TownRootGuy When I'm watching it this is my favorite movie. If I'm watching, 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum', that's my favorite. The rest of the time I'm torn. This is one of the flicks I'd give an 11 if I could. It has very nice eye candy, good action, a great cast, excellent tunes AND the funny is the sh*t. Not sh*t sh*t, good sh*t. This is a must see for fans of buddy cop flicks. It is simply outstanding and I can watch it every year.

Scarecrow-88 The plot is simple: two veteran Chicago cops, Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines, are set to retire but before doing so wish to take down drug dealer, Jimmy Smits (and he's a force to be reckoned with, too). Peter Hyams always had a directorial flair, and the gritty streets of cold Chicago are his playground; better still, he has a duo with an undeniable chemistry, so comfortable with each other their work on screen doesn't feel forced but quite natural, as if the two have been actual partners for quite some time. This is the cop buddy comedy with lots of guns firing, bloody, bullet-ridden bodies, and wise cracks. In other words, this is the kind of movie right up my alley. Hines and Crystal are the kind of team that constantly, lovingly ridicule one another, while causing their boss (played by Dan Hedaya, enjoyable to watch as always) more than his share of migraines. I loved how they're forced to "apprentice" young cops, Steven Bauer and Jon Gries, and do so with quite a bit of reservation. Darlanne Fluegel (To Live and Die in LA) is Crystal's hot love interest, with the likes of Joe Pantoliano (Bound), Don Calfa (Return of the Living Dead), and Larry Hankin (Armes and Dangerous) turning up in a fantastic cast. This is the kind of cop actioner with lots of familiar faces in its cast offering colorful bit parts that just makes investing in the hunt for Smits all the more worthwhile. But Crystal and Hines together is the obvious reason to watch this little movie…they're too much fun. There's just nothing like seeing Crystal and Hines stuck in a yellow taxi cab (equipped with bullet-proof glass even), lifted off the street by a garbage truck, telling Smits (looking up at them from a comfortable position as they seem precariously trapped and ready to be crushed inside) that he's in trouble! Of course they escape within an inch of their lives. There's this big scene in a mall that has plenty of gunfire and bloody wounds. I like this one particular scene where Hines and Crystal find themselves absent pants (in their long johns!) rescuing an innocent from certain harm when captured by an intense Smits (with a machine gun); forced to return to headquarters without their pants, their fellow cops get a good laugh at their expense. I don't think it is necessary to establish that the script is loaded with profanity--as the audience for this sort of film and the actors in it should know what they're getting into--and the comedy is rather "salty", with plenty of street talk (this does take place in the city and is populated by urban characters). One of the funniest scenes to me has a priest and nun, familiar with Smits for his contributions to their ministry (!) under constant smack by Hines and Crystal who think they're imposters posing as members of the Church! Hyams understood the audience for this kind of movie and gives us what we want, and he doesn't interfere in what Crystal and Hines do best.

gwnightscream Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal, Darlanne Fluegel, Dan Hedaya, Joe Pantoliano and Jimmy Smits star in this 1986 action-comedy. This takes place in Chicago, Illinois during Christmas time where we meet wise-cracking cops, Ray Hughes (Hines) and Danny Costanzo (Crystal). They try to pursue drug-dealer, Julio Gonzales (Smits) and are almost killed. They're forced by their Captain (Hedaya) to take a vacation and go to Key West, Florida where they think about retirement, but decide to wait to catch Gonzales. Fluegel (To Live and Die in L.A.) plays Danny's ex-wife, Anna and Pantoliano (The Goonies) plays Snake, a thug who deals with Gonzales. This is a great 80's flick, Crystal and the late, Hines were great together and I also like Michael McDonald's song, "Sweet Freedom." If you enjoy buddy-cop flicks, definitely check this out.

LeroyBrown-2 This movie brings back a lot of memories for me. I was living in Chicago at the time this movie was being shot and it was on the news once or twice. I only saw it recently as I really did not want to see a movie with Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines as a couple of tough cops. Neither one looked like they can take down a girl scout let alone Chicago's toughest criminals. Neither one even know how to hold a gun properly. Plus at the time male cop buddy movies were a dime a dozen. The movie is about a couple (Crystal and Hines) of Chicago cops who suddenly find themselves on the trail of a big time drug dealer(Jimmy Smits). When the guy gets out on bail the boys are so mad that their captain tells them to cool off and they go to Florida. I'm not sure what their respite in the Sunshine state had to do with the movie but it was enjoyable to see Florida during the Miami Vice era again, complete with women in tiny bikinis. Anyways the boys get the idea of retiring and running a bar, but first they have to finish the case.Getting back to Chicago means it's time to get back to the case, which means there are going to be shootouts and car chases, typical of the buddy films of that era. The action sequences in the film are very good. They were fast paced and very well done. Not amateurish at all. There are several gunfight scenes, one in particular that really sticks out was shot in the then newly opened State of Illinois building. The car chase taking place on the 'L' or elevated train alone is worth putting this film on your Netflix list. It's easily one of the best car chases from that era. Casting Mr. Hines and Mr. Crystal as cops was a curious choice. As I said neither of them looked like they could take down a Girl Scout, but they sure do know how to deliver funny lines. Billy Crystal in particular certainly knows how to make things funny. When he was in shadows pretending to be an old lady and when he was pretending to be his boss on the phone. His comedic range is pretty good. Others in the cast played their role basically straight and really without much originality. They're all just straight men to the two leads."Running Scared" is a good action comedy that has no pretension of being anything else. It's a funny and entertaining. I have to say I'm a little biased because I lived in Chicago a long time and seeing the city again brings back so much memory. I mean I remember having been in some of the locales. Also I have to say seeing this movie is a reminder how lovely Darlanne Fluegel was. She played Billy Crystal's ex-wife. She's as lovely as Sharon Stone was during this era and a much better actress.