The 80’s and early 90’s were the prime years for the buddy cop film. These would run the gamut from kiddie films like Cop and a Half to the hard edged R rated stuff like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard With a Vengeance with loads of mediocrity in between. Most of these films were forgettable cookie cutter affairs attempting to cash in on a proven formula. The Hard Way sits on the higher end of the spectrum for these dime-a-dozen flicks, able to elevate itself purely on the acting, chemistry, and comedic chops of its two leads, James Woods and Michael J. Fox. Fox, just coming off of his commitments to the Back to the Future sequels was looking for something to stretch his action credibilities and, once cast, recommended Woods to the producers. This would prove to be a genius casting choice that would elevate a ridiculous script into something worth paying closer attention to.
Nick Lang (Fox) is a successful Hollywood actor looking to ditch his formulaic adventure hero persona on screen in favor of some real life grit. He feels that without this experience he will be passed over for a coveted role in a cop drama he wants to star in. To get this experience he uses his big name to force himself into a ride-along with down and gritty Lieutenant John Moss (Woods), a no nonsense officer who is in the middle of a big case involving a self-proclaimed savior of New York, killing criminals in public places right in front of the police. To accommodate the actor, Moss is taken off of the case and ordered to keep Lang out of any real danger, something Moss resents. Naturally, he disobeys orders.
Moss is also in the early stages of a romantic relationship with Susan (Annabella Sciorra), a single mother with a young daughter named Bonnie (Christina Ricci). Susan is trying to shield her daughter from the violence of the city but even a simple outing like a dinner date at a pizza restaurant leads to Moss assaulting four men for being rowdy and rude I n front of the little girl. Moss’s temper as well as his inability to open up about himself to Susan puts a strain on their relationship, threatening to break the two up.
Interwoven into all of this is the story of ‘The Party Crasher,’ (Stephen Lang). He is the villain of the film, determined to taunt the police with advanced warning of his killings while easily slipping through their fingers. He has killed at least six people prior to the beginning of the film and, during the opening action set-piece, nearly is caught by Moss before escaping, leaving Moss injured. A news report interviewing Moss over the escape brings the cop to Nick Lang’s attention and he sees in Moss an opportunity to learn some real street cred.
There are some truly well staged action set-pieces in this film that will surly please action junkies. In the opening moments alone there is a tautly paced cat and mouse game played out in a dance club, accompanied by LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, a song that gets overplayed throughout including a reprise in the end credits. LL Cool J also makes his debut in this film as a fellow cop. The Party Crasher succeeds in killing his target and makes his escape in a tow truck while Moss hangs off the driver’s side door attempting to subdue him. This scene sets the stage for several other impressive action scenes throughout culminating in a heart stopping finale off the side of an animated billboard overhanging the streets of New York. The action and stunts are all good here, especially for the time.
Even better than the action, though, is the character development. Nick Lang starts out as an arrogant actor with no real sense of what he’s getting himself into. He is in over his head, thinking he can handle whatever comes his way. He will soon learn otherwise as he causes shootouts to happen and in nearly every way interrupts Moss’s under the table investigation. Later, in an attempt to finally rid himself of Lang, Moss will stage an accidental shooting that will leave Lang feeling like he’s guilty of manslaughter and flee back home. It’s only Lang’s good nature that leads him to turn himself in for the crime only to discover it was all a fake. Moss plays the experience off as teaching Lang what it really feels like to kill someone, something Lang had inappropriately asked him about earlier. By the end of the film Lang is risking his own life just as much as Moss to bring down The Party Crasher.
Moss also changes over the course of the film. He is a closed off man who really struggles to show any emotion that isn’t white hot rage. When his girlfriend shows up at the precinct he clams up and is awkward at even the slightest hint of affection from her. On the streets he is confident in his every action but with a girl he is out of his element. He feels strongly for her but struggles to show it. Consequently he knows a lot about her but she knows nothing about him. Lang senses this immediately and tries to help but at first it only makes things worse, culminating in a misunderstanding of his intentions.
Stephen Lang’s The Party Crasher feels like he’s in another movie altogether. This performance makes his character in Avatar seem subdued in comparison. There is no subtlety to this character and no humanity, either. It’s a caricature and thus loses any real sense of reality because of it. This does not mean he lacks menace, quite the opposite in fact. However, Lang’s scene chewing character seems as invincible as The Terminator, surviving being shot, beaten over the head with a pipe, an insane rollover car crash without a seatbelt and even more and can still walk away barely scratched. It seems like the filmmakers realized how cartoonish this character was getting and excised several moments of him being overpowered, cutting out attacks and just cutting back to show he’d killed a bunch of people and escaped. His character is supposed to be ridding the world of scumbags that the police cannot touch but no real motivation for this crusade is given. Nothing about his character, not even his real name, is ever revealed.
As crazy as some of this film is, it is in the quieter, more personal moments that this movie shines. For example, the date at the pizza parlor. This is Christina Ricci’s only scene in the entire film and, in just a few short minutes, she steals the show. She plays off Woods, Fox, and Sciorra like a seasoned professional and injects a level of levity that goes beyond being a cute kid. This is a step above her performance in Mermaids and even The Addams Familyfrom the same year. It’s not just her acting, though. The whole scene works. It sets up the emotional conflict that stands in the way of Susan and Moss’s relationship. He seems incapable of leaving his work life behind and that will jam a wedge into their romance. Lang’s uninvited appearance at the restaurant adds some laughs to the proceedings, too, while also adding tension and provides him the opportunity to see that Moss is in desperate need of some tips on interacting and opening up to his date.
Poignant moments aside this is still a buddy cop action film and on that level it a good one. The action is kinetic, the set pieces lively. The villain is over the top to the extreme and is appropriately deranged. It’s not the most logical film but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a lot of fun to watch and has just enough humor and heart to propel it above most of the other films of its type. The cast is having fun making the film and we’re having fun watching it. With all that, a few minor nitpicks won’t deter from the enjoyment.
Release Date: March 8, 1991
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Rated R
Starring: Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Penny Marshall and Christina Ricci
Directed By: John Badham
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