Editorials > The Art of the Buddy Cop Movie

Buddy Cop films are a classic American institution, sort of like baseball and fat people. In no other genre do you see the kind of male comraderie, spectacular explosions and ridiculously unbelievable plot lines that buddy cop films display.  The upcoming release of Rush Hour 3, set to drop on August 10th, begs the discussion of the top 5 buddy cop movies of all time, in no particular order. Bare in mind that this list is by no means comprehensive, simply representing the opinion of one not-so-well-informed guy.

48 Hrs

48 Hrs is your classic odd couple buddy cop movie. Two officers who can barely stand one another somehow find themselves having to work toward a common goal. The catch here, however, is that Eddie Murphy is a criminal. How goddamn novel. The real story here, of course, is that 48 Hrs marked Eddie Murphy's cinematic debut; this is Eddie Murphy before the fat suits and the talking chipmunks, before the allegations of homosexuality and anti-AIDS comedy routines. In short, this was Eddie Murphy before he sucked. Nick Nolte is the perfect buzzkill counterpart to Murphy's happy-go-lucky free spirit. They also kick the shit out of each other as often as they do the guys they're trying to hunt down. How cute. This is a classic movie that really laid the foundation for an entire genre of buddy cop pictures. It may not be the most clever, the bloodiest, or the most well refined example, but it's certainly one of the first.

Lethal Weapon

What a bad-ass movie. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star as a white cop and a black cop out to gain vengeance over the wrongful death of a friend's daughter. Mel Gibson is pretty believable as a borderline-suicidal alcoholic lunatic, and Danny Glover's calming stoic presence almost makes me wish that crying was socially acceptable. Almost. The plot is ridiculous, the action sequences absurd, but somehow these brothers from another mother make it all worthwhile. Heroin smuggling special forces? All in a day's work for Murtaugh and Riggs.

Money Train

If 48 Hrs was an "odd couple" film, then Money Train qualifies as an "odd menage a trois" flic. Featuring Wesley Snipes during his Kufi-wearing days, Jennifer Lopez during her pre-crazy, still hot but almost do-able for the average guy days, and Woody Harrelson during his pot smoking days (my how things have changed, Woody…) the film is as brilliant as it is improbable. Transit Cops aren't your usual action film fodder, but then again Transit Cops generally don't try to hijack entire subway cars. They so crazy! Woody and Wesley as foster brothers? Whatever. Lots of explosions, fast action and J-Lo's sweet ass keep things plenty interesting.

Bad Boys

Let's get this out of the way:  Bad Boys has an absolutely ridiculous plot. $100 million worth of seized heroin goes "missing," and the survival of the Miami narcotics department depends on its timely retrieval. Hmmm. Everyone knows that drugs disappear constantly from the Miami Police warehouses…part of the game, homies. Part of the game. Realistic inaccuracies aside, this is one of the most spectacular buddy cop flicks of all time. Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay join forces to create some of the most spectacular explosions that the buddy cop genre has ever seen, and Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are in their funny, funny primes. The only downside to the film is Tea Leoni, who looks absolutely terrible. But you can't win 'em all, I suppose.

Hot Fuzz

Part parody, part buddy cop film, Hot Fuzz is a hilariously well crafted movie. Put together by the folks that brought us Shaun of the Dead, the film brings a decidedly British perspective to the traditional buddy cop genre. Subtle humor and tongue-in-cheek parody are the name of the game here, and director Edgar Wright pulls it off with remarkable grace. There's no abundance of gun play, no extraordinary explosions… so how the hell can it be a decent cop movie? Humor. Thats how. Where most action movies use humor like a sledgehammer to the forehead, Hot Fuzz uses humor like a bottle of K-Y Jelly. Smooth, painless and oh-so-satisfying. Mmmm hmmm.