Andrew Davis is no auteur- but he’s a solid director putting together a string of excellent films starting with this in 1985, The Package in 1989 with Gene Hackman. Then in 1992 it is Under Siege and in 1993 The Fugitive.
Speaking of The Fugitive. This is also set in Chicago and has about half of the same ensemble cast playing the cops—if you’ve seen The Fugitive 10 times like I have you’ll recognize all the same faces
A brilliant 1980’s musical score by David Michael Frank—it feels like half Risky Business and half Fletch
A talented cast (once you forget about the untalented Norris)- Dennis Farina plays his partner, Henry Silva the heavy— John Mahoney is in there for 30 seconds—the guy from Home Alone who says “Keep the change you filthy animal” is in here
Sort of Dirty Harry (lone cop who won’t conform) meets Robocop (this is before Robocop) with the awful robot thing at the end that nearly ruins it meets French Connection with the drugs and long chase sequences. The actual drug bust/murder/kidnapping is one story line with Silva’s gang vs. Norris, but there’s a dirty cop “code of silence” storyline as well- both well done
Location is huge. Love the Old Style beer bar signs.
A great little vignette (no relation to the rest of the film) about some criminals trying to rob a cop bar
The film is strongest with the long chases through the streets of Chicago to the score—weakest when Norris is talking or the robot shootout orgy finale
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