Entertaining mix of action and comedy, at least for the first two-thirds of its length. Then there are some rather overextended action sequences and the film loses some of its comic edge. Still, the acting is first-rate all around, with Fox and Woods offering many laughs when the script gives them the chance, and Stephen Lang a highly enjoyable, totally loony villain. (**1/2)
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Mr-Fusion21 July 2016There's something different about "The Hard Way", something in its approach to a well-worn genre. Buddy cop movies were all over the place back then, and here's another one to throw on the pile. But having a pampered actor hang around a disgruntled cop offers an opportunity for Hollywood satire, which freshens up the mismatched partners angle. James Woods tends to be hit-or-miss for me, but he's ideal in such a hothead role. And wired Michael J. Fox provides a great foil. The whole thing works; the script's focused, the action's energetic and it always has that meta feel to it.
7/10 -
Theo Robertson18 July 2004THE HARD WAY was made at the tail end of the buddy flick phenomena . It uses the formula fairly well of having a street smart hardened cop who has seen everything and pairs him up with a partner who is the complete opposite . These type of movies aren`t so hit and miss but you do get the feeling that when you`ve seen one you`ve seen them all .
This movie is actually better than most down to the fact the two stars James Wood and Michael J Fox are two entirely different type of actors who suit there roles perfectly . It`s also a movie that doesn`t take itself or Hollywood seriously , check out the line about that little Scottish fella Henry the Fifth . Unfortunately the dialogue isn`t the greatest that`s ever been written for the screen with Woods tough cop spouting " Dammit " and " F**k " in equal measure . Take it from me that if someone curses with the F word they never EVER say " Dammit " and vice versa . Some people may also complain that THE HARD WAY is somewhat lightweight when compared to something like 48 HOURS and I suppose it is but there`s no real jarring in serious scenes and the more humourous ones unlike some buddy movies
THE HARD WAY isn`t a movie that`s going to change your life but it is entertaining , especially if you like James Woods or Michael J Fox -
=G=5 January 2002"The Hard Way" is a good old fashioned popcorn flick which gets off to a fast start and keeps moving until the credits roll. Fox plays an Indiana Jones type adventure movie star who goes to NYC to hang with a badass cop (Woods) to learn what being a cop is like and becomes embroiled in a serial killer caper. The well crafted, unpredictable screenplay is chock full of action, comedy, stunts, suspense, light drama, etc. with nary a dull moment to be found. Good not-to-be-taken-seriously Hollywood fun stuff worth a second look for those who saw it a decade ago.
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Scarecrow-887 September 2013Michael J Fox. What a star. I think you look back to The Hard Way and it makes you really hate the disease that takes away not just from him but us as comedy fans. So full of energy and vitality, a very physical actor, a gifted comedian; Michael J Fox made even the more routine of comedies (this one a take on the street police buddy action comedy so popular in the 80s) palatable. James Woods has always been a star. A "powerhouse" as Leonard Maltin likes to refer to Woods, he commands and impresses with that intensity and charisma at all times. Here, it was his chance to play a cop—a good one who is after an unstable, blond-haired, wicked-grinned Stephen Lang (he carved himself a niche for villainy of all sorts; the moment he shows up in Seagal's Fire Down Below you know he's no good, or his military hard-ass in Avatar) picking off "street criminals" (pimp, drug dealer, underground gun-maker)—tasked with the burden of shouldering a prima-donna diva action star, played by Fox. Fox is about to star in a film about a cop, and it is part of Fox's "method" to follow Woods, so he can get down the mannerisms, speech, and personality of the real deal. Woods, of course, would rather focus on catching a killer on the street, not carrying around a egotistical actor (obviously, Fox is too likable and endearing to be as annoying and grating as real ego-rich Hollywood stars) hoping to hone his craft by following close to the hip of an authentic streetwise detective. So that's the film in a nutshell. Toss in a hot Annabella Sciorra as Woods' romantic interest (she was in EVERYTHING at this time in the early 90s), Delroy Lindo as Woods' boss (and Fox supporter), and plenty of shootouts, explosions, and car destruction (Guess what? Yep, you, got it; a fruit stand is barreled through and a cop car takes a couple flips!), The Hard Way has plenty to offer those with an affinity for action buddy comedies that involve two totally different guys, such polar opposites, eventually coming together to stop a killer.
