Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Tango & Cash

  • 19891989
  • RR
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
104K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,654
117
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
  • Action
  • Comedy
  • Crime
Framed by their ruthless arch-nemesis, a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo has to put its differences aside to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all... Read allFramed by their ruthless arch-nemesis, a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo has to put its differences aside to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all.Framed by their ruthless arch-nemesis, a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo has to put its differences aside to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
104K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,654
117
  • Directors
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
    • Albert Magnoli(replaced Andrei Konchalovsky)
  • Writer
    • Randy Feldman
  • Stars
    • Sylvester Stallone
    • Kurt Russell
    • Teri Hatcher
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
    • Albert Magnoli(replaced Andrei Konchalovsky)
  • Writer
    • Randy Feldman
  • Stars
    • Sylvester Stallone
    • Kurt Russell
    • Teri Hatcher
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 184User reviews
    • 69Critic reviews
    • 41Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos1

    Tango & Cash
    Trailer 1:14
    Tango & Cash

    Photos190

    Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, and Brion James in Tango & Cash (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sylvester Stallone
    Sylvester Stallone
    • Tangoas Tango
    Kurt Russell
    Kurt Russell
    • Cashas Cash
    Teri Hatcher
    Teri Hatcher
    • Kikias Kiki
    Jack Palance
    Jack Palance
    • Yves Perretas Yves Perret
    Brion James
    Brion James
    • Courieras Courier…
    James Hong
    James Hong
    • Quanas Quan
    Marc Alaimo
    Marc Alaimo
    • Lopezas Lopez
    Philip Tan
    Philip Tan
    • Gunmanas Gunman
    • (as Phillip Tan)
    • …
    Michael J. Pollard
    Michael J. Pollard
    • Owenas Owen
    Robert Z'Dar
    Robert Z'Dar
    • Faceas Face
    Lewis Arquette
    Lewis Arquette
    • Wyleras Wyler
    Edward Bunker
    Edward Bunker
    • Capt. Holmesas Capt. Holmes
    • (as Eddie Bunker)
    Leslie Morris
    • Hendricksas Hendricks
    Roy Brocksmith
    Roy Brocksmith
    • Fed. Agent Davisas Fed. Agent Davis
    Susan Krebs
    Susan Krebs
    • Prosecutoras Prosecutor
    David Byrd
    David Byrd
    • Judgeas Judge
    Richard Fancy
    Richard Fancy
    • Nolanas Nolan
    Jerry Martinez
    • Santosas Santos
    • Directors
      • Andrey Konchalovskiy
      • Albert Magnoli(replaced Andrei Konchalovsky) (uncredited)
    • Writer
      • Randy Feldman
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    Assassins
    6.3
    Assassins
    Cobra
    5.8
    Cobra
    Cliffhanger
    6.5
    Cliffhanger
    Demolition Man
    6.7
    Demolition Man
    Lock Up
    6.4
    Lock Up
    The Specialist
    5.5
    The Specialist
    Over the Top
    5.8
    Over the Top
    Rambo: First Blood Part II
    6.5
    Rambo: First Blood Part II
    Judge Dredd
    5.5
    Judge Dredd
    Universal Soldier
    6.0
    Universal Soldier
    Red Heat
    6.1
    Red Heat
    First Blood
    7.7
    First Blood

