REVIEW: Another 48 Hrs (1990)
There’s a sad fact about Another 48 Hrs – it’s only half the movie director Walter Hill presented to the studio in 1990. The movie we’ve all seen is 93 minutes long, but Walter Hill’s version was 145 minutes long. When he finished the movie, they cut chunks off it and tore it down to 120 minutes. Then, before it was released, they took another 25 minutes off. I’m not one for internet campaigns or the like, but a home release of the 145 minute movie is something I’d really chase, especially if others wanted it and supported the idea…
What was the reasoning behind this? Short answer, Total Recall came out a week before and Paramount panicked, they deemed the movie too inaccessible to go head to head with that movie. At least they didn’t cut its balls off and make it PG-13. 1990 was a year that belonged to a manlier era, I’m sure we’ll all agree. And yet despite having its story kicked in the balls, Another 48 Hrs, which Paramount won’t even bother to release on Blu-Ray, still manages to be a damned near exceptional movie. It’s straight up Walter Hill, brutal and ice cool. I really do love this film.
In the original movie, which presumably hides away in a Paramount warehouse somewhere, the story was much more fleshed out. In the trailer you can spot traces of it, such as Cates (Nick Nolte) revealing that he’s actually on a ’48 Hour’ deadline to bag the Iceman. That’s gone completely, along with several key characters such as Brion James’ Sgt. Kehoe and his entire story, who appeared in the original movie. On repeat viewing of this, it is apparent, with some seriously harsh editing that doesn’t appear to be Walter Hill-like at all. Pay attention, it will register on intuition next time you watch it. Still, the shortened version is still pretty damned good. Murphy and Nolte carry the skinny script with sheer magnetic chemistry – these are two funny motherfuckers, Nolte included.
Another 48 Hrs is unmistakably Walter Hill, possibly even in his prime. There was always something gritty about his movies, they were always the proverbial badass sitting quietly in the corner while the Tango & Cashes, the Lethal Weapons laughed loudly at the bar. Don’t bother looking for an action movie like this nowadays, you won’t find it – not even Bullet to the Head compares.
It’s bleak yet cool, it’s funny yet it means business. Like any good Hill movie, the bad guys are stone cold and properly cast. Take the bikers in this movie, they make the Sons of Anarchy look like The Wild Hogs, like Perlman and Hunnam are a bunch of fake wannabes – something that always bothered me about that TV show. They also come with a supremely manly motive – to avenge a dead brother, it doesn’t make them likeable exactly, just cooler still. And the action sequences? Fucking superb, from a time when clearness and consistency was a given, a foregone necessity, only with beauty and slickness laid all over it.
When you hear Horner’s steel drums in a movie, you know shit is about to get real. I’m willing to bet the full version of this movie is something truly special, an easy 10/10. Damn you, Paramount…
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jim
March 20, 2015 at 10:33 pm
Walter Hill was very special but I never thought this was a patch on the original.It always seemed sketchy but I never knew until recently there was a longer version. Still,….145mins? Bit too much of a good thing at that length. Maybe a certain amount of hubris on Hill’s part? I always thought his old school talent worked better in a punchier hard bitten style. Hill was still cookin’ at this stage. He still had three of his best movies ahead of him: Geronimo,Wild Bill and Undisputed.
Mucho Macho
March 21, 2015 at 12:22 am
Amazing that despite that is still a very enjoyable kick ass movie. Of course it ain’t as good as the original but i have always wondered how good the original cut was.
Come on Paramount!
U mofos..get to it!
Have both films on dvd combo pack, but if they ever release that extended director’s cut..i’m so buyin that mofo
123
March 21, 2015 at 12:44 am
How many dvds you got muchoo? Bet your collection s huge ha
Mucho Macho
March 21, 2015 at 1:26 am
Seriously..too many!!!
Haha
Between purchased & recorded..over more than 1,000.
my friends tell me to write them down, have a list, just in case & i have too.
my gf at first was like..u robbed a Blockbuster or what?!
(She gets mad that i dont spend that much $$ on her..haha but who cares?)
The trick is finding stores that have good special. I had 1 that always had used DVD’S for a very low price but let me tell u, they were brand new in quality…not a scratch. Sadly it closed. Still bummed. But found a family owned video store & whenever the daughter is around she sells them to me for a good price. Got to flirt like crazy…but it works. She recently sold me “John Wick” on blu ray in prime condition for like $8
got to look for places,sites & shit..( good to have good prices)& thats how u build a good collection.
