Another 48 Hrs [Another 48 Hours] * (1990, Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte) – Classic Movie Review 13,271

Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte return to take down ruthless drug lord The Iceman in the 1990 buddy cop action film sequel Another 48 Hrs.

Director Walter Hill’s 1990 American buddy cop action comedy film Another 48 Hrs stars Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Andrew Divoff, and Ed O’Ross, and is the sequel to the 1982 film 48 Hrs.

Wisecracking crook Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) is freed from prison to join forces with shambling San Francisco police detective Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) who is on the trail of ruthless elusive drug lord crime boss The Iceman for another couple of hours’ arguing, fighting and shooting it out again under Hill’s thumping direction.

Alas the original 48 Hrs magic has gone: this is just one more buddy cop picture with a humdrum plot, some excellent stunts and a lot of mindless mayhem. Murphy has lost his sparkle, there is little chemistry this time with Nolte, and Walter Hill’s direction is merely noisily efficient.

It is based on a story by Eddie Murphy (as Fred Braughton), who asked Hill if he wanted to direct again. Hill recalled: ‘I was a little sceptical. They usually come out twice as expensive and half as good. Eddie convinced me he wanted to do a movie with a lot of street energy and hard edges of the original.’

The cast are Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Kevin Tighe, Ed O’Ross, David Anthony Marshall, Andrew Divoff, Bernie Casey, Brent Jennings, Ted Markland, and Tisha Campbell.

The workprint of 145 minutes was cut to 120 minutes and then a week before the release Paramount cut an additional 25 minutes, so it runs only 95 minutes, causing chaos to the plot and continuity.

Brion James complained: ‘I lost every major scene I had.’

It was the last of seven Eddie Murphy movies in a row to open at number one in the box office.

Murphy reportedly received a $9 million pay check and Nolte $3 million. It was very costly to make at $45,000,000, but it grossed $153,518,974 worldwide.

Another 48 HRS [Another 48 Hours] is directed by Walter Hill, runs 95 minutes, is made by Lawrence Gordon Productions and Eddie Murphy Productions, is released by Paramount Pictures (US) and United International Pictures (UIP) (UK), is written by John Fasano, Jeb Stuart and Larry Gross, based on a story by Eddie Murphy (as Fred Braughton), is shot by Matthew F Leonetti, is produced by Lawrence Gordon and Robert D Wachs, is scored by James Horner, and is designed by Joseph C Nemec III and Gary Wissner.