I really liked this movie. I have a thing for late 80's action flicks like Beverly Hills Cop or 48 hrs. I thought this was pretty good movie. One of the members on here said Belushi's character was the worst part of the movie. I thought Belushi was pretty good and comedic. I love the dialogue in the movie between Danko and Ridzik at the coffee shop. Overall I would definitely recommend this movie. I also find the content to be appealing. Russian Mob and drug smuggling. I also thought the bad guy Viktor was a really cool part played by Ed O'Ross who also plays Dutch Schultz right hand man in Hoodlum which is not nearly as good as Red Heat.
157 Reviews
Who is Dirty Harry?...
paul_haakonsen20 October 2019
Well, this is indeed a classic Schwarzenegger movie, no doubt about it. And it is actually a movie that proves to be timeless, as you can watch it again and again.
The storyline is good and director Walter Hill picks up the pace from the very beginning and doesn't really take his foot off of the speed pedal throughout the movie. And that is a good thing, because the audience is in for an action ride here, as was the tendency with the 80s action movies starring Schwarzenegger.
Needless to say that there is an abundance of action throughout the course of "Red Heat".
Arnold Schwarzenegger is superb in the role of Ivan Danko, and his accent is just glorious for the role. Jim Belushi actually fits the role of Art Ridzik, an American police officer tired of his job, worn down and just lashing out at the world; he has that particular quality to his demeanor. And that brings us to Ed O'Ross, in the role of Viktor Rostavili, because he fits that archetypical type of bad guy so well and really had that gritty look to him.
Now, you might want to put your sense of realism on the shelf before you sit down and watch "Red Heat", because that is not the main focus of the movie. You know what you get here, Schwarzenegger facing insurmountable odds and coming out on top - the same formula used in all of his action movies, essentially. But hey, it was good entertainment, and that is all that matter.
But while "Red Heat" is not the defining movie of Schwarzenegger's movie career, it is definitely one of the more memorable and outstanding movies.
I am rating "Red Heat" seven out of ten stars. I grew up on Schwarzenegger's movies and the 1988 movie "Red Heat" is still as entertaining and watchable in 2019 as it was back in 1988.
The storyline is good and director Walter Hill picks up the pace from the very beginning and doesn't really take his foot off of the speed pedal throughout the movie. And that is a good thing, because the audience is in for an action ride here, as was the tendency with the 80s action movies starring Schwarzenegger.
Needless to say that there is an abundance of action throughout the course of "Red Heat".
Arnold Schwarzenegger is superb in the role of Ivan Danko, and his accent is just glorious for the role. Jim Belushi actually fits the role of Art Ridzik, an American police officer tired of his job, worn down and just lashing out at the world; he has that particular quality to his demeanor. And that brings us to Ed O'Ross, in the role of Viktor Rostavili, because he fits that archetypical type of bad guy so well and really had that gritty look to him.
Now, you might want to put your sense of realism on the shelf before you sit down and watch "Red Heat", because that is not the main focus of the movie. You know what you get here, Schwarzenegger facing insurmountable odds and coming out on top - the same formula used in all of his action movies, essentially. But hey, it was good entertainment, and that is all that matter.
But while "Red Heat" is not the defining movie of Schwarzenegger's movie career, it is definitely one of the more memorable and outstanding movies.
I am rating "Red Heat" seven out of ten stars. I grew up on Schwarzenegger's movies and the 1988 movie "Red Heat" is still as entertaining and watchable in 2019 as it was back in 1988.
So what if it's a cliche
MovieLuvaMatt11 July 2003
It's a fun action-comedy and that's that! You can make all the arguments you want. This is definitely not for the discerning viewer. Maybe I'm just easily satisfied by the buddy cop genre. Plus, I love Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies, in general. His action scenes are always fun to watch, and he always seems to come up with great one-liners. In this case, he spouts out a few dryly humorous lines as his stonefaced Russian character. Jim Belushi provides most of the laughs, though, as his unorthodox partner. They both do a good job, though Arnold's Russian accent seems quite strained. Then again, as the film heats up, you really don't pay attention to details like that. Also look out for the beautiful Gena Gershon in an early performance. Those in the mood for "Henry V" should definitely steer clear. Those in the mood for mindless buddy cop fluff that'll keep you excited and keep you laughing should check this movie out.
My score: 7 (out of 10)
My score: 7 (out of 10)
"That was a f*cking Chicago landmark." Decent enough 80's action thriller.
poolandrews1 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Red Heat starts in Russia where drug baron Viktor 'Rosta' Rostavili (Ed O'Ross) is busted by cop Captain Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger) but he manages to escape shooting & killing Danko's partner & friend Yuri (Oleg Vidow), on the run Viktor then flees to Chicago & starts to set up a huge drug deal with a local gang but is arrested on a minor traffic charge. Russia wants Viktor back & sends Captain Danko to Chicago to take custody of Viktor & escort him back home, however Viktor's people manage to bust him out in a shoot-out in which Chicago cop Detective Sergeant Tom Gallagher (Richard Bright) is killed. With the Russian's humiliated, a Chicago cop killed & Viktor free again Captain Danko teams up with Gallager's partner Art Ridzik (James Belushi) to bring Viktor to justice...
Co-written, co-produced & directed by Walter Hill this buddy buddy mismatched cop action thriller is not too dissimilar to his earlier film 48 Hrs. (1982), as an overblown late 80's Hollywood action film Red Heat is watchable & entertaining but not outstanding. I think that if you were to ask anyone to name one Schwarzenegger film from the 80's nobody would say Red Heat, this is minor Arnie that doesn't particularly distinguish itself but is still a decent watch all the same. The script is a fairly routine rehash of the genre clichés, the two opposing character's who have to overcome a personality clash & other differences to take down some bad guy, one goes by the book while the other is a loose cannon on the edge cop who cracks lots of one-liners, there's the blatant disregard for credibility as a police commander actually lets this Russian & one of his cops run around with guns, there's either an action scene or shoot-out at regular intervals to take your mind off the wobbly story that is rather predictable & feels wholly routine & the inevitable ending where the two mismatched partners actually realise they can work together & develop a new found respect for each other despite their differences. To be fair for what it is & what it sets out to do, basically be an entertaining buddy buddy mismatched cop action thriller, Red Heat passes the time harmlessly enough & if it wasn't for the fact that it does feel a little generic it would probably be quite highly thought of amongst 80's action film junkies. The dialogue is quite snappy & amusing at times especially Belushi's foul mouthed wise cracking cop. There's nothing wrong with Red Heat as it were but at the same time it's not a film that really stands out, still perfectly watchable though.
