Cop-buddy movie dependable type

Press, 14 August 1989, Page 6

Cop-buddy movie dependable type

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Police movies have seen all kinds of unlikely mutations in recent years, offering everything from Eddie Murphy to indestructible robots fighting on the right side of the law. One of the most dependable types, however, is the cop-buddy movie, which usually links together two seemingly incompatible individuals, who eventually turn into a fine working team — and good friends. A few years ago, it was still considered quite novel to pair off a white and a black officer, thus bringing in the racial element, both for dramatic tension and the underlying plea for brotherhood within the same blue shirt. Of these, the most successful so far has been “Lethal Weapon,” with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a finely tuned team of opposites. They are back again in a sequel, but the racial theme has been extended even further in “Lethal Weapon -2.” , The film, “Alien Nation,” links a human policeman with one from outer space. LETHAL WEAPON 2 Directed by Richard Donner Screenplay by Jeffrey Boam Little need be said about “Lethal Weapon 2” (Regent) except that it is just about the ultimate cop-buddy movie and will be pretty hard to beat. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are as likeable as ever as the dynamic crime-fighting duo who run the gauntlet of an endless series of shootouts, car chases, explosions and merry mayhem. This sequel has a thin story line that involves providing protective custody for a dubious accountant who has laundered nearly half a billion dollars in drug money, and cracking a major drug ring led by a South African diplomat (Joss Ackland, of “White Mischief”). There is also a touch of romance with the lovely Patsy Kensit. But the story is only an

excuse to tie together the expertly produced action sequences, which include everything from flying cars and surfboards to exploding toilets and collapsing houses. "Lethal Weapon 2” seems to have displaced “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” as the top box-office hit in the United States, and if you enjoy action, you will understand why.

ALIEN NATION Directed by Graham Baker Screenplay by Rockne S. Bannon

In “Alien Nation” (Midcity), the year is 1992 and a group of 300,000 humanoids has accidentally landed in the Californian desert. Like many other people who have arrived on the shores of the United States, they are integrated into society, but experience varying degrees of mistrust.

These aliens had been engineered for hard labour on their native planet, but now seem eager to work hard on Earth and fit into a world that has offered them hospitality. Before their arrival, they were used to being kept docile with a very potent drug, for which they would work. Now, after a couple of years on Earth, it seems that someone is about to reintroduce this dreaded chemical to the “Newcomers.”

James Caan plays the typical, world-weary cop who has seen it all. He lives alone in a disorderly flat, separated from his wife and estranged from his daughter, who leaves “I love you, daddy” messages on the answer-

phone. When his partner (a black) is shot on duty, Caan volunteers to accept a Newcomer as his new offsider. Caan cannot stand these aliens, but feels this one could help him solve the death of his partner, who was shot by a Newcomer. This sets the scene for the usual racial misunderstandings and slurs. Caan calls the Newcomers "slags,” he thinks they smell, and is particularly put off by the fact that they enjoy getting intoxicated on sour milk. As usual in such films, however, after one drunken night, they come much closer together. Co-produced by Gale Ann Hurd, who has given us such first-rate sci-fi films in • recent years as “The Terminator” and “Alien,” this one does not quite measure up to the hard-hitting impact of the other two, yet still offers many fine, inventive moments.

The film is set in a dark, gritty atmosphere, with a couple of good car chases and a rather nasty showdown that is out of keeping with the film’s general plea for tolerance and understanding. Just like cop movies, films about aliens also come in a surprising variety. During the 19505, the aliens in “War of the Worlds” and “I Married a Monster From Outer Space” posed as much of a threat as did the Communists behind the Iron Curtain. It is about since the time of “Star Wars" and “E.T.: the Extraterrestrial” that these aliens have turned out to be much more benign, to the extent that they now pop up in comedies like “My Stepmother is an Alien.” It is significant, nevertheless, that they do reflect political phobias from the countries where these films are. made. Thus, since glasnost, the fear of the alien has diminished considerably, although they can still reflect other unwanted threats to security, such as South-East Asian boat people or Cuban immigrants.