Running Scared | | Cast : | Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal | | Director : | Peter Hyams | | Studio : | Mgm/Ua Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | June 27, 1986 | | DVD Released Date : | October 02, 2001 | | Language : | Spanish (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 27, 2005 | | Summary | Cool Runnings | Content
 | The buddy cop formula has been around for such a long time now, that I can hardly remember the cinema landscape, ever existing without it. While Running Scared doesn't set the genre on fire, the way that say its close cousin Lethal Weapon did. it does offer enough action, comedy, and excitement to make it work. The film boasts fine chemistry between its two stars and that helps it overcome any of its problems.
Ray Hughes (Gregory Hines) and Danny Costanzo (Billy Crystal) are two Chicago cops, who know their way around the streets, to be sure. The partners have bagged a lot of criminals in their time, but they also have a tendancy to be a bit reckless and even a tad ruthless. Their latest assignment has been their most deadly, as they're almost killed in a botched operation to catch Julio Gonzalez (Jimmy Smits), a big time drug dealer. As a result of their actions, the two are forced to take some time off and since they come from chilly Chicago, warm Key West is just that much warmer. Ray and Danny fall in love with Key West's atmosphere and women, so much so that they decide to leave their police positions, to settle down in this lush tropical paradise. But before the pair can live a life of fun in the sun, the two hatch a plan to even the score with Julio
On paper Gary DeVore and Jimmy Huston's script is pretty much by the numbers, but thanks to Crystal and Hines, it's brought up a few more notches. As you might expect Crystal uses his comic skills to work off of Hines, who in turn, gave up his dancing shoes to play a different persona. It's a shame that he passed away in 2003 from liver cancer--a talent gone far too soon. Director Peter Hyams does his usual adequate job as the person calling the shots. He has never been one to reach the zenith of say, Scorsese, but he hasn't had a total wash either.
The extras on the DVD include just 5 minutes of outtakes featuring Billy Crystal, doing his stuff, as well as the theatrical trailer. And that's it.
Running Scared is worth a look. You'll have a great time watching two guys, who from the looks of things also had a great time working together.
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| Rating | | | Date | September 04, 2004 | | Summary | When we were twenty years younger.... | Content
| "Running Scared" is the typical cop buddy of the era, so common in the decade of Ronald Reagan. Billy Crystal and the late Gregory Hines share some amusing moments but the film can't seem to decide if it's an all-out comedy or a cop drama parody. In an early career role, Jimmy Smits plays the seedy drug kingpin that the two cops are trying to bring down.
The period music and fashion make this one a film for those waxing nostalgic, needing a reminder of why "we love the 80's". |
| Rating | | | Date | July 19, 2004 | | Summary | The BEST "buddy cop" movie!! | Content
| A guilty pleasure; I probably watch "Running Scared" at least once a year. This is probably the best of the "buddy cop" genre of films and also the best of the "cops n' comedy" movies too - thanks to the onscreen chemistry between Hines and Crystal. (There's a reason why all the Amazon reviews mention this "chemistry" - because it's really there, and it's the backbone of the movie!) The comedy comes not so much from actual punchlines, but from the sense that these two guys are married to one another; razzing each other, sharing a high-five (or even a hug), and having a million inside jokes and rituals that only the other knows. Thanks to the "chemistry" between Crystal and Hines, we believe Constanzo and Hughes are longtime police partners and friends, with a love for each other and a history that goes back 15 years. Most of the other reviews have covered all you need to know about the movie (one reviewer going so far as to repeat all the dialogue from a scene that could've been cut), so let me digress and just explain what the title means. Police partners Hughes and Costanzo are reckless... going it alone, never calling for backup, hot-dogging, breaking the rules, and generally risking life and limb for the job. But after tasting the good life and handing in their month's notice, the two partners start playing it safe. Suddenly they're running scared, just trying to get through the month without dying. They call for backup. They begin wearing bulletproof vests. "You're being careful," their Captain observes. "Careful gets you killed."
Other reviews compare this movie to "Lethal Weapon" and "Die Hard," but those films - while possessing some comedic elements - lean a little more towards the action side. "Beverly Hills Cop" is a better comparison, but perhaps "Running Scared" could best be compared to "Stakeout" with Richard Dreyfus and Emilio Estevez: both are underrated action-comedy "buddy cop" movies, and both rely heavily on the chemistry of their stars to work... and both DO work. "Scared" is probably the better of the two films, but after buying this one, I recommend you check out the other. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 07, 2004 | | Summary | Classic Comedy and Action but heads | Content
| Gregory Hines, and Billy Crystal have the type of chemistry together that most actors wish for. A true classic action/comedy, the originator of the buddy genre. This is where Lethal Weapon, and Die Hard began. This is one of those movies that has become an under appreciated classic. Well worth the price, especially now that is is on DVD. Required viewing for anyone who truely likes the buddy cop movie. |
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