Director Hill does alright, the production team was actually refused permission to film is Russia although they sneaked Arnie in & filmed him in Red Square while no-one was looking... The action scenes are well shot & edited, you can clearly see what's going on & there's none of that modern shaky hand-held camera movement or ultra quick cut editing which makes it impossible to see what's going on. This is the way an action film should be shot. Most of the set-pieces consist of shoot-outs & fights until the end when there's a pretty cool bus chase through Chicago some of which was later edited into the rubbish killer Cockroach film They Crawl (2001). Probably one of the few big budget Hollywood action flicks where nothing explodes or gets blown up. The film is dedicated to experienced stunt coordinator Bennie Dobbins who died on set on February 5th 1988 in Vienna while staging the opening scene of the fight in the snow. I must admit that I actually found the opening titles really annoying & the way that the 'R's & 'N's in people's names were reversed, I don't know why I just found it highly irritating to read. Also one has to mention the over-the-top sound effects which can sound really silly at times, just check out the sound effects at the start as Arnie beats the guy up in the snow to hear what I mean.
Technically the film is good, it has good production values & is well made. The cast is pretty good, Arnie is rather wooden, Belushi is fun, Gina Gershon is alright in a small role, Ed O'Ross makes for a good villain although I'm not sure about his accent while Laurence Fishburne does OK in an early role before he hit the big time with The Matrix trilogy.
Red Heat is a film that you can't really say much about, it's a fairly generic buddy buddy mismatched cop action thriller although taken for what it is it's above average for the genre. I liked it & I am sure most action fans will too.
Co-written, co-produced & directed by Walter Hill this buddy buddy mismatched cop action thriller is not too dissimilar to his earlier film 48 Hrs. (1982), as an overblown late 80's Hollywood action film Red Heat is watchable & entertaining but not outstanding. I think that if you were to ask anyone to name one Schwarzenegger film from the 80's nobody would say Red Heat, this is minor Arnie that doesn't particularly distinguish itself but is still a decent watch all the same. The script is a fairly routine rehash of the genre clichés, the two opposing character's who have to overcome a personality clash & other differences to take down some bad guy, one goes by the book while the other is a loose cannon on the edge cop who cracks lots of one-liners, there's the blatant disregard for credibility as a police commander actually lets this Russian & one of his cops run around with guns, there's either an action scene or shoot-out at regular intervals to take your mind off the wobbly story that is rather predictable & feels wholly routine & the inevitable ending where the two mismatched partners actually realise they can work together & develop a new found respect for each other despite their differences. To be fair for what it is & what it sets out to do, basically be an entertaining buddy buddy mismatched cop action thriller, Red Heat passes the time harmlessly enough & if it wasn't for the fact that it does feel a little generic it would probably be quite highly thought of amongst 80's action film junkies. The dialogue is quite snappy & amusing at times especially Belushi's foul mouthed wise cracking cop. There's nothing wrong with Red Heat as it were but at the same time it's not a film that really stands out, still perfectly watchable though.
Director Hill does alright, the production team was actually refused permission to film is Russia although they sneaked Arnie in & filmed him in Red Square while no-one was looking... The action scenes are well shot & edited, you can clearly see what's going on & there's none of that modern shaky hand-held camera movement or ultra quick cut editing which makes it impossible to see what's going on. This is the way an action film should be shot. Most of the set-pieces consist of shoot-outs & fights until the end when there's a pretty cool bus chase through Chicago some of which was later edited into the rubbish killer Cockroach film They Crawl (2001). Probably one of the few big budget Hollywood action flicks where nothing explodes or gets blown up. The film is dedicated to experienced stunt coordinator Bennie Dobbins who died on set on February 5th 1988 in Vienna while staging the opening scene of the fight in the snow. I must admit that I actually found the opening titles really annoying & the way that the 'R's & 'N's in people's names were reversed, I don't know why I just found it highly irritating to read. Also one has to mention the over-the-top sound effects which can sound really silly at times, just check out the sound effects at the start as Arnie beats the guy up in the snow to hear what I mean.
Technically the film is good, it has good production values & is well made. The cast is pretty good, Arnie is rather wooden, Belushi is fun, Gina Gershon is alright in a small role, Ed O'Ross makes for a good villain although I'm not sure about his accent while Laurence Fishburne does OK in an early role before he hit the big time with The Matrix trilogy.
Red Heat is a film that you can't really say much about, it's a fairly generic buddy buddy mismatched cop action thriller although taken for what it is it's above average for the genre. I liked it & I am sure most action fans will too.
A buddy film that works and works well
chvylvr8012 March 2003
Red Heat is a surprisingly good movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi have good chemistry in this Russian cop/cop buddy film. In this film at least it makes sense for Arnie to have an accent. There is some good lines and the back and forth between these two is pretty funny sometimes. When Jim Belushi plays a cop he puts on this irreverant "I don't like the rules but I get things done" style. It is this style combined with Arnold's "complete objective at all costs" style that makes this film work. The footage that was shot in Red Square is breathtaking, and overall the movie manages to take a basic plot and make it entertaining. On a side note, the holdout gun used by the villian (Ed O'Ross) in the movie is pretty damn cool if you're into that kind of thing. Bottom Line: This is worth getting, or you can rent it every once and awhile if you can only take Arnold for so long.
They don't make'em like this anymore...
alexpeychev12 January 2021
Arnie's best days are long gone but here, he gets to shine, maybe because the character of Danko perfectly matches his sometimes "wooden" performance. It's definitely one of his strongest roles. it's a movie that has clichés and the story is nothing extraordinary, but the movie works well and is entertaining every time, even if you know what's going to happen.
I don't want this guy rolling through town like the Red Army
sol121814 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
**SPOILERS** Filmed in Moscow USSR, the first US movie even filmed in what's now the former Soviet Union, and Chicago USA "Red Heat" is a lot more then the usual buddy/cops movies of those days. Where there were two cops totally incompatible with each other having, or being forced, to work together. The movie is more like a clash of political philosophies, Capitalism Vrs Communism, then anything else.
We get to see Moscow police captain Ivan Danko, Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger, flex his bulging muscles when he goes into a bath-house looking for a gang of Georgain drug dealers. In no time at all Danko turns he entire place into a wild and crazy free for all taking out a number of muscle men, in and out of he bath-house. Danko gets the information that he was looking for on where the gang leader Victor Rosta, Ed O'Ross,is to be found; in the Durzhba Café in the little Georgia section of Moscow.
Later Danko and his partner Yuri Ogarkov,Oleg Vidov, confronts the Georgian drug dealers and their boss Rosta where there a a wild shootout where Yuri is killed and Rosta and a number of is gang escapes. It's later when the Moscow PD gets the news that Rosta was arrested, for a minor traffic violation, in of all places Chicago that Danko is sent to the United States to expedite him back to the Soviet Union. Danko is told by his superiors not to mentions a word to the US and Chicago law enforcement officials to what Rosta is wanted for. The Soviet leaders don't want it to get out that they, like the US, have a serious and home grown drug problem.