Memorable moments include Fox awakening to find himself handcuffed to a bed (with Woods leaving behind a sign to mock him), Woods staging a faux "accidental murder" to frighten Fox away (going so far as to use a cop portraying an innocent bystander shot by Fox in a staged "collateral damage" ruse!), Fox exchanging gunfire with a hood (running with two other punks) in a subway station (with Woods coming to the rescue), and the climactic billboard sign overlooking the city scene where Lang is responsible for Sciorra hanging for dear life from a giant cigarette, Woods having to grab hold to the bill of a hat (granted it's a HUGE hat), and Fox grabbing hold to his own eye (granted this eye is slightly larger) with a rope he swings across his face (granted okay, you get the picture) to rescue Sciorra before her cigarette snaps into. Fox gives us the expected laughs, but Woods isn't too shabby as the straight part of the act, his frustrations and aggravation at enduring such a tag-along leading to some fun moments, too. Woods has always been a phenomenal heavy, but this proves he can take on the part of one of the good guys...I really liked this one scene where Woods calls out Sciorra for the old argument of "I don't want to attach myself to the man who may never come home" by retorting, "We are always the one, though, depended upon with the bad goes down." Fox and Woods have some solid chemistry, which certainly doesn't hurt. Lang plays the part of the colorful lunatic (the one you would see mocked in "Last Action Hero"), with no restraint. -
When I saw this, I didn't expect much from it. However, it turned out to be just great - it just happened so to press all the right buttons!
Michael J. Fox plays a PG-movie star (think Brendan Fraser) who wants to star in a serious cop flick. For this, he tags along with a real cop for a few days. But the real cop assigned to baby-sit him isn't exactly a fan of his, instead, he sees the wimsy character of Fox as a leech in his balls. This may sound like just any other buddy-movie "yea, they don't match from the starters but in the end, learn to get along", but give this little movie a chance, because: As bold as the casting, at least for what it comes to Fox, may sound, the chemistry really works here- you can almost see the sparks flying between the stars! Woods gives a powerhouse performance as a very "Dirty Harry" - like cop almost on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of his BS assignment. Fox is surprisingly good as his counter-part. And the directing is the usual good Badham- stuff, where a good action -comedy is spiced up with a little bad language and violent themes. I just don't understand how come he nowadays seems to have lost his touch? The man who did this and "Stakeout"? Even "Another stakeout" had it's moments... -
hitchcockthelegend23 May 2020The Hard Way is directed by John Badham and collectively written by Lem Dobbs, Michael Kozoll and Daniel Pyne. It stars James Woods, Michael J. Fox, Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzman, LL Cool J and Delroy Lindo. Music is by Arthur B. Rubinstein and cinematography is by Don McAlpine and Robert Primes.
An action movie star researching a role is allowed to tag along with a hardboiled New York City policeman, who is less than enamoured with his company as he looks to stop the serial killer known as "The Party Crasher".
Given John Badham's CV, The Hard Way looked to be right up his street, his career containing solid if unspectacular buddy buddy action comedy pictures. This is just above average thanks to the Woods and Fox pairing and some nifty dialogue one liners. The concept of a Hollywood star tagging along with a grizzled real copper is smart, but the pic ends up over stuffed, even if the action and comedy - courtesy of some high energy set-pieces - rewards enough to stop tedium setting in.
Lang's maniacal villain is over the top, though he seems to be enjoying himself, while such is the brisk pace for the most part, when it sags into its quieter periods it strains the patience - the blend uneasy. Yet the finale rewards on basic action terms, with suspense intact, to ultimately give us a just above average pic of its type. 6/10 -
mlyonsfl16 August 2020A unique spin on cop-buddy Movies has a pampered movie star (Michael J. Fox) researching a role by spending time with a grizzled NY City cop (James Woods). A little cartoonish and frenetic at times, but there's great chemistry between the stars and some nice one-liners that makes this hard not to like.
