Review of Another 48 Hrs. (1990) by Prkprk P — 01 Apr 2011

The biggest difference between the sequel and the original is the order of the cast in the credits. Nick Nolte took top-billing in 48 HRS, but Eddie Murphy now takes top-billing over Nolte in ANOTHER 48 HRS.

Brion James returns as a friend and police colleague of the Nolte character Jack Cates. The villains are two long-haired, leather-clad, trigger-happy bikers who have no qualms against cold blooded murder and prove it in the opening scene in a desert cafe where they blow away two cops and then kill an innocent bystander--the cafe owner.

One of these bikers, Cherry Ganz (Andrew Divoff of AIR FORCE ONE), wants to avenge the death of his brother who Cates killed in the original movie. You know Ganz is a bad guy because he has the tattoo of a tear under one eye and the strap on his boot where the spur would be holds bullets.

This time around our hero Jack Cates is searching for a mythical villain known as the Iceman, but this Iceman apparently does not exist in any data base. If this were not enough of an obstacle, Cates has to contend with a conscientious Internal Affairs detective, Blake Wilson (Kevin Tighe of ROAD HOUSE), who has dedicated his every waking minute to seeing Cates prosecuted for a wrongful act.

Cates had to gun down a suspect at the outset of the action and nobdoy recovered a firearm at the sight of the shoot-out. Meantime, Reggie Hamond (Eddie Murphy) finally gets out of jail but learns from Cates that some bikers have a contract on him.

Walter Hill, who called the shots on 48 HRS, is still calling the shots on this slick, visually opulent but somewhat inadequate sequel that adheres closely to the original formula. Cates refuses to hand over the money that Reggie stashed because a couple of outlaw bikers are raising hell.

The biggest action scene involves a prison bus flipping 17 times after a could of vengeful bikers shoot it up. When Hill and his scenarists reveal the identity of the infamous Iceman in the last quarter hour, we aren't give the chance to deduce who he was before he is revealed.

This revelation doesn't help this flat-footed thriller that Hill stages with his customary skill. The genius of Hill is that he makes this 95-minute, R-rated comedy-actioneer flow so well when the story is as shallow as a bed pan.

Nick Nolte looks in better shape in this outing, though he still chain-smokes but no longer nips off a flask. Eddie Murphy looks like prosperity has grown in him because he was a lot skinner now. Bernie Casey plays a convicted felon in prison who has asked Reggie to do him a flavor.

Matthew F. Leonetti lensed the action adeptly and it looks good, especially a musical act at a nightclub. Unfortunately, Murphy does not get a chance to repeat his bar act from the first film. This is one of those sequels where anybody other than the leading players winds up dead.

ANOTHER 48 HRS fails to top 48 HRS.