even any good the first time around.
And, as with 48 Hrs, I was left wondering where the "comedy" aspect was supposed to come into play. Isn't that meant to mean there are funny bits in it? That's bits that provoke a laugh, or even just a little bit of a smile? I made many facial contortions whilst watching this movie, but I can assure you that smiling wasn't one of them.
DVD Extras: Like the first one, just a trailer.
It's Got: Murphy again giving us a couple of blasts of his singing voice, though these days it's difficult to listen to without thinking of the donkey from Shrek.
It Needs: To devote more screen time to those GIANT late 80s/early 90s mobile phones.
Alternatives: 48 Hrs
Summary: With its unfathomable storyline, lazy script, thoroughly dislikeable characters and half-hearted performances, this is one you can definitely afford to miss.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 28th November 2003
External Links
Another 48 Hrs at the IMDB
