Two memorable films, 48 Hrs. and Another 48 Hrs., have been released on Blu-ray. Both remastered from 4K film transfers, the action comedies are in near perfect big screen quality. The first film features Eddie Murphy’s first appearance in feature movies and together the two movies are considered classics. The stories spun by writers Walter Hill, Larry Gross and Roger Spottiswoode are truly timely and filled with action and comedy.
In the two different stories of complete opposites versus the real baddies, we find Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) under the gun for presumed negligence by his superiors. Being the apparent tough nosed cop, as he’s thought of by his boss and fellow cops, Cates wants to prove himself competent. Getting word that a Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) may have a connection to the whereabouts of Albert Ganz (James Remar) he gets him released from prison to point out those who may be close to Ganz. At the bottom of it all the rogue killer is searching for a huge amount of money from a bank robbery. Leading Hammond around the city to ferret out clues, Cates and Reggie get deeper into trouble.
In Another 48 Hrs. Cates is accused of manslaughter after a self-defense snafu at a raceway. Finding a photo of Hammond at the scene he seeks out his former “partner” to get to the bottom of the new mystery. In the meantime Hammond get released from prison and after an exciting takedown of the prison bus by hitmen, he finds out the Iceman has put a price on his head. Cates gets Hammond to help him track down the Iceman, a ruthless drug lord who he feels responsible for both their problems.
The storyline in 48 Hrs. is a good opener for the two actors, but Another 48 Hrs. is a better film as far as the drama and acting goes. Murphy looks a bit stiff and too loud in the beginning 48 Hrs. but gladly he does mellow out toward the end of the first film. Even Walter Hill had his hands full with the comedian known for his adult humor and fast delivery, but it was very smart casting Nick Nolte to even out their performances.
Special features on each disc are detailed below:
48 HRS.
“Filmmaker Focus: Director Walter Hill on 48 HRS”.
“Theatrical Trailer”
“Space Kid”—original 1966 animated short, that makes an appearance in the film
ANOTHER 48 HRS.
“Filmmaker Focus: Director Walter Hill on ANOTHER 48 HRS”.
“Theatrical Trailer”
Both Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy enhanced their acting careers with the 48 Hrs films. Nolte was coming off good runs like Who’ll Stop the Rain (1978), where he does justice to the role of a heroin smuggler, and North Dallas 40 (1979) in which he plays a defiant pro football player, before taking on the role of the tough police detective in 48 Hrs, in 1982. His yearly movie run of a film release nearly every year had started back in 1977 and continued well into the turn of the century. Nolte was nominate for Oscars for his performances in 1992’s The Prince of Tides, 1999’s Affliction and the 2012 boxing action drama Warrior. Considered one of the top actors in the business, he’s still working today and just completing his most recent film Blackout. A dynamo who took on roles in nearly every genre, he’ll always be remembered as the tough cop Jack Case in this double feature.
Eddie Murphy got his start in movies in 1982 with the film 48 Hrs. As the tough and snappy noncompliant street hood Reggie Hammond, he carved the role into a comical opposite of Jack Cass. Under the guidance of Walter Hill, the best role creating Director of that time frame, Murphy became a star. His next stop was Trading Places under the helm of another fine director John Landis and was later picked up by Martin Brest for the action comedy Beverly Hills Cop, In that film duo he doubled down a few years later with Beverly Hills Cop II under the guidance of Tony Scott (Top Gun). His career continued to blossom with films like Coming to America (Dir. John Landis) before signing up for Another 48 Hrs. with Walter Hill. In 2007 he was nominated for an Oscar for his acting in Dreamgirls 2006. Still acting today his most recent release is Coming 2 America. I believe Murphy should have been nominated for Oscar honors as Rudy in the 2019 film Dolemite Is My Name. Just saying.
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy
Directed by: Walter Hill
Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy
MPAA Rating: R, contains violence, language
Video Release Date: July 6, 2021
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Blu-Ray
Distributed by: Paramount Home Entertainment
Released on: Blu-ray, with Digital Code
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
