Downtown (1990)
Officer Alex Kearney patrols an upscale neighborhood in Philadelphia, where he pulls over a well-connected white collar executive who promises to get even with the policeman. Soon, Kearney learns that he is off the cushy suburban beat and must now work in the deadliest precinct in Philly, where he is partnered with tough veteran cop Dennis Curran. Tensions are high between them, but Kearney soon proves he can play just as rough as the crooks.
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I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
Police Officer Alex Kearney is a keen, by the book cop who's happy with his beat in a nice part of Philadelphia. Unfortunately his adherence to the rules lands him in trouble with his chiefs after he tries to arrest an an important businessman with long standing police connections. When his side of the story is not believed, he is given the choice of suspension or a transfer downtown. Choosing the transfer, Kearney isn't quite prepared for how dangerous and crime filled downtown is. Worse still, his new tough no nonsense partner positively hates him!It's churlish to suggest that Downtown is merely a cash in of the buddy buddy inter racial cop movies, that, as we know, were made viable entertaining fare by the likes of Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop. Starring Forest Whitaker (Dennis Curren) and Anthony Edwards {Alex Kearney}, Downtown is as much about a fish out of water scenario than it is polar opposite cops working together. With both things dovetailing together to create an engaging actioner that's worth the time of those who are stuck for a rental one evening. Suffering a touch in the last finale due to the inevitable mawkish character strand, IE:just why is Curren so miserable and mean,? while a stronger villain than David Clennon's barely grumpy Jerome Sweet would have helped enormously. But with some genuinely funny sequences, and some well staged action set pieces, Downtown achieves most of the requisites set down for the action/comedy genre. Nice support comes from Joe Pantoliano as a bizarre looking hit-man and Penelope Ann Miller as Kearney's fraught girlfriend, Lori Mitchell. 6.5/10
I'm just watching this movie and I think it's great. One question, Kearney greets the bus driver on his commute "Downtown" as "Tim." I only caught a brief glimpse, but I think the driver is played by Tim Roth. Can anyone confirm?Anthony Edward's performance, in my opinion, is very much like Judge Reinhold in Beverley Hills Cop. In fact I think the whole movie has a Beverley Hills Cop feel to it, albeit without the knockout performance of Eddie Murphy. Forest Whitaker is good in this movie, as usual a very skilled performance,and I wish his character was given a little more emphasis and depth.All in all a great movie and a credit to the Buddy Cop genre.
Here is another of my personal favourites 80's comedies. A solid production with a marvellous Anthony Edwards and a bad-ass Forest Whitaker. Lots of the scenes have an unique Choreography.A good surprise for 80's fans!!
I really enjoyed this film. It was a perfect cop/buddy movie. The story is cool and it has a lot of comedy for an action film, but not too much. If you are a fan of Lethal Weapon or Bad Boys, then this is for you!