– It’s nostalgic for us who grew up in the 80’s BUT it’s also a really great film.
– The music is killer: the Axel Foley theme song is iconic (and is played with variations [depending on the scene] throughout the entire movie), and the pop songs played throughout the movie are 80’s classics (Pointer Sisters, Patti LaBelle, Glenn Frey and Vanity? Yes, please).
– No one forgets Bronson Pinchot is in it, but how about Damon Wayans’ cameo, or Paul Reiser’s cop & even Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks as the main henchman?
– One of the very first “action comedies” ever made.
– The scene in the strip club is the definitive scene in the movie for one specific reason: it introduces us to the true power of Axel Foley. Everything that happens in the movie before this scene is him comedically talking his way through and out of situations. His character is smarter than everybody. But let’s deconstruct this scene: it starts out with him being funny, poking fun at the two cops who are assigned to escort him out of town. As he’s ordering drinks and having a good time, two suspicious looking individuals come into the club. This is where we get a glance at Axel Foley the COP. He quickly deduces their intentions and comes up with a plan to take down both men. Then there’s the final piece: Axel uses BOTH his wit and his physical cop training to take down the lead gunman and give the two accompanying cops the chance to restrain the other bad guy. Brilliant scenes like this not only define characters, but they also show us why the craft of filmmaking involves artfully constructing characters and scenes to give us, the audience, the best ride we can be on. It takes work, so don’t give in to lazy filmmaking.
– Final Letter Grade: A+
Jose Zuazua is editor-in-chief of Quick Lunch Break Reviews. He has an associates degree in film production. He’s on twitter (twitter.com/josezuazua) and instagram (instagram.com/josezuazua).
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