The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Michele Arbir.
The year is 1982, Eddie Murphy has been a hit on Saturday Night Live and now just before Christmas he makes his movie debut. For his efforts in 48 Hrs., Murphy was actually nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Acting Debut – Male. It wasn’t just his debut, it was mine too for it was the movie I saw for my very first date. The movie and the date were a smashing success. The buddy cop movie came in third at the box office that week and set Murphy off on a winning career.
Renegade cop Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) pulls bank robber Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) from a federal prison on a 48-hour leave to help him capture Hammond’s old partner, Albert Ganz (James Remar). Having escaped from a prison work crew, Ganz is on a killing spree around San Francisco, on the trail of half a million dollars that went missing after one of his robberies. The wise guy Reggie knows where the money is, but quarrels with the hotheaded Cop Jack as he enjoys his temporary freedom.
48 Hrs. received critical acclaim and is considered as one of the best films of 1982 by Rotten Tomatoes. The film is a briskly-paced action-comedy that succeeds largely due to the outstanding chemistry between its two leads Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. The storyline is simple and easy to follow, it’s those two men who really make this film great. The film is frequently credited as being the first in the “buddy cop” genre that included Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, and Rush Hour.
Director Walter Hill ran into problems with studio executives when filming 48 Hrs. Michael Eisner, then head of Paramount, was worried that the film was not funny enough. Hill and his co-screenwriter Larry Gross wrote more material tailored to Nolte’s and Murphy’s personalities. It is said by Hill that they rewrote Murphy’s character right to the very last day of shooting. Executives also found the footage of the gunfight in the hotel to be too violent and were worried that it would kill the film’s humor. Paramount even told Hill that he would never work for them again. Actor Chris Mulkey said it was widely known on set that Paramount executives hated what they had seen of Murphy’s performance in dailies and wanted to fire him, but Nolte and Hill fought to keep him. I don’t know what those executives were thinking because without Eddie Murphy 48 Hrs. would have been a bomb at the box office.
This buddy cop film flourishes because of the constant bickering of its well-matched leads, tightly directed action sequences, and an awesome groovy soundtrack. You know I always say a soundtrack can make or break a movie. James Horner was on point and also won an award for his score at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. You will not be disappointed when watching this. Sit back with the popcorn and candy and be prepared to laugh.
Video Quality
48 Hrs. makes its return to Blu-Ray with a stellar 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K remaster which blows the ancient Blu-Ray from a decade ago out of the water. This presentation is a knockout that preserves the filmic look with proper film grain and texture throughout. There are a lot of bold colors in the film that pop off the screen with an immaculate vibrancy. Skin tones are natural and lend themselves to showcasing an amazing amount of detail. The level of clarity and detail on this release is very impressive, with only the occasional shot that looks a bit on the soft side. There are very subtle details in the urban production design that are visible here for the first time from minute details on outfits to some of the production design on display in the bar. The black levels are extremely deep and allow for true detail to come through well. Paramount has done an excellent job of restoring this, as all print damage has been cleaned up without messing with the natural look of the film. Those who have been waiting for this one to be given the proper treatment on Blu-Ray should be thrilled by the results
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that sonically represents the film quite wonderfully. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with the stellar score from James Horner filling the room appropriately. Music is used skillfully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The witty dialogue comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some consistent activity with ambient sounds including the din of the city and chatter in crowded locations. There is a substantial amount of low-end support when the scene calls for it including some forceful gunshots . This track accomplishes everything it needs to do with great ease.
Special Features
- Filmmaker Focus – Director Walter Hill on 48 Hrs.: A nineteen-minute conversation with Hill in which he discusses how he came to the project, why Clint Eastwood passed on the project, the film being used as counter-programming during the holiday season, his philosophy on humor in the film, crafting the “movie reality”, the shooting locations and more.
- Isolated Score: An option to view the film exclusively with the James Horner score is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided for the film.
- Space Kid – Original 1966 Animated Short: A five-and-a-half-minute Noveltoon short briefly featured in the film is provided in HD in which a young space kid is sent to go “play in space” by his mother and he gets into some hijinks on Earth. This is a delightful surprise to find on the disc.
Final Thoughts
48 Hrs. is one the earliest successes in the buddy cop genre and it remains one the most entertaining after all of these years. The dynamic between Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy is the perfect balancing act that delivers hilarious moments but can be deadly serious when it needs to be. Director Walter Hill allows the action to really pack a punch with some truly impressive set pieces that shows the gift that used to be practical stunt work. Paramount has offered a Blu-Ray upgrade through their “Paramount Presents” line that sports a stunning A/V presentation and a couple of entertaining supplements. If you are a fan of the film, this disc will serve you well until hopefully we get a 4K UHD Blu-Ray in the future. Recommended
Paramount Presents 48 Hrs. is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