Danko looking stiff an a bit uncomfortable at the Chicago O'Hare Airport is assigned Chicago Det. Art Ridzik, James Belushi,to show him around the city until he finally gets all the papers in order to take Rosta back to the USSR. Everything goes according to plan until Rosta is rescued, with Danko almost losing his life in the shooting, by this notorious black Chicago drug gang called the Shaveheads whom Rosta was working with. The movie then really starts to pick up with Danko now not only in trouble with the Chicago PD, for his very un-Maranda-like police tactics, but also with his Soviet police superiors for letting Rosta get away.
Top rate police action thriller with Danko and Ridzik turning the city of Chicago upside down in trying to find the fugitive Rosta who's involved in a major drug deal, with the Shaveheads, that's about to go down at a city bus depot. Danko shows that he's as mentally smart as he's physically powerful by him figuring out what Rosta & Co are up to by renting Rosta's former hotel room #302, knowing that he left evidence of his drug dealings there. Danko wisely putting down on the hotel register a wrong number #303 to trick Rosa and his boys who later blast into room #303 thinking that Danko was there and ending up getting wasted by him in the resulting shootout.
Rosta turns out to be as ruthless and deceptive as he ever was back in the Soviet Union. Double-crossing his allies the Shaveheads by taking the money he was to give them for the drugs that they were to supply him with. Rosta even having his American wife, that he paid $10,000.00 to marry him so he can be a US citizen, part-time aerobics instructor and full-time hooker Cat Manzetti, Gina Gershon, murdered together with one of his Georgian Confederates after he felt that they were no longer of any use to him.
Danko now completely out of control with Det. Ridzik now fully supporting him, Ridzik by now saw that Danko's way of doing things was far better then that of the Chicago PD, has it out with Rosta in a mad and dangerous bus chase and demolition derby game. This wild and insane action almost causes as much damage to the city of Chicago as the great fire of 1871 did with Rosta finally being put down and out in a "High Noon" western style shootout.
Just as good, if not better, as most of Arnold's more popular films it's in "Red Heat" that he finally puts it all together not just in the actions sequences but in his comical interacting with his American police partner James Belushi playing Det. Ridzik. With all the shooting and destruction over and Danko about to fly back home to Moscow he, it's traditional among departing friends he tells him, hand over his very expensive-looking watch to Ridzik who gladly give him his thinking that he got the best of the bargain. It turns out that Danko had a cheap $20.00 East-German made watch when Ridzik in exchange gave him and expensive $1,000.00 US/Swiss made one! The anti-capitalistic Soviet Ivan Danko learned how to be a capitalist a lot faster and better then the pro-capitalistic American Art Ridzik did.
We get to see Moscow police captain Ivan Danko, Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger, flex his bulging muscles when he goes into a bath-house looking for a gang of Georgain drug dealers. In no time at all Danko turns he entire place into a wild and crazy free for all taking out a number of muscle men, in and out of he bath-house. Danko gets the information that he was looking for on where the gang leader Victor Rosta, Ed O'Ross,is to be found; in the Durzhba Café in the little Georgia section of Moscow.
Later Danko and his partner Yuri Ogarkov,Oleg Vidov, confronts the Georgian drug dealers and their boss Rosta where there a a wild shootout where Yuri is killed and Rosta and a number of is gang escapes. It's later when the Moscow PD gets the news that Rosta was arrested, for a minor traffic violation, in of all places Chicago that Danko is sent to the United States to expedite him back to the Soviet Union. Danko is told by his superiors not to mentions a word to the US and Chicago law enforcement officials to what Rosta is wanted for. The Soviet leaders don't want it to get out that they, like the US, have a serious and home grown drug problem.
Danko looking stiff an a bit uncomfortable at the Chicago O'Hare Airport is assigned Chicago Det. Art Ridzik, James Belushi,to show him around the city until he finally gets all the papers in order to take Rosta back to the USSR. Everything goes according to plan until Rosta is rescued, with Danko almost losing his life in the shooting, by this notorious black Chicago drug gang called the Shaveheads whom Rosta was working with. The movie then really starts to pick up with Danko now not only in trouble with the Chicago PD, for his very un-Maranda-like police tactics, but also with his Soviet police superiors for letting Rosta get away.
Top rate police action thriller with Danko and Ridzik turning the city of Chicago upside down in trying to find the fugitive Rosta who's involved in a major drug deal, with the Shaveheads, that's about to go down at a city bus depot. Danko shows that he's as mentally smart as he's physically powerful by him figuring out what Rosta & Co are up to by renting Rosta's former hotel room #302, knowing that he left evidence of his drug dealings there. Danko wisely putting down on the hotel register a wrong number #303 to trick Rosa and his boys who later blast into room #303 thinking that Danko was there and ending up getting wasted by him in the resulting shootout.
Rosta turns out to be as ruthless and deceptive as he ever was back in the Soviet Union. Double-crossing his allies the Shaveheads by taking the money he was to give them for the drugs that they were to supply him with. Rosta even having his American wife, that he paid $10,000.00 to marry him so he can be a US citizen, part-time aerobics instructor and full-time hooker Cat Manzetti, Gina Gershon, murdered together with one of his Georgian Confederates after he felt that they were no longer of any use to him.
Danko now completely out of control with Det. Ridzik now fully supporting him, Ridzik by now saw that Danko's way of doing things was far better then that of the Chicago PD, has it out with Rosta in a mad and dangerous bus chase and demolition derby game. This wild and insane action almost causes as much damage to the city of Chicago as the great fire of 1871 did with Rosta finally being put down and out in a "High Noon" western style shootout.
Just as good, if not better, as most of Arnold's more popular films it's in "Red Heat" that he finally puts it all together not just in the actions sequences but in his comical interacting with his American police partner James Belushi playing Det. Ridzik. With all the shooting and destruction over and Danko about to fly back home to Moscow he, it's traditional among departing friends he tells him, hand over his very expensive-looking watch to Ridzik who gladly give him his thinking that he got the best of the bargain. It turns out that Danko had a cheap $20.00 East-German made watch when Ridzik in exchange gave him and expensive $1,000.00 US/Swiss made one! The anti-capitalistic Soviet Ivan Danko learned how to be a capitalist a lot faster and better then the pro-capitalistic American Art Ridzik did.
