Review of Red Heat

Red Heat (1988)
6/10
Run-of-the-mill Buddy movie by Walter Hill with a lot of crossfire , killings and multiple mayhem
10 August 2019
2 cops, one from Soviet Union , bouncing Arnold Schwazzenegger, other from Chicago cop , wisecracking James Belushi , join forces to catch the Eastern Bloc's biggest drug czar. The hunk , unstoppable Russian arrives in Chicago , teaming up with a reluctant , unorthodox cop on the traíl of Soviet pusher , cop killer , Ed O'Ross. Along the way , the Russian Arnold who barely smile in this one , walks in, demolishes the bad guys and walks out again , just some odd bruise for effect. Later on , the peculiar relationship among the outlandish cops goes on growing , including sympathetic dialog , as the cops compare firepower and the Russian policeman states : Who is Dirty Harry¿ . This main cast formed by the boxoffice actors Arnold Swazzenegger and James Belushi being well accompanied by a competent support cast as Peter Boyle as chief police , Richard Bright as a deputy , Pruitt Taylor Vince as a hotel manager , Brent Jennings as bad guy , Gina Gershow as a dance girl , Brion James as a prisoner and Larry Fishburne as a Police Inspector , among others.

Lots of slam-bang action , swearing , shouting , shooting , and knocking over cars and other convenient obstacles with no much sense , it claims to be the first Hollywood production to be shot in the Red Square , Moscow . But , at times , it seems too similar to Hill's previous films . There shows up the tough Arnold , no matter how different the script , producers always give him the same role .Here is much the same in any language , even when Arnie is a Soviet policeman comes to Chicago to bring home a Russian ringleader who shot his comrade copm. Here presumably Arnold takes his shirt off less than other films . Arnie growls the usual phrases and expeditive sentences, along with James Belushi as a local cop giving some passable lines in a canon of crass national jibes .This is "48 hours" by Walter Hill formula crosses with Gorky Park by Michael Apted .This is a surface material , moderately entertaining and contemptuous , as well as amusing enough , thanks to the loads of action and fights .At any rate, a partíal return to form for Walter Hill with Arnold playing the Soviet the way he plays all his juggernaut , only more taciturn, as usual . The most visually interest stuff happens in Moscow when Arnold takes off enemies and the thrilling final , when occurs a violent confrontation between large buses , being hugely amplified by spectacular vehícles crashes .

It contains atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Matthew F. Leonetti.And pounding and thrilling musical score by the prolific James Horner , though composed by synthesizer . This is a major production , well and lavishly financed by the powerful producers Maro Kassar , Andrew Vadjna from Carolco Productions . The motion picture was professionally directed by Walter Hill.The veteran craftsman Hill is a good writer , producer , filmmaker who has made a lot of films of all kinds of genres , working from late 60s , early 70s to nowadays . As he has directed action movies as Hard times , The driver , Southern comfort , The warriors , Extreme prejudice, 48 Hours , Another 48 hours , Last man standing , Johnny Handsome , Undisputed. Science fiction: Supernova . Western: Geronimo American legend, Wild Bill . Long riders . Comedy : Brewster's millions . Terror : Tales of the Crypt . Musical : Crossroads . Rating 6/10.
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