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Hey_Sweden5 August 2013The buddy-cop action movie certainly has been a staple in cinema for a while now. And the makers of this film know that the success lies in a successful clash of well-defined personalities. That's the appeal of this long, loud, silly, over the top, but very fun slick picture from mainstream action specialist John Badham ("Stakeout", etc.). It's got some hilarious lines (the script is by Daniel Pyne and Lem Dobbs, based on a story by Dobbs and Michael Kozoll) perfectly delivered by its well cast stars.
James Woods is John Moss, a hard charging, volatile NYC detective hot on the trail of utterly deranged serial killer The Party Crasher (Stephen Lang), who kills innocent children and lowlife criminals with equal fervor. The already ill-tempered Moss has his patience tested even further when he's ordered to chaperone a spoiled-brat Hollywood star, Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox), who wants to do research for a role he covets and has decided that Moss will provide the perfect inspiration.
The high strung Woods and the endearingly annoying Fox are an ideal pairing; they're both perfectly cast. They're supported by a rich lineup of top character players. Annabella Sciorra is absolutely lovely as Moss' frustrated potential girlfriend. Lang is a riot as the unhinged villain; wait until you get a load of the kinds of things he does. Delroy Lindo is Moss' starstruck boss, and Luis Guzman, LL Cool J, Mary Mara and John Capodice play his colleagues. A young Christina Ricci is amusing as Sciorra's daughter. Penny Marshall has a fun cameo as Langs' agent.
As Nick notices, Moss is a very quotable guy, such as when he's lecturing the naive Nick on what being a *real* cop is like. "We don't get 17 takes to get it right!" But it's also a hoot to see a pampered, naive person like Nick get plunged into the realities of life on the streets of NYC. Another of the highlights is when Nick insists on playing the part of Susan as he attempts to tell Moss what he's doing wrong with his lady.
It all culminates in one of those great movie moments where our heroes are doing battle with the psycho on an enormous replication of Nick's head and hand, created to advertise his latest film vehicle.
Highly recommended to action-comedy fans.
Eight out of 10. -
silversurfer_umit12 September 2006Very entertaining movie, M.J. Fox is great, very good actor, he makes the movie very funny and sympathetic.
Also a good scenario for a comedy movie but there are also lots of action scenes and some good quotes that makes you laugh.
There is only one scene that annoying is the one M.J. Fox act as Wood's girlfriend and wants from him to say something. Wood's acting was terrible in here and time passed very slow for me but in the other parts of the movie he was good enough.
Final of the movie was also very good and thrilling. I gave seven out of ten. -
poolandrews16 May 2010The Hard Way is set in New York where detective John Moss (James Woods) is on the case of a ruthless killer nicknamed the Party Crasher (Stephen Lang) who taunts police as shoots people dead, he phones the police & invites them to watch as he kills people. While chasing the Party Crasher detective Moss is injured & his boss Captain Brix (Delroy Lindo) takes him off the case in order to babysit rich Hollywood action film star Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox) who is researching a role as a cop poses as Moss' new partner, Moss is horrified at having Lang follow him around as he won't let the Party Crasher case go & drags Lang into it...
Directed by John Badham this action comedy thriller is the second Badham flick I have seen in the space of twenty four hours, I didn't plan it that way but the other was Blue Thunder (1983) & having watched both for the first time I am struck that while they are both decent enough action thrillers neither are particularly great & both feel rather routine. Here in The Hard Way we have the whole mismatched cop partners scenario with average results, a popular but over-crowed genre at the time there are better examples that spring to mind such as Lethal Weapon (1987), Red Heat (1988) & Tango & Cash (1989) to name but three. The difference fans of the film will point to is that Lang is an action film star but for all intents & purposes The Hard Way plays out like a straight cop thriller with little in the way of depth. The two main character's of Moss & Lang are great & equally great performances by Woods & Fox carry the lightweight script & it's them who make this as watchable as it is, the interplay between the two is funny at times & the gradual warming of the character's towards each other works pretty well. However beyond a spirited couple of leads The Hard Way is routine & clichéd, there's the grumpy police captain, the bad guy with a personal vendetta against the hero, the veteran cop & his rookie partner, a love interest & a final confrontation to the death. The Hard Way is also very predictable in the way it unfolds, at over 110 minutes it's maybe a little long, Moss or any other NYPD cop doesn't seem to do any real police-work other than what he wants & the Party Crasher is given virtually no background or motivation other than the excuse he was killing criminals which gets explored with all of one line of dialogue.