Solid action movie
shakey_jake5321 February 2003
Walter Hill knows how to direct action movies, and he does'nt let up with this solid thriller. Arnie and Jim Belushi take on a Russian drug dealer(Ed O'Ross) who is now working with some "gangtas" in Chicago. The shootout's are good and the ending bus chase is cool and theres some good dialogue. The only problem is Arnie's character is too much like the Terminator and there are no one-liners like in his other films. But besides that, this is a solid action movie and I recommend it highly. 4/5
Typical 80's buddy cop film that misses more than hits
Smells_Like_Cheese13 July 2007
My mom bought Red Heat on DVD a few weeks ago and she had mentioned how much she loved the movie to me and that I should check it out. I had an hour and a half to waste last night so I figured I would give the movie a shot and I'm wondering why my mom is so in love with this film like it was the best film of the 80's. But I guess everyone has their different tastes. See, I had absolutely no problem with Arnold, he did everything he was supposed to do, but it was his chemistry with Belushi, it didn't really work since Belushi is more annoying than funny. Belushi just ruined the chemistry they could have had to make this a memorable buddy cop film.
Ivan is from Russia, he goes to Chicago, Illinois to find a villain who is slowly turning Russia into the next Miami. Well, Ivan must work with Art Ridzik, a cop from Chicago, when the villain gets away. Together they must find out how to capture him, but Art is going to have a hard time with the "iron jawed" soldier who likes to do things his own way. Not to mention Ivan with Art who has to stick by the American book of police brutality.
Red Heat isn't a bad movie, it was cool seeing one of Gina Gershon's first roles in film, she actually did a decent job in Red Heat; it wasn't a surprise that she made it big afterwards. Arnold did a good job as well, I loved how monotone his lines were, he was great. But it was Belushi who just killed it for me, no offense to Jim, but he's not John, I recommend that he just stays away from comedies.
5/10
Ivan is from Russia, he goes to Chicago, Illinois to find a villain who is slowly turning Russia into the next Miami. Well, Ivan must work with Art Ridzik, a cop from Chicago, when the villain gets away. Together they must find out how to capture him, but Art is going to have a hard time with the "iron jawed" soldier who likes to do things his own way. Not to mention Ivan with Art who has to stick by the American book of police brutality.
Red Heat isn't a bad movie, it was cool seeing one of Gina Gershon's first roles in film, she actually did a decent job in Red Heat; it wasn't a surprise that she made it big afterwards. Arnold did a good job as well, I loved how monotone his lines were, he was great. But it was Belushi who just killed it for me, no offense to Jim, but he's not John, I recommend that he just stays away from comedies.
5/10
Well done for a cop-buddy action film
Ryno_II22 April 2003
This movie was excellent for it's kind. Two good guys were thrown together in a dangerous situation of good vs. evil. The film's title Red Heat refers to a war between cops and druglord's in the former USSR and also Chicago. Arnold of course played the tough guy character and Jim plays the comedy relief. My favorite movie of it's kind besides Bad Boys. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of this type of film.
"I vill not leeeve dis cuntree vivout viktuuur."
The_Movie_Cat1 May 2001
Irritatingly unfunny action-comedy sees James Belushi and Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up as a mismatched US/Soviet cop team, with "hilarious" consequences.
Belushi, an hysterically funny, off-the-wall zany comic... in his own mind... overplays his formula "loose cannon" role with irksome predictability. Arnhuld does little better with Ivan Danko, a character you might call one-dimensional if he were that complex.
The film is one of constant contradictions. The brief nudity and frequent bad language work against the MOR buddy cop comedy. The settings are low-key and squalid, yet directed with a brash, mainstream feel. There are good actors, such as Laurence Fishburne, yet wasted on severely underwritten lines, sloppy editing and indifferent direction. All the items commonly associated with half-assed low brow actioners are present: hysterically screaming, half-dressed women; characters yelling with "comic" effect as a vehicle goes out of control and flies through the air; plus police chiefs that threaten you'll be "back to a desk job on Monday."
The cold war politics are dealt with in a childishly patronising way, while the plot is a series of perfunctory set pieces loosely strung together. There doesn't even appear to be three full acts, the climax drawing short and having little emotional resonance.
Yet it's impossible to really slate the film, as it was really just one in a long line of "seemed good at the time" weak star vehicles for then up-and-coming Arnie. It might not be any good, but he does get to take his shirt off, shoot a few people and get into fights. Well that's all right then. 4/10.
Belushi, an hysterically funny, off-the-wall zany comic... in his own mind... overplays his formula "loose cannon" role with irksome predictability. Arnhuld does little better with Ivan Danko, a character you might call one-dimensional if he were that complex.
The film is one of constant contradictions. The brief nudity and frequent bad language work against the MOR buddy cop comedy. The settings are low-key and squalid, yet directed with a brash, mainstream feel. There are good actors, such as Laurence Fishburne, yet wasted on severely underwritten lines, sloppy editing and indifferent direction. All the items commonly associated with half-assed low brow actioners are present: hysterically screaming, half-dressed women; characters yelling with "comic" effect as a vehicle goes out of control and flies through the air; plus police chiefs that threaten you'll be "back to a desk job on Monday."
The cold war politics are dealt with in a childishly patronising way, while the plot is a series of perfunctory set pieces loosely strung together. There doesn't even appear to be three full acts, the climax drawing short and having little emotional resonance.
Yet it's impossible to really slate the film, as it was really just one in a long line of "seemed good at the time" weak star vehicles for then up-and-coming Arnie. It might not be any good, but he does get to take his shirt off, shoot a few people and get into fights. Well that's all right then. 4/10.
They don't make'em like this anymore...
FlorianLaur24 January 2020
Walter Hill is an underrated guy. He kind of single-handedly created the cop buddy genre with 48 hours and Red Heat.
Arnie's best days are long gone (they probably ended with Twins and Total Recall), but here, he gets to shine, maybe because the character of Danko perfectly matches his sometimes "wooden" performance. It's definitely one of his strongest roles.
Ed O'Ross is also brilliant as Danko's counterpart and although only has a few scenes, he owns them. Usually, he plays funnier characters (even in Moonlighting or Full Metal Jacket, his characters seem a bit tongue in cheek), but this is probably the strongest role I remember him in.
The movie oozes atmosphere. The rainy weather, the streets of Moscow(Budapest), the great soundtrack by James Horner...sure, it's a movie that has clichés and the story is nothing extraordinary, but the movie works well and is entertaining every time, even if you know what's going to happen. There's just something about basically making this kind of a Soviet affair in American land. Highly recommended.
The movie oozes atmosphere. The rainy weather, the streets of Moscow(Budapest), the great soundtrack by James Horner...sure, it's a movie that has clichés and the story is nothing extraordinary, but the movie works well and is entertaining every time, even if you know what's going to happen. There's just something about basically making this kind of a Soviet affair in American land. Highly recommended.
These guys eat too much red meat!
CuriosityKilledShawn24 March 2011
Walter Hill is a director known for his tough guy action movies (The Warriors, Extreme Prejudice, Southern Comfort) and in the early 80s he scored big with 48 Hours, a story of mis-matched partners working together to catch the bad guys. He repeated that formula again in 1988 with Red Heat, though it had become a regular cliché by this point.
