- MPAA Rating: R
- Release Date: July 6, 2021
- Distributor: Paramount Pictures Metadata by TMDb
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I remember seeing 48 Hrs. on cable TV all the time back in the 80s, and how hard my mom and other family members were laughing at the crazy antics of Eddie Murphy and how Nick Nolte did his best to keep them in check. I’m glad Paramount Pictures added this classic to their “Paramount Presents” collection as it’s still as fun and funny as it ever was and will continue to be a timeless classic.
Being one of the first films (if not THE first) to start the “buddy cop” genre, the plot follows the life of Jack Cates (Nick Nolte), a no-nonsense cop who is after two killers named Albert Ganz (James Remar) and Billy Bear (Sonny Landham). In order to help catch these elusive murderers, Jack enlists the help of Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy), a fast-talking convict that’s close to finishing his three year sentence in prison.
Cates has Hammond in his custody for 48 hours as they track down the killers, but it won’t be easy as the two of them get along like oil and water thanks to Hammond always cracking jokes and quips while Cates is all about getting his job done. If the two of them can put aside their differences, they just might have a chance to catch the killers and maybe be friends, but the bad guys are always a few steps ahead and the clock is always ticking.
It’s been some time since I last saw this film and I enjoyed it now as I did then. I had forgot how funny and fun Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy are in this and also how awesome it was to see their characters not care for each other at first to eventually tolerating one another as the movie goes on. The quips, barbs, and even the fights between the two are always a joy to watch as well.
Despite not being a 4K HDR release, the Blu-ray looks and sounds pretty impressive, especially for a 40+ year-old movie. The visuals are as clean and clear as they can be, and the Dolby HD audio steps up the hilarious dialogue and action sounds nicely. The special features are extremely light, but they’re pretty fun and interesting.
“Filmmaker Focus: Director Walter Hill on 48 Hrs.” has legendary director Walter Hill on a video conference call discussing the production of the film and more with behind the scenes pictures and snippets of the movie peppered in. “Space Kid: Original 1966 Animated Short” is the entire cartoon that plays in bits and parts throughout the film. I love how this was included as now viewers can watch it in its entirety.
48 Hrs. is a comedic cop classic that still holds up strong and will be forever funny and entertaining thanks to the perfect chemistry of its leading stars. It would’ve been nice to see what this would’ve looked like on a 4K UHD Blu-ray with HDR, but this standard Blu-ray looks and sounds great to make it a must-have for your collection.