There are some funny moments here for sure but maybe not quite enough, Moss screeching through New York shouting profanity as everyone around him or the one to one in a bar with Lang where he pretends to be Moss' girlfriend is also a highlight but beyond the energy & goodwill brought to the film by the two leads (both character's & actor's) there's just not that much here as any sort of plot takes a back seat. While not particularly violent The Hard Way is full of profanity so if you have sensitive ears in that regard be prepared. The action is pretty good but there's not enough of it, there's a couple of car chases & stunts, an explosion at a petrol pump & the final confrontation above Times Square in New York which looks impressive but lacks excitement. Apparently James Woods had his own hairdresser on set at a cost of $6000 a week.
Flopping at the box-office I would suggest the buddy buddy cop film had lost it's appeal somewhat & The Hard Way is a fairly routine example anyway. This has that big budget Hollywood look about it & looks nice enough. The acting by the two leads is great with the always excellent James Woods taking first prize, Fox is very good too while rapper LL Cool J has a small role as a cop.
The Hard Way is a standard mismatched cop action thriller that is made watchable by great performances by it's leading actor's & some pretty funny moments & one-liners but story-wise this is less than average & there's certainly not enough plot here to fill 110 minutes. -
Wildly violent, but hilarious comedy about a showboat-like Hollywood action star (Michael J. Fox) who in order to prepare for his next film, comes to the Big Apple and tags along with a hard-boiled police detective (James Woods) who is desperately determined to nab a notorious killer dubbed "The Party Crasher" (Stephen Lang) despite nearly getting himself killed in the process. Fox and Woods certainly make an interesting comedy team. There's no way that this movie could without the presence of a seriously funny actor like Woods to be included in the film. The film has a few great moments including one where the Woods character impolitely asks the captain (Delroy Lindo) to get the Fox character off his back and the film's climax is exciting and makes a great reference to "North by Northwest". It's the "The Odd Couple" meets "Dirty Harry" head-on.
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the red duchess22 December 2000This film works as well as it does because it concentrates not on its one-joke hero, but on James Woods, who gives another startling and complex character study in a film that doesn't really deserve it, as a fascistic cop in the 'Lethal Weapon'-mode, whose petty corruption never makes life easy for himself, and who is as anti-social as the killer he seeks. Badham cleverly contrasts the chaotic, pulsating mass of New York with this symbol of order, the cop, and asks which is the more disruptive.
The final third falls apart, trying to tie up a plot that has long since served its purpose, but the observations on acting, on role-playing in life as well as on screen are properly worked out. The film is a lot of fun, always about to burst into violence - I loved most the gender-playing bar scene with Lang pretending to be Susan; and the subway hold-up, with farce turning into terror, Moss freezing the thug with his cobra eyes. -
philip_vanderveken22 December 2004The Hard Way is a typical buddy cop movie. Normally you would see a black and a white cop, but this time it's a real cop with an actor who wants to be one...
Michael J. Fox is Nick Lang, an actor who normally only plays in action movies. This time however he wants to make a cop movie and he knows exactly what his character should look like. Detective Lt. John Moss from the NYPD is his role model, but to become even more like him, Lang wants to hang out with Moss so he can feel what the real police work is like. Of course Moss hates him and tries to get rid of him, but in the end they will end up like the best friends.
I'm sure that this kind of movies has its fans, but it just can't convince me anymore. In my opinion they were trying too hard to make it look funny. I really respect Michael J. Fox' work, but I'm afraid he missed completely with this one. I really can't say that I found him very funny at least once. James Woods wasn't too bad, even though I found his character much too stereotypical. He reminded me of Dirty Harry. It's the same kind of macho cop that loves too shoot and swear a little bit too often.
