Rating of
2.5/4
Fox/Woods carries a fair buddy film
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/02/08
"Nick Lang" (Michael J. Fox) is a spoiled actor best known for an action role. He has grown up in front of the camera, and thinks that he won't ever be taken seriously in Hollywood unless he does a "mature" role. Against his agent's (Penny Marshall in a cameo) advice, he competes for an upcoming cop role against Mel Gibson (who is only mentioned in the movie).
As he is watching one of his televisions, he sees a news story about a New York City serial killer nicknamed "The Party Crasher" (Stephen Lang) featuring an on-scene interview with foul-mouthed NYPD "Detective Lt. John Moss" (James Wood). "Lang" immediately becomes fascinated with the police detective and states that is the way he needs to play the character he is competing against Gibson for and tells his agent to make arrangements for him to go to New York City to tail "Moss."
A few days later, "Moss" learns that he is being pulled off the "Party Crasher" case, which he was on since the beginning, and given a new partner named "Ray Casanov" who everybody says looks exactly like "Lang" -- only shorter. The thing is, "Casanov" is actually "Lang" with his hair cut and dyed brown (Fox's actual hair color. He is seen with longer and dyed blonde hair when we first meet "Lang") and, until "Moss" pulls it off, a fake moustache.
At first, the actor is a major annoyance to "Moss." And he is not happy that he has been pulled off the serial killer case to "babysit" an actor. To make things worse, "Lang" shacks up with him and injects himself into "Moss'" private life to the point that he tries to help "Moss" make his current romance work.
This action/comedy is more comedy than action. In fact, the action side falls pretty flat. Lang is not great as "The Party Crasher", and neither is this part of the plot. The audience is not given a motive for the apparently random killings, but they are given a reason as to why the killer goes after one of the two main characters.
The supporting cast, except for two, appear to just be there and do very little for the story. Most of the supporting cast is mostly in the police precinct and isn't really shown unless they talk with "Moss" about the serial killings. Even former rap star, LL Cool J, who plays one of the NYPD on the serial killing case, is under used in the film.
Speaking of LL Cool J, his classic hit "Mama Said Knock You Out" is heard a few times in this movie. There is also at least one other recognizable song on the soundtrack.
Despite the flaws, Wood and Fox are enjoyable to watch as two dramatically different people who are thrust together. Out of everything, watching them makes this movie worth watching when you come across it on HBO.