123
March 21, 2015 at 10:46 am
A 1000 wow you must have alot of room to put them all muchoo, and bet your lady is like spend some on me ha. Thats the thing when your proper into movie s and your seeing a lass who isn’t proper bummer lol. I have about 300 dvds, and nearly 200 blu rays I’m trying to replace my dvds with blu ray just there s alot of shit conversions so I havnt bothered with some and alot havnt been re released yet either. Predator ultimate editions my fave blu ray pic quality’s unreal imo looks like Arnie filmed it yesterday ha also original Conan is razor sharp for its time. I going to get the seagal collection next, contain s under siege 1 2, nico above the law, out for justice, hard to kill.
Mucho Macho
March 21, 2015 at 1:00 pm
*i don’t have as many Blu rays. I included the blu rays on my dvd #’$ .i say blu rays..i got about maybe 100 & something.
*yeah i have some in a rubbermaid box. The rest in those storage racks,cases,things like that.
The recorded dvd’s i put on cases on on stacks like the ones the blank dvd’s come in. My burner broke so i havent been able to record in a while.but i have a shit load of movies that have recorded but havent watched yet. I think it was Jim who recommended “Vice” & i remember renting & burning it but i had not seen it. So i looked for it,found it & watched it.
u know i bought Transformers 4 on Blu ray & still havent watched it! Sometimes it takes me a while to get to them but i do eventually.
but i have lots in the living room..some in another room. U can get those storage racks that hold like 200 for a good price.
*u know what i have ..bunch if VHS tapes as well. Bought the tape to dvd transfer player but my lazy ass still hasnt gotten to it. I like collecting old VHS movies as well. I recently found an old “rocky” & “ET”VHS tapes at a vintage store. They sold it to me for $1
*i have predator on both dvd & blu ray..
i also assembled a chuck norris collection. Hahaha. But its fuckin awesome..ill have to take a pic & show u..remind me
* u got to find someone in life that supports ur hobbies or loves. Which unfortunately that is not always the
case. My gf is cool about it..but u know how it is…first they go “great” then they go..”well..” try to get a chick with a job. Not to live off of her but at least she can have her own $$$ so she can pay for her crap like shoes. I buy my dvd’s with my money..but if it was hers..forget it!
I would only have Rambo 1 & 2..but not the rest of the series…lol
My gf can borrow my dvd’s but she cant scrath ’em. But i dont like to lend them to be honest. Some where hard to find & people just treat ’em like shit.
123
March 21, 2015 at 7:34 pm
Have you sounds like you have them stored well you’ll have to take a pic sometime so I can see. I have like two wall units in my bedroom full off dvds above my bed and a glass cabinet full of blu rays like covers a wall. Yeah true about the lady’s I don’t mind if there not in to movies just a bonus if they are I guess. I’m the same I don’t like borrowing blu rays as some people just shot them about especially when you payed a decent amount for them.
Mucho Macho
March 21, 2015 at 10:29 pm
Be careful they dont fall on ur head while u are sleeping..lol
We need more space & more dvd’s!!!
123
March 21, 2015 at 11:52 pm
Haha my dad proper secured it to the wall hes a safety freak you could hang off it and it still wouldn’t come down lol.yeahhh I have alot of movie models too and stuff I have a full size pot predator mask cool as ha.
Mucho Macho
March 22, 2015 at 2:57 am
Lol
if i could my place would be like movie tv museum
There was a store @ a mall that had a real size Darth Vader,Storm Trooper, Predator & i wanted to buy them all.
When a blockbuster closed not long ago they sold a spiderman & yoda life size figures too. They sold them!
I want more $$$$
so i can buy more shit.
That pedrator mask must be awesome. & wanna be Ventura’s machinrle gun..ol’painless👍
123
March 22, 2015 at 10:38 am
Haha yeahhh samee quite expensive though majority of the bigger models and stuff. Yeah the masks pretty cool have it on the wall like a trophy lol. Painless would be awesome if you could get a replica be very expensive though.
Jimmy Smith
March 21, 2015 at 1:02 am
I personally think this isn’t all that great. It was OK… Other Walter Hill movies to check out or do reviews for is Last Man Standing now that is an underrated Walter Hill movie!! Also Trespass which is also manly as fuck, considering that they’re aren’t any of those unnecessary female characters we hate to see in most action films. Trespass has the same vibe and feel of Southern Comfort, if you reader’s like that one check it out.
Andymovieman.
March 21, 2015 at 3:26 pm
Good sequel to 48 hrs. They need to make another sequel to that. Like they did with Beverly Hills cop.