I'm glad that I saw the movie, but I'm sure that I'll never watch it ever again. It just isn't my kind of movie, but I'm sure that a lot of people will love it. I give it a 5/10. -
Petey-1013 September 1999The Hard Way is a great action comedy, but totally underrated. In this film Michael J. Fox plays an action actor Nick Lang, who wants in his next film play the New York cop John Moss, played by James Woods.So Nick spends some time with Moss, like lives in the same apartment with him.Moss doesn't like this at all, he's not such a big fan of Lang.And then there is also a bad guy, played by Stephen Lang.So there are two problems that Moss has to get rid of.And John has a girlfriend Susan, who is played by Annabella Sciorra.And John's having some problems with her too.But everything turns out fine with Moss, Lang and Susan, but not so fine with the crook. This was a great film with great actors.Michael J. Fox was great as usual and it was nice to see James Woods in a comedy.It would be nice to see a sequel for this, but the movie wasn't so successful as it should have been, so maybe not then.
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CuriosityKilledShawn21 March 2020This was my introduction to James Woods. I was 11 years old when I rented the VHS tape (in brutal pan and scan) and it felt grown-up to watch Michael J. Fox in an adult comedy dropping F-bombs, but I remember being more taken aback by Woods' fast-talking verbosity and heart-warming arrogance, a trait that has become his trademark over the years. Strange how in the 28-ish years since my first viewing I remembered so many lines of dialogue. I can't think of any other movie that has had that effect on me.
Fox plays Nick Lang, a Hollywood big-shot who is facing a crisis of confidence and desperately wants to shadow John Moss, a hard-bitten New York detective to research his potential next big movie. Moss is outraged by the idea, however his boss is a huge Nick Lang fan and forces them to work together to crack a case involving the maniacal "Party Crasher" (Stephen Lang, that name again, long before his iconic role in Avatar), a psycho assassin who is systematically wiping out drug dealers at night clubs across the city. As with John Badham's previous movie Stakeout, the tone alternates between dark and comedic without every fully committing to both, instead playing it safe in the middle while occasionally glancing in each direction.
Fox and Woods have excellent chemistry, as their names would suggest, and the dialogue spars between them have perfect fluidity. Fox riffs on his naive but good-natured Marty McFly persona while Woods masks his self-loathing with hard-earned intellectual superiority over everyone else (the man has an IQ of 180, don't ya know). I do wish that the script could have been developed a bit more, alternating and reversing their roles as they imprint on each other and make each other better people. It's there, but as I said, they only superficially build on this.
When I was a kid I had a huge crush on Christina Ricci and suffered the dreadful 1991 Addams Family movie just to see her. She has a small role here as the 10-year-old daughter of Moss's girlfriend who seems wise beyond her years, but she too is underused and not developed.
Of all the buddy/cop movies that came out in this era The Hard Way seems to have fallen by the wayside in the shadow of Lethal Weapon and much lesser comedies such as Rush Hour. If only the script had been allowed to push just two steps further it could have been a legit classic, but is merely an amusing, if well-staged, action comedy with plenty of in-jokes and mild satire.
