Thriller,Action,Comedy,Crime,Drama
United States of America
48 Hrs. is a 1982 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Walter Hill and starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy as a cop and convict, respectively, who team up to catch a pair of cop-killers in San Francisco. The film's title refers to the amount of time the cop has to solve the crime before the convict is released from custody.
The film begins with convicts Luther (David Patrick Kelly) and Billy Bear (James Remar) being broken out of prison by their boss, Ganz (James Keach), who wants them to help him retrieve half a million dollars in stolen money. Ganz kills two police officers during their escape, so Detective Jack Cates (Nolte) is put in charge of the investigation. Cates' boss, Haden (Frank McRae), allows Cates to temporarily parole Reggie Hammond (Murphy), a convict who knows Ganz and his crew, in order to help with the investigation.
The reluctant partnership starts off rocky as Cates is a gruff, by-the-book cop who resents having to work with a criminal, while Hammond is a fast-talking wise-cracker who is only interested in finding a way to get the stolen money for himself. Despite their differences, they manage to make some progress in their investigation, including following a lead to Ganz's former girlfriend, Elaine (Annette O'Toole), who they try to use to get closer to Ganz.
The investigation becomes more dangerous as Ganz and his crew start targeting Cates and Hammond, leading to a series of shootouts and car chases. Eventually, the case takes them to a hotel where Ganz and his crew are hiding out, and the climactic showdown results in the deaths of Ganz and several of his henchmen.
Throughout the film, Cates and Hammond develop a begrudging respect for each other, which ultimately leads to a heartfelt moment where Hammond decides to help Cates catch the killers, even if it means putting himself in danger. The film was a huge box office success and catapulted Murphy to stardom. It is now considered a classic of the buddy cop genre and has spawned several sequels and imitators.
