A TOUGH BOUNTY HUNTER. A SENSITIVE CRIMINAL.
Bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) finds a runaway Mafia accountant (Charles Grodin) in New York and is set to take him to Los Angeles; he will face competition from the FBI, the Las Vegas mob and a rival bounty hunter. Four years after Beverly Hills Cop (1984), director Martin Brest delivered another hugely enjoyable action-comedy that balances those ingredients perfectly. The concept is simple, with an odd couple forced to rely on each other, and the two leads are great fun to watch. Neither of them fall prey to the temptation of playing it “funny”; it’s their straight-faced bickering that brings out the laughs. Great supporting cast; the music also lifts the spirit.
1988-U.S. 122 min. Color. Produced and directed by Martin Brest. Screenplay: George Gallo. Music: Danny Elfman. Cast: Robert DeNiro (Jack Walsh), Charles Grodin (Jonathan Mardukas), Yaphet Kotto (Alonzo Mosely), John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano.
Trivia: Cher, Bruce Willis and Robin Williams were allegedly considered for the part of Mardukas. Followed by three TV movies in 1994.