John Badham, like John Carpenter, prefers his movies to be shot in anamorphic Panavision (the notable exception being Stakeout, ironically his best-looking film) and after suffering many years of horrible pan-and-scan home video releases The Hard Way is finally presented on Blu-ray in 2.35:1 1080p. Shot by veteran cinematographer Donald P. McAlpine, famous for his iconic work on Predator, the movie looks slick and very high-key but there is some noticable print damage in the form of stress lines in some shots. Obviously, Universal did not master their Blu-ray from the OCN but it's still a decent-looking transfer nonetheless and likely the best transfer they are willing to give it. -
richspenc13 April 2017I tried a frog dog once. It wasn't from a place that sold them as such though, I bought the hot dog and fries separately and then mixed them and added the ketchup and mustard just like Moss did. OK, but messy. The scene where they're eating the frog dogs (with little frog croaking sounds being heard) must've taken numerous takes for them to have gotten it right without making the biggest mess. When I ate mine, it took me 17 takes to get it right, just kidding (those who seen the movie got that). I actually didn't care too much for Nick Lang (Michael J Fox) at the start of the film with him acting so bratty and spoiled at his Hollywood mansion to where it was hard to watch him. He then makes a quick transition to little suck up when he latches himself on to Moss (James Woods) at the New York police station. Part of me understands Moss' annoyance. I like the scene with Moss protesting his having to be with Lang ("not if you tied my tongue to your tailpipe and drove me 80 miles an hour naked across a field of broken glass!!"). And for some reason Moss' boss thinks Lang is the greatest (it almost looked like for a moment Moss' boss was gonna side with Moss with the "cheese ball" comment, but then quickly jumped back to loving Lang). I like when Moss sarcastically says "yes sir!" when he sees that his boss is going as far as to wearing a Nick Lang t shirt. The party crasher is a nice touch for the killer that Moss is after, a villain who does his killings at nightclubs and who likes challenges so much that he'll invite the police first to watch his next killing, and then he'll still end up getting away. Moss doesn't want to be taken off the party crasher case, especially to deal with an annoying a** kisser who is practically in love with him. I like the scene where Moss is crying to a (possible accomplice to the crasher) gun dealer about how he wants to get rid of Lang, and I liked the smart*** comments he made to the dealer's fat body guard ("you may wanna try skipping a meal sometimes, somewhere there's a small country going hungry"). I also liked the setup that Moss and his buddies from the station created in order to try to get rid of Lang (since Lang so badly wanted to know what it felt like to have killed an innocent bystander thought to have been a criminal, and then when Lang samples the feeling he quickly changed his mind about wanting it). Lang was just such a wannabe punk badass to where he was so ready to jump into crazy situations without even half reflecting what they really meant. All just to get a role in a movie that didn't have a g*****m roman numeral in the title. Just the way Lang looked at the whole thing like an exciting game (just look at the look on Lang's face the first time he pulls a badge out in front of some bad guys and says "NYPD", like a kid in a candy store). I liked the potential girlfriend of Moss (Annabelle Sciorra) who at one point actually believes Lang is a better cop than Moss (good thing she never saw his rubber gun. Lol). Also amusing is a scene in Moss' apartment when Lang, grossly against Moss' will, goes to stay with him (who initially says over the idea of Lang staying with him "maybe when my ***hole learns to chew gum"). Lang sees his billboard across the street, then is told by Moss "good, you'll be sleeping close to the one you love". The way Lang is so attached to and so fond of Moss, to where he tells him things like "I've counted, you have 17 different facial expressions" and "you're the greatest, you're a heavyweight, you're the "Yoda" among cops". I mean would you want someone you never previously met gluing themselves on to you and telling you those things? Even if they were doing it for a movie role? I still like some of Moss' lines, such as his comments to a reporter about the party crasher, "when his luck runs out, I'm gonna be on him like a bum on a bologna sandwich". And Moss'l to Lang "we live this job. It's something we are, not something we do. Whenever we pull someone over, we know we may have to kill someone, or be killed ourselves". Moss' lieutenant position on the force though never shows any signs of him ever doing any traffic duty and pulling anyone over. Still it was a good, interesting movie overall.
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WalkdenEntertainment15 November 2018John Moss (James Woods) is a rough cop on a case to hunt down a killer in New York City known as "The Party Crasher". John conducts a rude interview on national television which is seen by one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood, Nick Lang (Michael J Fox). Nick is inspired to know the real John Moss and he wants to know everything about being a real cop so he can perfect his next performance in an action role on screen.
Nick gets to go undercover, working side by side with the toughest cop in New York City. Needless to say John Moss (James Woods) is not happy about being forced to have a partner who is really an actor and pretending to be a cop. John must play nice with his new partner while trying to catch one of New York's dangerous criminals.
I choose to review this film because it's one of my guilty pleasure from the 90's. I still remember watching this film on VHS with my family for the 1st time when it came out and we were all laughing at the witty (and yes, some crude) dialogue delivered by both James Woods & Michael J Fox.
Needless to say the best part of this film is the back and forth dialogue that was well written and well delivered between both James Woods and Michael J Fox. I personally love the chemistry that is shown between the two actors. It's fun to see how they not only help each with their work but also assist each other with their personal lives.
