The Hard Way (1991)

• Year: 1991
• Released: 08 Mar 1991
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 1 nomination
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102004/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hard_way
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-hard-way
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
• Runtime: 111 min
• Writer: Lem Dobbs, Michael Kozoll, Daniel Pyne
• Director: John Badham
• Cast: Michael J. Fox, James Woods, Stephen Lang
• Keywords: police, detective, manhattan, new york city, buddy cop, undercover agent,

	6.3/10
	75% – Audience

The Hard Way Storyline

Michael J. Fox and James Woods star in this thrilling action-adventure comedy from director John Badham. Nick Lang (Fox) is a popular movie star who desperately wants to break out of his “nice guy” screen image. Believing he’ll land a role as a tough homicide detective if he can hang out with the real thing, Lang leaves Hollywood to spend a few weeks on the streets of New York with detective John Moss (Woods). A gritty no-nonsense cop on the trail of a ruthless serial killer, the last thing Moss needs is an annoying sidekick. But his boss–a fan of Nick Lang’s movies–insists, and Moss must find ways to get out of his hair while pursuing the murderer. In nonstop action and laughs that lead to a breathtaking showdown in Times Square as Lang and Moss finally learn to get along… the hard way.

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The Hard Way Movie Reviews

An impossible role

I feel a bit bad for Michael J. Fox in this film. The Hard Way casts him as an action hero star who has enough clout to get himself assigned to a New York City precinct and a real detective James Woods who is out trying to catch a very brazen serial killer. It’s for a future role in a film and Fox attaches himself to Woods like a carbuncle and Woods spends the entire film almost to the end trying to get rid of him or at least keep him in place.

Woods is hunting Stephen Lang a killer known as the Party Crasher who goes to public events and shoots someone after calling the police and announcing there where and when. Lang gives an outstanding, no holds barred, totally overacted performance that is the height of the movie.

The problem is that you can’t have a real action star like a Harrison Ford, or a Jean Claude Van Damme in the part because they do look like they know what they’re doing. But Marty McFly or Alex P. Keaton as action star. Turn that one over in your mind.

A couple nice female roles are in this one for Annabella Sciorra as Woods’s girlfriend who thinks Fox is just a cop who looks like that action hero film star and Penny Marshall, Fox’s agent who is on the job 24/7.

I’m not sure anyone could have filled the role properly. Fox tries, but it’s just not believable.

both guys are dialed up to 11

Lt. John Moss (James Woods) is an aggressive hard-nosed NYPD detective. His partner is Benny Pooley (Luis Guzmán) and his suffering girlfriend is Susan (Annabella Sciorra). He’s after the crazy gunman Party Crasher (Stephen Lang). Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox) is a famous actor known for being action hero Joe Gunn. He is tired of doing the same thing again and wants to ride along with Moss. Captain Brix (Delroy Lindo) takes him off the case despite Moss’s objections. Moss continues to investigate anyways even with the hyper pushy Lang tagging along.

This is a buddy comedy where for the most part, the buddies don’t get along. Woods is dialed up to 11 with his fast talking wild hard cop type. Fox is dialed up to 11 with his fast talking whiny Hollywood actor type. It may be better if either one could play the straight man in this duo. I like Woods’ character more than Fox’s. They’re good for small doses but for the full movie, they wear out their welcome. The crazy killer, the gangs, the ghetto and the rest are all very fake. It’s a fine movie to see these two actors act up a storm to get a laugh. I find that they annoyed me a little more than amused me.

The Hard Way

From director John Badham (Saturday Night Fever), I was mainly attracted by it being a crime film with some good stars in it, so I decided to try it. Basically well-known actor Nick Lang (Michael J. Fox) is a after a role as a cop for a new movie, and to get motivation and inspiration for his character he decides to spend a fortnight with tough NYPD Detective Lt. John Moss (James Woods). The only problem is that Moss hates seeing him nearly everywhere he goes, and he is trying to concentrate more on catching a cold-blooded serial killer, the Party Crasher (Stephen Lang). So Lang, under the name Ray Casanov, is for a while cramping Moss’s style, but they do slowly help each other out, Moss with Lang’s character development (sort of), and Lang with following clues to catch the killer. Also starring The Hand That Rocks the Cradle’s Annabella Sciorra as Susan, Delroy Lindo as NYPD Captain Brix, Luis Guzmán as NYPD Detective Benny Pooley, Mary Mara as NYPD Detective China, LL Cool J as NYPD Detective Billy, John Capodice as NYPD Detective Grainy, Christina Ricci as Bonnie, Big director Penny Marshall as Angie – Nick’s Agent, Kathy Najimy as Lang’s Girl Friday, Mos Def as Dead Romeos and Night at the Museum’s Bill Cobbs as Raggedy Man. Woods and Fox make quite a good argumentative buddy duo, Lang is a good over-the-top villain, and there are a few good explosions and chases, so it is quite a worthwhile action comedy. Good!