Ivan Danko is a no-nonsense Soviet cop sent to Chicago to extradite a notorious Russian criminal back to Communist soil. While in America he is teamed-up with easy-going Detective Art Ridzik as they jump over new hurdles and suffer multiple setbacks. As an action comedy it offers a fare amount (but just not enough) of laughs and thrills. Big Arn is amusing a the brick-faced Danko and Belushi (in his first of three appearances in Arnie movies) is likable enough. Peter Boyle and a young Laurence Fishburne help appear in smaller roles as Ridzik's cynical superiors, but are not given much else to do. Gina Gershon (yum yum) shows up as a damsel in distress, but extends the plot without deepening it. Even James Horner's score is kind of middle-ground, neither good nor terrible.
There's no real problem or fault with Red Heat except that is just doesn't offer an exhilarating amount of what it sets up. It's so straight-forward and lacking in mystery and intrigue when it could so easily have written in. A bit of a missed-opportunity, but certainly worth watching and owning for action and Arnie fans.
Ivan Danko is a no-nonsense Soviet cop sent to Chicago to extradite a notorious Russian criminal back to Communist soil. While in America he is teamed-up with easy-going Detective Art Ridzik as they jump over new hurdles and suffer multiple setbacks. As an action comedy it offers a fare amount (but just not enough) of laughs and thrills. Big Arn is amusing a the brick-faced Danko and Belushi (in his first of three appearances in Arnie movies) is likable enough. Peter Boyle and a young Laurence Fishburne help appear in smaller roles as Ridzik's cynical superiors, but are not given much else to do. Gina Gershon (yum yum) shows up as a damsel in distress, but extends the plot without deepening it. Even James Horner's score is kind of middle-ground, neither good nor terrible.
There's no real problem or fault with Red Heat except that is just doesn't offer an exhilarating amount of what it sets up. It's so straight-forward and lacking in mystery and intrigue when it could so easily have written in. A bit of a missed-opportunity, but certainly worth watching and owning for action and Arnie fans.
Not even a spark...
fmarkland324 September 2006
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Ivan Danko a Soviet cop who teams up with Chicago cop Art Ridzik (James Belushi) to avenge both of their partner's death (One Soviet and one American) at the hands of a ruthless drug-lord Victor Rasta (Ed O'Ross) while battling the red tape provided by their superiors (Peter Boyle and Laurence Fishbourne). When you look at the talent involved, not only Schwarzenegger, Belushi(Always underrated in my opinion, when he isn't on sitcoms), Boyle, O'Ross and Fishbourne you would expect greatness. With Walter Hill helming the picture, Red Heat contained much promise. Unfortunately the movie is an unwatchable dud. Red Heat has no overall verve in the story to propel it into the action sequences and while these are occasionally exciting the movie's pace is off and Hill has clearly fashioned his superior 48 HRS routine on a pair of actors that have zero chemistry when the cameras are on. Indeed Schwarzenegger is so gruff that he makes his turn in The Terminator seem positively lively and it goes without saying that the glasnost influenced teaming does little to disguise the fact that this all extremely dull material made up to be a vehicle for two stars that looked (but failed) to add a more dramatic actioner to their staples.
* out of 4-(Bad)
* out of 4-(Bad)
Run-of-the-mill Buddy movie by Walter Hill with a lot of crossfire , killings and multiple mayhem
ma-cortes10 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.
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.
Minor cult classic in Russia, I'm lead to believe
Vartiainen7 August 2015
Red Heat, starring Arnold "Sir Accents-a-lot" Schwarzenegger, is a peculiar film on many levels. Released just a year before the fall of the Soviet Union, it stars a famous American actor with Austrian origins as a tough Russian cop traveling to USA in order to fetch a Soviet criminal that has escaped there. Just, think about that for a moment. Arnold as a Soviet cop, trying to do a Russian accent. If that doesn't sell the movie to you, nothing will.
But, does it work? Well, in a word, yes. It follows the usual Schwarzenegger formula in that there's a lot of action, one-liners, muscular men going mano-a-mano, cheesy 80s music and wanton destruction of civic property. It's not the best movie Arnold has ever done, but it is a good example of his typical ware.
The side characters are also a lot of fun, and I do like that the script paints Arnold as a good guy, making this one of the few Cold War era Hollywood films where the main actor is both a Soviet and the good guy. There's no snark aimed at his nation. There are of course jokes about him being from the Soviet Union, but just as many jokes are played at the expense of the Americans, and they're never mean-spirited or trying to put the two nations against one another.
All in all Red Heat is a classic 80s action film with some surprising elements that elevate it above its peers. Worth a watch for all action fans.
But, does it work? Well, in a word, yes. It follows the usual Schwarzenegger formula in that there's a lot of action, one-liners, muscular men going mano-a-mano, cheesy 80s music and wanton destruction of civic property. It's not the best movie Arnold has ever done, but it is a good example of his typical ware.
The side characters are also a lot of fun, and I do like that the script paints Arnold as a good guy, making this one of the few Cold War era Hollywood films where the main actor is both a Soviet and the good guy. There's no snark aimed at his nation. There are of course jokes about him being from the Soviet Union, but just as many jokes are played at the expense of the Americans, and they're never mean-spirited or trying to put the two nations against one another.
All in all Red Heat is a classic 80s action film with some surprising elements that elevate it above its peers. Worth a watch for all action fans.
Straightforward buddy cop thriller is watchable enough
Leofwine_draca25 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
RED HEAT is another of those buddy-buddy cop movies that came out in the late '80s after the success of 48 HOURS and LETHAL WEAPON. This one has a good director and cast, with Walter Hill calling the shots in a crisp, stylish, hard-headed way, and Schwarzenegger and Belushi creating sparks as the robotic cop and foul-mouthed joker respectively.
The plot is lightweight and simple, following the detectives as they chase down a villainous crook, and to be fair it follows the action template of many an '80s films – there's plenty of shoot-outs, a few fist fights, and even a couple of vehicle chases thrown in for good measure. It's book-ended by a couple of well-remembered sequences (the sauna showdown that begins the movie and the game of coach chicken that finishes it) although my favourite moment sees Schwarzenegger blowing away a criminal gang in the grotty corridors of a sleazy hotel.
Aside from the central twosome, there are roles for Peter Boyle and a youthful Laurence Fishburne as top cops, Gina Gershon as a breathtakingly beautiful woman caught up in the crimes, Pruitt Taylor Vince as a hotel owner and Brion James as a sleazy crim (what else?). THE HIDDEN's Ed O'Ross is on good form as a thoroughly despicable villain. Although this is far from Schwarzenegger's best film, it passes the time amiably enough and is a lot stronger than many of his later efforts.
