Scott LeBrun "City Heat" pairs two macho screen icons, Clint "Dirty Harry" Eastwood and Burt "The Bandit" Reynolds, in an average cops & gangsters saga set in 1933 Kansas City. Clint is ultra-straight police lieutenant Speer, Burt is wisecracking gumshoe Mike Murphy. They were friends when they were both on the force, but now they're often at odds with each other (exactly why there was a falling out, we never really learn). They must work together when Mikes' partner Dehl Swift (Richard "Shaft" Roundtree) buys a whole lot of trouble by getting mixed up with competing gangsters Primo Pitt (Rip Torn) and Leon Coll (Tony Lo Bianco), and a stolen set of ledgers.There are some interesting behind-the-scenes stories that are, in truth, more amusing than the tale being spun in the movie. Apparently, this was originally going to be directed by Blake Edwards, but Clint gave him the boot, ultimately settling on actor-turned-filmmaker Richard Benjamin as a replacement, and brought on a number of his cohorts, including producer Fritz Manes and composer Lennie Niehaus. And Burt got hurt badly during the opening fight set piece; like a trouper, he finished the picture, but could never work for long, and unfortunately suffered some lasting effects from his injuries.The stars are in fine form, as they banter back and forth. Burt definitely has the funnier role and makes the most of it; he's charming as usual. And they're wonderfully supported by Roundtree, songstress Irene Cara, Torn, Lo Bianco, and a typically amusing Madeline Kahn. Lots of familiar faces in small roles, too: William Sanderson, Nicholas Worth, Robert Davi, John Hancock, Jack Thibeau, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Art La Fleur, Jack Nance, Harry Caesar, Hamilton Camp, Arthur Malet, Beau Starr, Richard Foronjy, and Joan Shawlee. But it's a lot of acting talent wasted on what is really just a so-so script. It has some pretty funny humour, but is often played fairly straight, with a lot of gunfire and a few explosions along the way.During the Christmas season of 1984, "Beverly Hills Cop" ended up kicking this movies' ass at the box office, and almost 34 years later, this movie still doesn't have a LOT to recommend it. But it's zippy enough, and reasonably well paced, with some decent period recreation and a nice jazzy score by Niehaus. Thanks to this cast, it certainly remains watchable.Six out of 10.

SnoopyStyle It's 1930s Kansas City. Private investigator Mike Murphy (Burt Reynolds) loses his partner who is brutally murdered after trying to blackmail a mobster with his secret accounting records. When a rival gang boss goes after the missing records, he is forced to team up with his ex-partner cop Lieutenant Speer (Clint Eastwood) to fight both gangs before KC erupts in a mob war.From a Blake Edwards story, this takes place when both Burt Reynold and Clint Eastwood was hitting a slow patch after being red hot. Clint would recover, but Burt never did. With the people involved, you would think this could be something incredible. But there is nothing but disappointment. Burt is playing his usual self, smirking thru his fight. Clint has no chemistry with Burt. The style is too stiff and weak. It has none of the grittiness required. It looks completely fake. Worst of all, it moves at a snails pace, dragging its feet. The dialog is stilted. There is no jokes, at least none that worked. In fact, none of it really worked.

jotix100 "City Heat" was a Blake Edwards project that derailed in Hollywood. The genial director of "Ten", "S.O.B.", "Victor-Victoria", among others, was fired from his own creation. A lot of people became involved, trying to bring it to the screen. This film is a perfect example of why too many cooks can spoil the broth. How much of this mess can be attributed to the original screenplay Mr. Edwards wrote, although we suspect it was completely changed. The fact that Sam O. Brown is given credit might indicate how Blake Edwards felt about seeing his work destroyed. Ultimately, Richard Benjamin was selected to direct.For lack of better things to watch, we caught "City Heat" not too long ago. It is not a complete disaster, but nothing seems to make sense. For this being a film about a period in which gangsters dominated the criminal scene in America, the criminals in the movie commit the ultimate sin: they cannot even shoot! There are frequent gun fights, but hardly anyone is hurt.It might have been an attraction to pair the two stars, Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, who were at the top of their craft to star in "City Heat", but their characters do not make much sense. We keep thinking whether Speer and Murphy were supposed to be allies, or enemies. The women do not fare better. Jane Alexander is totally wasted. Madeleine Kahn has nothing to do, only appearing in about three sequences. Irene Cara's Ginny Lee is an afterthought. Rip Torn, Tony Lobianco, and the rest of the supporting players do not add anything to a film that is best forgotten for what it did not deliver. Richard Benjamin would probably be better off omitting this from his directing resume.

gcd70 Buddy-buddy cop movie set in Kansas City, 1933. Director Richard Benjamin ("Mermaids" and "Made in America") does well to allow Eastwood and Reynolds to carry the film, knowing Sam O. Brown's plot and premise weren't going to pull this one across the line.Clint and Burt do beautifully creating a hate-hate relationship that stems from a former partnership on the force. Eastwood has remained a lieutenant, while private eye Reynolds has himself knee-deep in a botched sting operation thanks to his now dead partner. The pair are great together; no-one is as dry as big Clint, nor as wet as old Burt. Jane Alexander, Madeline Kahn, Rip Torn and Irene Cara lend support.Benjamin wisely kept things tongue-in-cheek, while the scenery is convincing enough, with lots of old cars and tommy guns knocking around.Wednesday, July 22, 1998 - Video