As Nick (Michael J Fox) is an actor, the film also makes great jokes about how actors are spoilt brats and Nick in selected moments resembles a puppy dog, whereas John (James Woods) doesn't fear death and is one seriously angry man. In case you haven't got the message, these two are a perfect balance for a comedy duo.
While the leads are the biggest strength, the villain is an odd one. The villain here in a nut shell is purely a crazy man. As a villain, he's very light in the dialogue department and comes across as a dangerous crazy man rather than a big villain who should be feared. The actor who plays "The Party Crasher" ended being more successful later in his career when he returning to playing the main villain in 2009 Avatar (Stephen Lang).
Overall, I'm sharing this review because it's one of my favourite buddy/ cop style film from the 90's. To this day, I've never been disappointed by the strength and the humorous chemistry that is shown by both James Wood and Michael J Fox. The villain is the weaker part of the film but thankfully he's given little screen time. If this is a film you've missed and you've never it, perhaps give it a go as I personally enjoy it and have no problems to recommend it. Watch it if you enjoy films such as "Rush Hour".
6.8/10 Walkden Entertainment -
WalkdenEntertainment10 January 2019John Moss (James Woods) is a rough cop on a case to hunt down a killer in New York City known as "The Party Crasher". John conducts a rude interview on national television which is seen by one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood, Nick Lang (Michael J Fox). Nick is inspired to know the real John Moss and he wants to know everything about being a real cop so he can perfect his next performance in an action role on screen.
Nick gets to go undercover, working side by side with the toughest cop in New York City. Needless to say John Moss (James Woods) is not happy about being forced to have a partner who is really an actor and pretending to be a cop. John must play nice with his new partner while trying to catch one of New York's dangerous criminals.
I choose to review this film because it's one of my guilty pleasure from the 90's. I still remember watching this film on VHS with my family for the 1st time when it came out and we were all laughing at the witty (and yes, some crude) dialogue delivered by both James Woods & Michael J Fox.
Needless to say the best part of this film is the back and forth dialogue that was well written and well delivered between both James Woods and Michael J Fox. I personally love the chemistry that is shown between the two actors. It's fun to see how they not only help each with their work but also assist each other with their personal lives.
As Nick (Michael J Fox) is an actor, the film also makes great jokes about how actors are spoilt brats and Nick in selected moments resembles a puppy dog, whereas John (James Woods) doesn't fear death and is one seriously angry man. In case you haven't got the message, these two are a perfect balance for a comedy duo.
While the leads are the biggest strength, the villain is an odd one. The villain here in a nut shell is purely a crazy man. As a villain, he's very light in the dialogue department and comes across as a dangerous crazy man rather than a big villain who should be feared. The actor who plays "The Party Crasher" ended being more successful later in his career when he returning to playing the main villain in 2009 Avatar (Stephen Lang).
Overall, I'm sharing this review because it's one of my favourite buddy/ cop style film from the 90's. To this day, I've never been disappointed by the strength and the humorous chemistry that is shown by both James Wood and Michael J Fox. The villain is the weaker part of the film but thankfully he's given little screen time. If this is a film you've missed and you've never it, perhaps give it a go as I personally enjoy it and have no problems to recommend it. Watch it if you enjoy films such as "Rush Hour".
6.9/10 Walkden Entertainment -
MovieAddict20166 December 2002"The Hard Way" stars Michael J. Fox as Nick Lang/Ray Casanov -- a big-time film star who is good-natured and eager to follow around real-life Detective Lt. John Moss, NYPD, played by James Woods.
When I first saw previews for this film, I thought I knew what it would be: another clichéd film, involving a snobby film star getting teamed with a cop who hates him. I was wrong.
This film, in a way, blew me out of the water, because when I viewed the film I realized that Michael J. Fox's character was not snobby, nor ignorant. He was more-or-less run by Hollywood, instead of vice versa. He is what you would call, simply put, innocent. Not in a holy context like we are used to when we hear that word in films these days, but almost like an innocent child. He really can't wait to watch, hear and learn from John Moss. Granted, he does usually mess up Moss' assignments, but not from ignorance or not caring. He messes up the assignments trying to help Woods and learn
Woods, on the other hand, is partly what I expected, yet better. He fits into his character perfectly and plays it with such sickness towards Fox's character, that you sometimes feel like yelling at the guy for being such a jerk. I have always liked James Woods' performances in films. He just fits into his certain 'trademark' characters.