The plot is lightweight and simple, following the detectives as they chase down a villainous crook, and to be fair it follows the action template of many an '80s films – there's plenty of shoot-outs, a few fist fights, and even a couple of vehicle chases thrown in for good measure. It's book-ended by a couple of well-remembered sequences (the sauna showdown that begins the movie and the game of coach chicken that finishes it) although my favourite moment sees Schwarzenegger blowing away a criminal gang in the grotty corridors of a sleazy hotel.
Aside from the central twosome, there are roles for Peter Boyle and a youthful Laurence Fishburne as top cops, Gina Gershon as a breathtakingly beautiful woman caught up in the crimes, Pruitt Taylor Vince as a hotel owner and Brion James as a sleazy crim (what else?). THE HIDDEN's Ed O'Ross is on good form as a thoroughly despicable villain. Although this is far from Schwarzenegger's best film, it passes the time amiably enough and is a lot stronger than many of his later efforts.
It's very, very easy to love Red Heat.
tarbosh2200029 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A violent, drug-dealing baddie named Viktor Rostavili (O'Ross) made a huge mistake. He shot and killed the partner of Moscow policeman Ivan Danko (Arnold). After Viktor flees to Chicago to continue his evil ways by associating with a gang called The Cleanheads, Danko follows. The no-nonsense Danko has only one thing on his mind: bring Viktor back to Russia to face justice. When he's teamed up with wisecracking Chicago cop Art Ridzik (Belushi), their personalities don't exactly mesh...at first. As cultures cross, mutual respect and cooperation grows. But are Danko and Ridzik in over their heads? Will they work together to bring down the baddies? You probably already know the answer...it's time for some RED HEAT!
Red Heat is a time-tested winner and an obvious 80's buddy cop classic. It was a mainstay on cable and on VHS during the golden age of the video store. Even people who aren't as die-hard into action movies (if you'll pardon the turn of phrase) as we are have likely seen it. Because it's a mainstream Hollywood production, it has all the high-quality production values you would expect it to have. The writing and direction by the great Walter Hill is, of course, excellent. It's total entertainment and a blast to watch from start to finish.
Arnold as Ivan Danko pioneered the "non-Russian playing a Russian" that Dolph specialized in later on in his career with such outings as The Russian Specialist (2005) and The Killing Machine (2010), among others. Now it's almost commonplace to do that, but Arnold was first. Speaking of similarities between Arnold and Dolph, Ivan Danko has the same "Russian Haircut" that the similarly-named Ivan Drago has in Rocky IV. Apparently filmmakers thought that having a square, spiky brush cut said to the audience "I'm a stony, humorless Russian".
Of course, there is a lot of humor in the film, and it all works quite well. It's classic Arnie all the way. He makes a lot of great faces and has a ton of amusing stone-faced looks that he gives throughout the proceedings, mainly at Belushi. Those reactions are worth the price of admission alone. The timing and the chemistry between Schwarzenegger and Belushi is fantastic. It's a crucial element in any buddy cop adventure and here everybody nails it.
Red Heat can stand tall in the canon of the buddy cop action comedy boom of the 80's. It delivers what you want in spades. Remember when Jay Leno and Pat Morita were "As different as Hot Dogs and Sushi"? Well, as fondly as we remember Collision Course (1989), Red Heat is even better. I know, hard to believe. In part because of the power of Hollywood and Walter Hill, not only does the film have a great look to it, but there are plenty of fine character actors to fill out the cast.
Standouts include Gina Gershon as Cat, the dance instructor caught in the middle of all the mayhem (and yes, there is one dance instruction scene), Peter Boyle as the harried police captain, Donnelly (aren't they always harried?) - although it must be said he doesn't really yell at Danko and Ridzik all that much, so he just barely misses the label of WYC but in spirit he really is. Laurence Fishburne is a fellow cop, Sven-Ole Thorsen is a shirtless Russian, and Brion James is, what else, a baddie underling. We could go on and on, but it all adds up to a lot of color and interest for the viewer.
I know we're having a lot of fun here today, but I do think it's important to quickly pause and remember the cultural context. In 1988, relations between the then-Soviet Union and America were typically frosty. TV news often reported on what was going on behind the Iron Curtain, and it usually took on an ominous tone. However, in just a year or two, the Berlin Wall was going to fall and presumably a thawing of the relations was in the offing. So the zeitgeist was perfect for a film like Red Heat, which mirrored that geopolitical situation in its own way. Perhaps less successfully, so did a film like Russkies (1987).
Anyway, they don't make movies like this anymore, which is a real shame. At least we have our VHS tapes, DVDs, and Blu-Rays to preserve this golden time of filmmaking. Just recently, Red Heat was released on 4K, which, as of this writing, not all that many films have been. The fact that it was chosen for a 4K release says a lot. I think its legacy is assured for a long time to come.
Also, it was nice to see the original bus chase. As you may know, both Rangers (2000) and Running Red (1999) used recycled Red Heat footage in their "bus-chase" finales. As we said, the legacy lives on. Featuring some classic sax on the soundtrack as the finishing touch to this 80's classic, it's very, very easy to love Red Heat.
Red Heat is a time-tested winner and an obvious 80's buddy cop classic. It was a mainstay on cable and on VHS during the golden age of the video store. Even people who aren't as die-hard into action movies (if you'll pardon the turn of phrase) as we are have likely seen it. Because it's a mainstream Hollywood production, it has all the high-quality production values you would expect it to have. The writing and direction by the great Walter Hill is, of course, excellent. It's total entertainment and a blast to watch from start to finish.
Arnold as Ivan Danko pioneered the "non-Russian playing a Russian" that Dolph specialized in later on in his career with such outings as The Russian Specialist (2005) and The Killing Machine (2010), among others. Now it's almost commonplace to do that, but Arnold was first. Speaking of similarities between Arnold and Dolph, Ivan Danko has the same "Russian Haircut" that the similarly-named Ivan Drago has in Rocky IV. Apparently filmmakers thought that having a square, spiky brush cut said to the audience "I'm a stony, humorless Russian".
Of course, there is a lot of humor in the film, and it all works quite well. It's classic Arnie all the way. He makes a lot of great faces and has a ton of amusing stone-faced looks that he gives throughout the proceedings, mainly at Belushi. Those reactions are worth the price of admission alone. The timing and the chemistry between Schwarzenegger and Belushi is fantastic. It's a crucial element in any buddy cop adventure and here everybody nails it.
Red Heat can stand tall in the canon of the buddy cop action comedy boom of the 80's. It delivers what you want in spades. Remember when Jay Leno and Pat Morita were "As different as Hot Dogs and Sushi"? Well, as fondly as we remember Collision Course (1989), Red Heat is even better. I know, hard to believe. In part because of the power of Hollywood and Walter Hill, not only does the film have a great look to it, but there are plenty of fine character actors to fill out the cast.
