It's no Lethal Weapon

Tango & Cash (1989)

Directed by Andrey Konchalovskiy and Albert Magnoli

I really miss the buddy cop movies of the late '80's. They were all the same but really different at the same time. This one is about two white cops, one is uptight and the other is a slop. It's kind of like The Odd Couple with guns and a prison shower scene. 

Tango & Cash is about two cops named Tango and Cash played with Shakespearean ease by Stallone and Russell. This was a turning point in Stallone's career, he was coming off a few flops with Over the Top, Rambo III and Lock Up, man Sly loves those shower scenes in jail. Let's just say that this movie didn't help him out to good. Russell on the other hand is a legend and I will no soil his good name. The guys was Jack Burton. Where was I oh yeah so Cash & Tango are narcotic detectives who are so good that they get framed by the one guy they should have put away along time ago.

You need a few things when you make a buddy cop flick let's go down the list:

1. You need a bad guy with a crazy name.
2. Need a hot girl.
3. Cool car and guns.
4. Witty banter between the leads.

Damn it this movie has them all!!!

The villain is played by the great Jack Palance as Yves Perre, crazy name. The second baddie is played by the late great Brion James as Requin. The Hot girl is played by Teri Hatcher, back when she was hot. The car in this flick is a suped up SUV with guns and the whole works. This movie does have some great witty banter between Cash and Tango.

The movie really picks up when the boys go to jail and have to deal with all the guys they have ever put away. I never understand these movie bad guys, if it is that easy to set these guys up why not just kill them and be done with it. They always have to draw it out and make them suffer. If I made a buddy cop picture I would just have the bad guy kill them in the first ten minutes. That would be a great flick.

This movie gave the world a great word and that is FUBAR. Now I don't know if this movie came up with the word or not but it is a great word and I always think of this movie when I hear it.

I love this movie for all of its flaws and bad acting and corny jokes. I think I'm gonna go buy after I write this. So check out Tango & Cash and see greatness at work and then we can all go get FUBAR afterward. Another forgotten classic done.

Till next time...

7/10