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Co-writer/director Walter Hill returns to the same action/comedy formula that made his earlier film, 48 Hrs., such a big hit. This time the buddy cops are played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi, but unfortunately, the magic just isn’t there. Schwarzenegger plays a Russian cop sent to Chicago to retrieve a Russian drug dealer (Ed O’Ross). When the bad guy escapes, Arnold has to rely on Belushi’s cop character to help hunt and recapture. The plot is dull and the action is nothing we haven’t seen before — except for a brief but climactic battle between two buses on the streets of Chicago.
With a middling, unoriginal concept, Red Heat really depends on its stars to distinguish itself. Belushi gives it his best effort, but the script just doesn’t give him enough to work with. The same is true for Arnold, whose character is so icy cold, there’s no hope for growth or development. He’s just there to deliver a handful of lackluster one-liners. Red Heat is a really unremarkable movie that fails mightily to measure up with either 48 Hrs. or Lethal Weapon. If you can’t improve upon a formula, it’s probably best to leave it alone.
With Peter Boyle, Gina Gershon, Laurence Fishburne, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Brion James.