Standouts include Gina Gershon as Cat, the dance instructor caught in the middle of all the mayhem (and yes, there is one dance instruction scene), Peter Boyle as the harried police captain, Donnelly (aren't they always harried?) - although it must be said he doesn't really yell at Danko and Ridzik all that much, so he just barely misses the label of WYC but in spirit he really is. Laurence Fishburne is a fellow cop, Sven-Ole Thorsen is a shirtless Russian, and Brion James is, what else, a baddie underling. We could go on and on, but it all adds up to a lot of color and interest for the viewer.
I know we're having a lot of fun here today, but I do think it's important to quickly pause and remember the cultural context. In 1988, relations between the then-Soviet Union and America were typically frosty. TV news often reported on what was going on behind the Iron Curtain, and it usually took on an ominous tone. However, in just a year or two, the Berlin Wall was going to fall and presumably a thawing of the relations was in the offing. So the zeitgeist was perfect for a film like Red Heat, which mirrored that geopolitical situation in its own way. Perhaps less successfully, so did a film like Russkies (1987).
Anyway, they don't make movies like this anymore, which is a real shame. At least we have our VHS tapes, DVDs, and Blu-Rays to preserve this golden time of filmmaking. Just recently, Red Heat was released on 4K, which, as of this writing, not all that many films have been. The fact that it was chosen for a 4K release says a lot. I think its legacy is assured for a long time to come.
Also, it was nice to see the original bus chase. As you may know, both Rangers (2000) and Running Red (1999) used recycled Red Heat footage in their "bus-chase" finales. As we said, the legacy lives on. Featuring some classic sax on the soundtrack as the finishing touch to this 80's classic, it's very, very easy to love Red Heat.
Arnold with a crew-cut
moviecollector24 February 2000
He is a Moscow cop who gets a sidekick-James Belushi. He is the funniest person in movie. Its a good action movie with pretty cool action scenes. The bus scene at the end was cool. Worth having for Arnold fans. Plus, Arnold has a crew-cut which I think was cool.
Bloody awful movie.
virginia-shed24 April 2011
Arnold Schwarzenegger movies should generally be taken with a grain of salt; switch your mind off, sit back and enjoy the ride (or cheese, take your pick). But, truth be told they are usually not that bad - very few will ever be regarded as some of the greatest movies ever made but they are generally enjoyable to watch (Commando, Total Recall, True Lies, etc.). This cask of crap is something else. I trust that James Belushi is ashamed of himself for his performance in this movie. He was ridiculous. Every time he appeared on screen I hoped a bad guy would pop up and shoot him. His performance is so bad I was convinced he was trying to make a statement to the director about the fact he was to be killed off during the film, but it didn't happen. Sometimes life disappoints, just like this awful movie. It's not even laughably bad, it's just bad.
Didnt win the Oscar for Best Picture of 1988. Still a fun watch.
imseeg14 July 2022
No brains needed to watch this movie. This is as straight forward raw simple minded action as humanly possible. Is it any good? Heck yes.
The good: Arnie does what Arnie does best: shoot, not talk.
The bad: this movie was directed, produced AND written by Walter Hill. I had hoped that with full control over this picture he had upped the quality a bit. But he didnt. This director/writer made one of the most simpleton action movies of his entire career with Red Heat. It could have been better. Ah well....
Certainly not the best of Arnies carreer, (almost B-movie level), but definitely still a fun watch for the Arnie fans!
The good: Arnie does what Arnie does best: shoot, not talk.
The bad: this movie was directed, produced AND written by Walter Hill. I had hoped that with full control over this picture he had upped the quality a bit. But he didnt. This director/writer made one of the most simpleton action movies of his entire career with Red Heat. It could have been better. Ah well....
Certainly not the best of Arnies carreer, (almost B-movie level), but definitely still a fun watch for the Arnie fans!
I really enjoy watching this film again and again
mithrandir198824 November 2008
> Red Heat was altogether different in its depiction of the Russian culture - quite a bit more realistic. I'm really surprised that there are such people in the US who really do believe this. Are you serious? Well, that's even more funnier than the movie. You know, Red Heat is a kind of hieratic film in Russia today. It's a great way to have a nice time, making fun of stupid stereotypes about Russia. And the most funny thing is that these stereotypes (as we can see from such comments) are still alive. "Close to reality", lol, how do you know that? Anyway, Red Heat is one of the greatest representatives of so-called "klukva-art". And the less of bears, balalaikas and matrioshkas sure can't bring it "closer to reality".
P.S. Doviray mnie, tovarisch!
P.S. Doviray mnie, tovarisch!
Buddy routine cop classic underrated 80's action flick!
ivo-cobra87 November 2015
Red Heat (1988) is American Bad Ass action film my favorite action classic childhood movie. Every time I see it I kept getting excited to see in it again. Red Heat is a buddy routine classic underrated action flick! I grew up with this film and I still love watching it today. Classic 80's action flick with Arnold doing his bad Russian accent and Belushi's hyper kinetics' acting. None the less they have good chemistry together and there's plenty of good one liners and action sequences to make this one very entertaining. Seeing the styles and fashions of the day is pretty funny and brings back lots of good memories from that period.
After The Running Man Arnold made Red Heat. At that time it was a quite good film but now the movie looks a little out dated. Between The Terminator and Raw Deal there is Schwarzenegger's Red Heat, the 1988 action peace which also co-stars Jim Belushi who provides the comic relief from the Director who gave us Eddie Murphy in 48 hrs. Red Heat is the typical 80's action cop genre picture Arnold entertained us with during the 80's. This also would mark his last 80's picture he would then be back in 1990's Total Recall and the phenomenal sequel Terminator 2 a year later. But back to this gem. Red Heat is one of Arnie's finest movies. Though not taken seriously by a lot of his fans and fans of the 80's movies. Both Belushi and Arnold deliver really fine performances that match each other well. Of course a very young Gina Gershon makes a little appearance. Still looking exactly the same as she does today. This is one of my favorite Arnold & Belushi movie. Also Gina Gershon and Laurence Fishburne are co staring in this film. Also I think Gina Gershon did terrific job in here she also co started in Steven Seagal's film Out For Justice (1991).
