The eighties were the decade of buddy cop movies and Tango and Cash is one of the best ones out there. First, you had 48 Hrs. followed by the Beverly Hills Cop and finally, in 1987, the first Lethal Weapon was released. And the whole world went nuts for this concept. I should also mention Red Heat starring Arnie and Jim Belushi. So, you can see how the movie we’re talking about here came up a bit late to the scene. It proves that with good casting, you can elevate a pretty derivative and familiar story to unbelievable levels. When you add to this a young and innovative director, you got yourself a true classic.
There would be no Tango and Cash without its stars, Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. Their characters worked just so damn fucking good that it’s surprising this didn’t turn into a franchise. However, this could have been a movie with a completely different and much darker vibe. The producers wanted something much more serious but eventually settled on this sort of light-hearted approach with a lot of humor. The original director Andrey Konchalovskiy was replaced towards the end as the budget started blowing up. But none of that ultimately matters. The only question that’s important is will you have fun watching this movie? And I’m here to tell you definitely will.
Although their methods are completely different, Tango and Cash are considered to be the two best cops in the city of Los Angeles. Mostly because they get their men no matter what are the odds. However, they don’t know that someone is planning to get them for a change. And a change it will be…
This movie has everything you would want from an action movie. You’ve got exciting chases, shootouts, fights, and cheeky dialogue. The opening scene will tell you everything you need to know about this movie. Complete with Tango shooting at the tanker full of gasoline to prove a point. It’s that type of movie. Additionally, we will be visiting a lot of locations while trying to get to the bottom of this conspiracy. I mean, the prison part could be an entire movie in itself and you’ve also got nightclub and the final showdown. I should also probably mention a great supporting cast with a lot of familiar faces. Terri Hatcher, Jack Palance, Brion James, and motherfucking Robert Z’Dar made Tango and Cash not just about our titular characters.
At the beginning of this post, we talked about all the eighties’ action hits. This movie feels like an underrated underdog among them. Like it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, with people choosing to watch Lethal Weapon or Die Hard for the umptieth time and leaving Tango and Cash in the dark. Well, Subversive Rabbit is here to right that wrong. If you would like to continue in the same fashion check out Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man following the other side of the coin.
Director: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Albert Magnoli
Writer: Randy Feldman
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher, Jack Palance, Brion James, Robert Z’Dar, Roy Brocksmith
Fun Facts: One of the monster trucks at the quarry scene towards the end is the famous Bigfoot truck.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098439/