Unfortunately, the end of the film seems to stain the rest of the film's surprises, and slip into our average cop-buddy comedy, with a ridiculous climax. Luckily the very, very end of the film is slightly predictable, but Woods' outlook on Fox, while he respects him more, still hasn't changed a whole lot. He still doesn't really like the guy as a friend, but almost puts up with him because of what he did for Woods. It's a bit hard to explain, especially without throwing away the ending, but when you see it, you'll understand.
So, with that in mind, the very end of the film redeems the short five minutes or so of Hollywood cop-buddy film clichés.
'The Hard Way' was a major surprise for me, and turned out to be a very enjoyable comedy. I wouldn't really classify it in the 'cop-buddy' genre. It's too unpredictable (to a certain degree) and enjoyable. -
emuller-3572013 April 2020This is quite an enjoyable action-comedy.The combination of James Woods and Michael J. Fox works well.Absolutely worth watching.
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ungdomligast28 May 2021It happens Quite often that I give movies a chance that I wasn't eager to see when they were new. And somehow it has aged really well. Back in my youth a movie based on a Tom Clancy-novel seemed like any other thriller and a skipped it without giving it much thought. But now I discover that a lot of those movies that didn't seem very original have a great quality to them. It has come to a point where I started to worry that I'm just a sucker for nostalgia.
But then I see The hard way. Actors that I really like. A director who has surely done good movies. But boy did it fail. I guess one could make something fun out of the premise. But in the end it a was mostly irritated that James Woods "real cop" was the most cliché movie cop I have ever seen. -
kairingler28 December 2013One of my favorite movies of all time,, this one has everything for me,James Woods, steals the show, with all of his wise- cracking, one liners,, Michael J. Fox wasn't bad either,, LL COOL J is in it,, along with Delroy Lindo in supporting roles,, this movie is about an actor who wants to play a cop in one of his upcoming movies,, so he is assigned to do a ride along program with one of new York's toughest detectives,, all the while that this is happening,, there is a crime spree going in,, this crime has a name and it is the PartyCrasher, this villain, is really heinous, vile , and disgusting,, perfect for NYC. all in all I can't remember a funnier cop movie in quite awhile,, I really coulnt' find anything wrong with this movie at all,, would recommend to anyone who likes to laugh.
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view_and_review26 March 2020John Moss (James Woods) is a New York City detective after a killer named Party Crasher (Stephen Lang), so named because he goes to nightclubs and parties and kills people. It's in the middle of this investigation that Moss is saddled with Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox), actor extraordinaire wanting to land a major cop role so he wants to ride along with Moss.
Moss is a miserable SOB and a walking cliché of a cop. He's divorced, angry, extremely reckless, and never does what he's told. Lang is a walking cliché of an actor: privileged, pampered, and clueless. Their partnership is humorous and delivers a few laughs. Even though the movie was good, if you strip away the element of Lang being an actor, then you have a typical cop movie with yin and yang partners who have to get along. -
GrantCAGE28 April 2001I like Michael J Fox as an actor and was attracted to check out this movie were he co-stars with James Woods. The plot in this movie has been done a hundred times before, but some parts are fun, if predictable. I must say that this movie is depressingly dull and dismally filmed, and that sort of puts you off from the start, but if you bare with it you'll have a laugh at parts later on. The two guys (Fox and Woods) are desperately on the trail of the 'party pooper' murderer. I personally don't think that the jokes come off too well, again because of the colouring throughout the film. There's also the romantic interest (surprise surprise) with Annabella Scorria who's quite good throughout the movie. You don't have to be a genius to work out the ending of the film, needless to say everyone lives happily ever after. My final thought on this movie is that I think if the screenplay had been brighter and the funny parts more prominant in the movie, it would have made the movie a lot more enjoyable to watch. Instead of that, i'm afraid that this is just another average cop comedy.