This film is very bashed and hated, I grew up with this film. I love that Arnold plays A Russian Cop who fly's in to the States to find and track down a ruthless criminal Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross) to bring him back to Russia. I still think Red Heat is one of Walter Hill's best movies, his first film was 48 Hrs. (1982) with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. I love James Belushi as a street wise detective Art Ridzik. I love his sense of humor and his charm and his outstanding lines. I think he acted very well as Detective in here. The shootouts are a awesome. I love the action scenes especially the opening fight scene in the snow, the hotel shootout and the bus chase (which is one of the more creative ideas I have seen in an action movie chase scene). Another thing I really liked was the "Podbyrin 9.2mm pistol" since I have an interest in guns. Tim Lafrance who was also the armorer on "Miami Vice" built the gun for the film using parts from the famous Walther P-38 to beef up the Desert Eagle, since Walter Hill told him he wanted "A P-38 on steroids". The most funny scene for me is that guy comes to the car when Arnold sits in it and wants to carjack him so Ivan ask: "Do you know Miranda?" the hooligan answers back "Never heard of the bitch." pow, Ivan punches him unconscious. I love the music score by James Horner, he made a perfect music theme for the film.
The rating I am giving is 10/10 this movie deserves it.
Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko, and James Belushi, as Chicago detective Art Ridzik. Finding themselves on the same case, Danko and Ridzik work as partners to catch a cunning and deadly Soviet Georgian drug kingpin, Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross), who also happens to be the killer of Danko's previous partner back in Soviet Russia.
10/10 Score: A Studio: Carolco Pictures StudioCanal, TriStar Pictures Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Gina Gershon, Brion James Director Walter Hill Producers: Walter Hill, Gordon Carroll, Mario Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna Screenplay: Walter Hill, Harry Kleiner, Troy Kennedy Martin Story by Walter Hill Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 44 Mins. Budget: $29,000,000 Box Office: $34,994,648
After The Running Man Arnold made Red Heat. At that time it was a quite good film but now the movie looks a little out dated. Between The Terminator and Raw Deal there is Schwarzenegger's Red Heat, the 1988 action peace which also co-stars Jim Belushi who provides the comic relief from the Director who gave us Eddie Murphy in 48 hrs. Red Heat is the typical 80's action cop genre picture Arnold entertained us with during the 80's. This also would mark his last 80's picture he would then be back in 1990's Total Recall and the phenomenal sequel Terminator 2 a year later. But back to this gem. Red Heat is one of Arnie's finest movies. Though not taken seriously by a lot of his fans and fans of the 80's movies. Both Belushi and Arnold deliver really fine performances that match each other well. Of course a very young Gina Gershon makes a little appearance. Still looking exactly the same as she does today. This is one of my favorite Arnold & Belushi movie. Also Gina Gershon and Laurence Fishburne are co staring in this film. Also I think Gina Gershon did terrific job in here she also co started in Steven Seagal's film Out For Justice (1991).
This film is very bashed and hated, I grew up with this film. I love that Arnold plays A Russian Cop who fly's in to the States to find and track down a ruthless criminal Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross) to bring him back to Russia. I still think Red Heat is one of Walter Hill's best movies, his first film was 48 Hrs. (1982) with Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy. I love James Belushi as a street wise detective Art Ridzik. I love his sense of humor and his charm and his outstanding lines. I think he acted very well as Detective in here. The shootouts are a awesome. I love the action scenes especially the opening fight scene in the snow, the hotel shootout and the bus chase (which is one of the more creative ideas I have seen in an action movie chase scene). Another thing I really liked was the "Podbyrin 9.2mm pistol" since I have an interest in guns. Tim Lafrance who was also the armorer on "Miami Vice" built the gun for the film using parts from the famous Walther P-38 to beef up the Desert Eagle, since Walter Hill told him he wanted "A P-38 on steroids". The most funny scene for me is that guy comes to the car when Arnold sits in it and wants to carjack him so Ivan ask: "Do you know Miranda?" the hooligan answers back "Never heard of the bitch." pow, Ivan punches him unconscious. I love the music score by James Horner, he made a perfect music theme for the film.
The rating I am giving is 10/10 this movie deserves it.
Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko, and James Belushi, as Chicago detective Art Ridzik. Finding themselves on the same case, Danko and Ridzik work as partners to catch a cunning and deadly Soviet Georgian drug kingpin, Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross), who also happens to be the killer of Danko's previous partner back in Soviet Russia.
10/10 Score: A Studio: Carolco Pictures StudioCanal, TriStar Pictures Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Gina Gershon, Brion James Director Walter Hill Producers: Walter Hill, Gordon Carroll, Mario Kassar, Andrew G. Vajna Screenplay: Walter Hill, Harry Kleiner, Troy Kennedy Martin Story by Walter Hill Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 44 Mins. Budget: $29,000,000 Box Office: $34,994,648
The Heat is on
kosmasp12 March 2021
Stereotypes are big - or rather were big. Almost as big as the buddy comedy tropes in the 80s. But this is the making of Walter Hill - and while that doesn't mean this is an amazing movie, it does have quite a few and neat action sequences.
It also has a beginning that did surprise me. I reckon that in Germany everything is being dubbed. But in its original audio, the Russians talk Russian in the beginning. I didn't stop the clock, but at least for the first 10-15 minutes I reckon either American audiences had to endure subtitles at the beginning or power through only understanding the action that took place. It is quite self explanatory.
Still quite the leap of faith to take and quite the risk I would think. After that Schwarzeneggers accent is being somewhat covered by him trying to do a Russian accent. He breaks quite a few times, so not really convincing, but hey they tried at least, right? If that and the cliches do not bother you, there is some fun and a lot of stunts ahead of you. Belushi has quite a few ad lips - some do not work with the rest of the clip, but I don't think you should really mind that that much - you would have less fun watching this
It also has a beginning that did surprise me. I reckon that in Germany everything is being dubbed. But in its original audio, the Russians talk Russian in the beginning. I didn't stop the clock, but at least for the first 10-15 minutes I reckon either American audiences had to endure subtitles at the beginning or power through only understanding the action that took place. It is quite self explanatory.
Still quite the leap of faith to take and quite the risk I would think. After that Schwarzeneggers accent is being somewhat covered by him trying to do a Russian accent. He breaks quite a few times, so not really convincing, but hey they tried at least, right? If that and the cliches do not bother you, there is some fun and a lot of stunts ahead of you. Belushi has quite a few ad lips - some do not work with the rest of the clip, but I don't think you should really mind that that much - you would have less fun watching this
boring lethal weapon rip-off
masterblaster_in_bartertown18 May 2002
I've got to be honest i actually quite liked this when i was a kid. Being only eight year's old at the time,i'd watch any arnie film. But time's change,and arnie's starting to become old hat nowdays and like sly stalone,he isn't the shining star he once was. In the eighties,arnie was so popular,his fan's would watch any old rubbish he was in,and this was one of those films. There's no screen cemestry between arnie and belushi(this is a buddy movie after all) ,there's very little action and the action that's in the film is pretty routine,including some fight scene's with some of the most over the top punching sound effects i have ever heard. Pretty dire all in all.
RATING **/*****
RATING **/*****
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