Review of Tango & Cash (1989) by Mickey M — 27 Jul 2008

Rival police detectives (Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone), both with big egos, are convicted for a murder that they were actually framed on by a major crime lord (Jack Palance) who has bought numerous high ranking cops and city officials. The two escape from a rough prison, that they were not sentenced to for 18 months, to find the person or persons who framed him.

There is some fair action scenes in this movie, but it's the zingers that Russell and Stallone throw at each other that makes them the only real interesting part of the movie.

The action itself is, like I stated, fair at best. Most of the action scenes are near the end of the movie, and aren't too over the top. Smaller action scenes are sprinkled throughout the movie leading to the climax and are a little weaker than the action at the ending.

There are character development problems with Teri Hatcher's character. All you really know about her is that she is a night club dancer with drumming skills who rents a house from her brother (Stallone). You also don't see much about the budding romance that begins between her character and Russell's.

The most disappointing performance is the veteran Palance. To me he seemed like he was really holding back. His performance in a simular role in "Batman" (1989) was smaller, but much better. He could have easily made his character more devious, but he didn't.

Another problem is where Russell's character goes to get his weapons. They did not explain if the weapon's lab that he visited as he was looking for who framed him and "Tango" (Stallone) was a police lab, or an "underground" one.

The chemistry between Russell and Stallone is probably the only character development that actually works. Both played off each other well, and you could believe that they were detectives who respected one another, even when they shoot insultive one-liners at each other.

This movie could have been a lot better, as well as Palance's performance. Overall, this is one movie that you shouldn't buy, but rent if your first or second choice is not available.