    Storyline

    Edit
    The polar opposites, Ray Tango, a suave and sophisticated police officer, and Gabe Cash, his overzealous long-haired partner, are a mismatched LAPD crime-fighting duo who work tirelessly to bring down their arch-nemesis, the ruthless drug lord, Yves Perret. However, when Perret manages to incriminate the pesty team with falsified evidence, Ray and Gabe will soon end up in a maximum-security prison, where an almost endless parade of inmates previously incarcerated by them, are waiting for their captors impatiently. Now, more than ever, Tango and Cash need to put their differences aside to come up quickly with a good plan, not only to escape the jail's walls but also to even the score with the evil kingpin who put them behind bars once and for all. Of course, that's easier said than done. —Nick Riganas
    • action hero
    • prison escape
    • night club dancer
    • sex in the back seat of a car
    • reference to john rambo
    • 243 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Two of L.A.'s top rival cops are going to have to work together... Even if it kills them.
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Brion James was originally hired to play Requin, it was a very small role with only two lines. In an effort to give the character something that would make him stand out, James decided to speak in a horrible "cockney" accent. Sylvester Stallone loved it, and re-wrote the script to give Requin a much bigger role. The same thing happened with Face, played by Robert Z'Dar, who was originally not meant to appear after the opening scene but Sylvester Stallone and Andrey Konchalovskiy took a liking to Z'Dar and thought his appearance was so striking he deserved a larger role in the film.
    • Goofs
      At the beginning of the movie when the truck is bearing down on Tango and he fires at the truck, the windshield "spiderwebs", as it should, since it would be safety glass. However, when the two men fly through the windshield after the truck is stopped, there are no bullet holes in it and it is clearly a plate glass windshield (due to how it shatters).
    • Quotes

      Ray Tango: Rambo? Rambo's a pussy.

    • Alternate versions
      The film's distributor actually self-censored the British theatrical version before submitting it to the BBFC. In addition to the footage the BBFC demanded cut, the UK theatrical release also tones down the electrocution of a villain, edited footage of visible bloodletting during the finale, omits some footage of Lopez being riddled with bullets, another head-butt, a throat chop, a villain pushing his fingers into Cash's blood wound, and Cash putting a grenade down a villain's trousers. All footage was reinstated for video.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Always/Music Box/Born on the Fourth of July/Tango and Cash/Camille Claudel (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Best Of What I Got
      Performed by Bad English

      Courtesy of CBS Records, Music Licensing Department

      Produced by Richie Zito

      Written by John Waite, Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon

    User reviews184

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    If you really wanted to stare death in the eye, you shoulda gotten married.
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell play polar opposite Los Angeles cops who are framed by an arch nemesis and forced to team up in order to clear their name.

    Unashamedly macho and very much of its time, this is daft energetic fun that's full of octane inventive action and ever quotable one liners. Stallone is Tango, the smart dressed sophisticated policeman, Russel is Cash, the slobbish act first - ask questions later copper, both men very different but both excellent at their jobs.

    Pic gets by mostly on the chemistry between Stallone and Russell, who put much zest into their respective characters bickering and bantering. Action is well put together by director Andrey Konchalovskiy, but unfortunately the final third of the piece starts to sag as our mismatched cops start to respect and befriend each other and the plot reaches the inevitable conclusion.

    It doesn't help matters that Jack Palance's main villain is only a bit part player, or that his head henchman Requin (the usually ace Brion James) gives us a quite appalling British accent. Add in Teri Hatcher who is in it purely for dressage and as a cypher between the two boys, then it's a picture not without problems. Yet the script and star turns from the leading duo ensure this remains a favourite of many whom lapped it up back in the backend of the 1980s. 7/10
    helpful•9
    0
    • hitchcockthelegend
    • Apr 22, 2019

    FAQ11

    • I've heard this film was originally written for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Is that true?
    • Where exactly is Requin supposed to be from?
    • What's the name of the song that Katherine is dancing to at the club?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Set Up
    • Filming locations
      • Park Plaza Hotel - 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Warner Bros.
      • The Guber-Peters Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $55,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $63,408,614
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,628,918
      • Dec 25, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $63,408,614
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    HBO Max New Releases: August 2021
    HBO Max New Releases: August 2021
    Aug 1Den of Geek
    New Movies and Shows on HBO Max for August 2021
    New Movies and Shows on HBO Max for August 2021
    Jul 31Gold Derby

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell in Tango & Cash (1989)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to Tango & Cash (1989) in Japan?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.