Movie Type: Action Thriller, Police Detective Film
Themes: Rogue Cops, Culture Clash, Drug Trade
Main Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross, Laurence Fishburne
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 106 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a taciturn law-enforcement officer from Russia. James Belushi co-stars as a wise-lipped Chicago cop. Though they go together like caviar and White Castles, they are forced to team up to collar the Soviet Union's most notorious drug lord. Thus does director Walter Hill recycle his 48 Hours formula for another unlikely star team. Unfortunately, Red Heat isn't half as enjoyable as the earlier film, owing to a lack of rapport between the two leading men and an overall lack of inspiration infecting the whole project. The one notable aspect of Red Heat is that it was the first commercial American film to stage scenes in Moscow's Red Square. Watch for Laurence Fishburne (still billed as "Larry") in a secondary role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Despite being a bit late to the game as far as '80s buddy flicks go, Red Heat is a solid comedic actioner helmed by the man who started the trend with 48 Hrs., Walter Hill. As a duo, Belushi and Schwarzenegger don't quite set the screen on fire, but their banter is fun as Arnold is made to repeat ridiculous American phrases for laughs, while Belushi hoots and hollers about coffee the whole time. Slick with style, the film benefits from some tense shoot-out scenes as well as a deliciously nasty villain in Ed O'Ross (who would team up with Hill again in the dreadful Another 48 Hrs.). Best known for Arnold's naked fight in the snow, the film finds the action star flexing his pecks once more through another wooden Terminator-like performance -- obviously aided here by his wild fashion stylings which include monstrous shoulder pads and out-of-control spiky hair, along with man-cake and eyeliner to top it all off. Gina Gershon, Peter Boyle, and Laurence Fishbourne join in for the ride, but it's all about the headlining star's almost-chemistry as they guide the film from one taut action scene to another. Red Heat didn't exactly put the end-all-be-all nail in the buddy cop genre, but it is a satisfying entry that delivers the goods by its bus-demolishing end. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Gina Gershon - Cat Manzetti; Richard Bright - Sgt. Gallagher; Brent Jennings - Abdul Elijah; Savely Kramarov - Gregor Moussorsky; Gene Scherer - Consul Stepanovich; Pruitt Taylor Vince - Night Clerk; J.W. Smith - Salim; Gretchen Palmer - Hooker; Geza Balkay - Col. Kulikov; Marjorie Bransfeld - Waitress; Roger Callard - Pytor Tatomovich; Luis Contreras - Lupo; Ed de Fusco - Police Photographer; Kurt Fuller - Detective; Michael Hagerty - Pat Nunn; Lew Hopson - Jamal; Brion James - Streak; Peter Jason - TV Announcer; Gabor Koncz - Vagran Rostavili; Sven Ole Thorsen - Nikolai; Jason Ronard - Nelligan; Oleg Vidov - Yuri Ogarkov; Gigi Vorgan - Audrey; Gloria Delaney - Intern; Janos Ban - Officer; Bruno Acalinas - Detective; Mike Adams - Railroad Engineer; Tengiz Borisoff - Josep Baroda; Istvan Etlenyi - Yegor; Atilla Fasi - Gangster; George Gati - Piano Player; Peter Kis - Gangster; Zsolt Kortvelyessy - Lt. Redetsky; Christopher Mankiewicz - Cop in Hospital; Eric Mansker - Ali; Peter Marikovsky - Waiter; William McConnell - Police Photographer; Gabor Nemeth - Gangster; Norbert Novenyi - Sacha; Bob O'Donnell - Newsie; Masanori Toguchi - Mongol Hippy; Istvan Vajas - Gangster; Joey D. Vieira - Man at Phone Booth; Christopher Anthony Young - Hooligan; Allan Graf - Prison Guard
Credit
Michael Corenblith - Art Director, Liva Kovats - Art Director, Ernst Wurzer - Art Director, Mae Woods - Associate Producer, Jackie Burch - Casting, Ginger Farley - Choreography, Mark Gomez - Choreography, Dan Moore - Costume Designer, James R. Dyer - First Assistant Director, Walter Hill - Director, Bennie E. Dobbins - Second Unit Director, Donn Aron - Editor, Freeman Davies, Jr. - Editor, Carmel Davies - Editor, Mario Kassar - Executive Producer, Andrew G. Vajna - Executive Producer, James Horner - Composer (Music Score), Acker Bilk - Songwriter, Cheese Mixin' Music - Songwriter, Robert Mellin - Songwriter, Mickey Oliver - Songwriter, Jeff Dawn - Makeup, Michael Germain - Makeup, Dirk Petersmann - Production Designer, John Vallone - Production Designer, Gordon Carroll - Producer, Walter Hill - Producer, Ernie Bishop - Set Designer, Nick Navarro - Set Designer, Richard Bryce Goodman - Sound/Sound Designer, Bennie E. Dobbins - Stunts Coordinator, Walter Hill - Screen Story, Walter Hill - Screenwriter, Harry Kleiner - Screenwriter, Troy Kennedy Martin - Screenwriter
This article is about the 1988 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. For the 1985 thriller film starring Linda Blair, see Red Heat (1985 film) . For the metalworking term, see Red heat.
The film was released with the taglineMoscow's toughest detective. Chicago's craziest cop. There's only one thing more dangerous than making them mad: making them partners. It was the first American film allowed to shoot in Moscow's Red Square.
Soviet Police Captain Ivan Danko sets a trap for Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross), a Georgian drug dealer and crime lord. The ambush severely backfires; Viktor flees the Soviet Union and comes to the USA, after gunning down several other Moscow cops...including Danko's partner.
Loudmouthed Chicago PD Detective-Sergeant Art Ridžić (James Belushi) investigates several local murders committed by Viktor's cartel. Suddenly he finds himself partnered with Danko, who has chased Viktor here from Moscow with the intention of capturing the crime baron alive. Danko is frustrated when his lack of a diplomatic license prohibits him from carrying a weapon. He shares his candid observations with Ridžić: "This Chicago is very strange city. Your crime is organized, but your police is not."
Danko and Ridžić pursue Viktor and his henchmen around Chicago. Finally, Danko and Viktor commandeer a couple of Greyhound buses, then engage in a high-speed chase...until Viktor is side-slammed by a train. He takes on Danko in a running, Texas-style shootout (Danko uses a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum given to him by Ridžić); Viktor is gunned down. Danko returns to Moscow after exchanging wristwatches with Ridžić as an act of goodwill.
Sven-Ole Thorsen as Nikolai, the Russian Danko fights in the snow
Trivia
Schwarzenegger was paid a salary of $8 million for his role in the film.[1]
The prison scene was shot about 45 miles outside of Chicago at the Joliet State Prison. The actors were asked by the wardens to not wear jeans, so that the wardens could identify the actors during a possible shoot-out.
The French title of Red Heat is Double Détente, a pun referring to the Soviet-American détente of the 1970s.
This film was set and filmed during the Cold War, evidenced by the Chicago Police's distrust of Capt. Danko due to his alliance and nationality, as well as Danko's lack of diplomatic license to carry his Russian-made weapon.
