Detective Jack Cates (Nolte), a dirty - Harry type hard core San Francisco cop must chase down an escaped convict who killed his best friend using Cates' own gun.
His only lead to the man is a slick talking thief named Reggie Hammonds(Murphy) who is serving out the last six month of a prison sentence.
Hammonds explain that the man is after money that together they stole from a local drug dealer, and if Cates get him out of jail he will help him catch the man.
Cates reluctantly agrees and gets Hammonds released on a 48 hours pass. The two unlikely partners spend the next two days fighting with each other as their quest places them in some very outrageous situations.
--Ramm Zee, Resident Scholar
Alcoholic, hard-nosed, oddball cop Jack Cates (Nolte) is the survivor of a shootout in which two other policemen were killed. He convinces his superiors to let him solve the case on his own, but after talking to a jailed accomplice of the killer, he decides to spring Reggie Hammond (Murphy) from stir for 48 hours to help him catch the murderer. Turns out the killer is searching for a half million that Reggie hid in the trunk of his car in a parking garage. Naturally, Cates and Hammond have some black-white, crook-cop issues to work out (in fact, they beat each other up the first night), but they make a surprisingly effective team. Not terribly notable for its plot or action, this 1982 movie is carried by the stirring performances and chemistry of its two leads, especially Murphy in his feature film debut at the age of 21, after just two years on "Saturday Night Live." His scene in a country-western bar, shaking down the regulars with Jack's badge in hand, is a classic.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Analysis of 48 Hours
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Actual chase scenes or violence - 40% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1980's-1999
Crime & Police Story?
Yes
Crime story:
- catching/stopping killer
Criminal enemy is...
- known killer
If this is a criminal POV story...
- virtuous thief doing good
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- emotionally unstable
- wild
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- average (man)
- muscular (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- bulging muscles
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) very short/crewcut
- (man) short/standard curly
Body type
- average build (man)
Unclothed?
- very tight clothes
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Black
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- killer
- criminal
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Body type
- skinny (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- Dirty, grimy (like New York)
- dangerous
- rude people
- San Francisco
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- excited
- full of laughter
How many deaths in film?
- 3-4
- 4-8
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
Kind of violence:
- hand to hand
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
- A lot of foul language
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Classic/oldies rock
