red heat movie review

“Red Heat” is not the first movie about a couple of very different cops, and it will not be the last, but as the formula goes this is a superior example. It’s an action picture with a sense of humor and slyly comic performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi , and after the awful police teamwork of Sean Connery and Mark Harmon in last week’s “ The Presidio ,” it’s an example of slick professionalism.

Hollywood calls movies like this “high concept” pictures, because you can summarize the plot in a few words, and the words could go like this: Schwarzenegger plays a tough Russian cop who follows a criminal to Chicago and teams up with Belushi as a Chicago slob who knows more about clout than glasnost. Take that line and you have the movie. All you have to do is plug in a plot and some shoot-outs and chase scenes.

The man who directed and co-wrote “Red Heat” is Walter Hill , and he is a master at doing just that. Hill specializes in male buddy and action movies, and he more or less reinvented this genre with “48 Hours” and its pairing of Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy . One of the nice things about “Red Heat” is that it doesn’t rip off Hill’s earlier picture (not except for the basic concept, of course) and finds new things to say about an odd couple of law enforcement.

The Schwarzenegger character is a straight-arrow Russian cop, all business, muscular and tough. The Belushi character is the kind of cop who doesn’t believe in busting his buns every second of every day and who is capable of advising his Soviet comrade to lighten up. He is assigned to Schwarzenegger as sort of a guide and bodyguard, and together they stumble across the usual assortment of weirdos and conspiracies.

What actually happens in the plot is fairly unimportant in movies like this. Style is everything, and if there is a rapport between the two stars then everything else falls into place. “Red Heat” works because Schwarzenegger and Belushi are both basically comic actors.

Schwarzenegger’s whole career is based on his ability to see the humor in apparently hard-boiled situations. That doesn’t mean the actors stand around cracking one-liners, but that even the straight sequences are setups for later payoffs, and you get the quiet feeling that both actors are amused by the material.

The premise is that Schwarzenegger, nicknamed Iron Jaw, would rather die than bend, and that Belushi would rather bend than die.

Confronted with the capitalistic excesses of Chicago, Schwarzenegger has some conventional Russian criticisms, and Belushi responds with dialogue that often sounds ad-libbed, even if it’s not. The two of them both have to placate the hard-boiled chief of detectives ( Peter Boyle ), who issues stern warnings when they violate departmental procedure. At one point Belushi is actually taken off the case, although that, of course, doesn’t change any of his behavior. Boyle’s role is the thankless one in the film. The stern chief is the oldest cliche in cop movies, with his obligatory lectures on protocol to touch cops who shift back and forth on their feet like guilty schoolboys.

The film is punctuated by violence, a great deal of violence, although most of it is exaggerated comic-book style instead of being truly gruesome. Walking that fine line is a speciality of Hill, who once simulated the sound of a fist on a chin by making tape recordings of Ping-Pong paddles slapping leather sofas.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Ed O’Ross as Viktor Rostavili
• Larry Fishburne as Lt. Stobbs
• Peter Boyle as Lou Donnelly
• Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ivan Danko
• James Belushi as Art Ridzik
• Gina Gershon as Cat Manzetti
• Carmel Davies
• Freeman Davies

Produced by

• Gordon Carroll

Screenplay by

• Harry Kleiner
• Troy Kennedy Martin
• James Horner

Photographed by

• Matthew F. Leonetti

Directed by

• Walter Hill

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"I take orders from the Octoboss."

Red Heat (1988)

Of course Schwarzenegger doesn’t need Belushi’s help that much. He’s pretty good at just plowing through, having destructive vehicle chases and shootouts, doing detective work. He doesn’t talk much or explain what he’s doing. It’s funny because they kind of act like working for a “Big Brother” type regime causes him to use tactics that would be considered off limits in a democracy like the United States, and yet they’re the same tactics that we’re supposed to cheer on when American cops do them in movies. It’s a small world after all.

Honestly he deserves more respect. Back home they called him “Iron-Jaw,” here Belushi decides to nickname him “Gumby,” I guess because he’s wearing a blue suit, and blue is one of the two primary colors that you mix to get green. (?) Actually I have no clue why he calls him Gumby, but he repeats it a couple times, so he clearly thought we thought it was funny.

Maybe if Belushi had seen Iron Jaw in his element he would understand, or at least make fun of him in ways that have some sort of logical meaning that can be communicated to the viewers at home. The best parts of the movie are in the beginning when Schwarzenegger is still in Russia. In the opening scene he gets in a brawl with Sven-Ole Thorsen at a bath house. Unlike Viggo in EASTERN PROMISES they’re not completely naked, they’re wearing thongs. But the gimmick is that they bust through a window and continue the fight outside. So it’s two almost-naked musclemen fighting in the snow. There’s also a part where he bodyslams a guy and twists off his leg (because he knows it’s a wooden prosthetic filled with cocaine). The rest of the movie is enjoyable enough, but it doesn’t really keep up that type of inventiveness.

The cast has alot of familiar faces in small roles. Peter Boyle is the commander, Gina Gershon is the villain’s American wife (a similar role to OUT FOR JUSTICE, but a couple years earlier), a skinny Cowboy Curtis era Larry Fishburne is a cop, and Brian James was in there, I think playing a friendly guy that they interview to get some information, but I might be confusing it with one of the SCANNERS movies I watched recently.

Belushi is fine, somehow credible enough as the typical ’80s action movie sardonic cop. I wonder how many roles like this Bill Murray turned down over the years? Seems like he would’ve played these type of characters if he followed a slightly more normal career path. He would’ve been just as good as Belushi at standing there droopy eyed, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, making belittling comments about everybody, but in a way where you don’t think he’s a total prick, just kind of a funny asshole.

But it all comes down to Schwarzenegger and if you like watching him even in one of his middle-range movies. I do, so it was worth my time. I wonder why it is, though, that if you’re a great presence or action star but they don’t think you can act they make you play Russian? I know he had already played American in RAW DEAL, COMMANDO and PREDATOR, but I still get the idea that Russian was something Hollywood thought was within his limited range. Dolph Lundgren played Russian in ROCKY IV, RED SCORPION and THE RUSSIAN SPECIALIST. Jean-Claude Van Damme played Russian in NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER and BLACK EAGLE. Scott Adkins has had the most success as a Russian in UNDISPUTED II-III and also played Russian in THE TOURNAMENT. So here’s Schwarzenegger, the body builder who doesn’t speak English as clearly as some, what can we do with him in movies? Well, he can play Hercules, a robot, a Barbarian… and Russian. It’s weird, but I guess it can work. I enjoyed most of these movies.

(Seagal is a special case, if you’re wondering. He skipped directly to starring vehicle, so he didn’t have to play Russian to establish himself. Instead he came back later and did it [a little bit] in HALF PAST DEAD and DRIVEN TO KILL. Hopefully he’ll work in a barbarian and a killer robot at some point.)

RED HEAT was made by Carolco and filmed at the same time as RAMBO III. But while that one sort of blew it by dealing with evil Russians just as the Cold War was closing up shop, this one was timed just right. It’s about these two cultures not understanding each other but trying to work it out anyway. Maybe the governments they represent won’t be drinking beers together any time soon, but these two individuals were able to make a personal connection, and that’s the sort of optimistic we’re-all-in-this-together message that makes us feel good. Still wasn’t a big hit, in fact it made alot less than RAMBO III. But don’t blame the Berlin Wall coming down. It was right for the times.

Also apparently there was a video game:

So get working on an EASTERN PROMISES one, game people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dx3MPs4730

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61 Responses to “Red Heat (1988)”

June 17th, 2010 at 2:26 pm

Vern, I think you might need to get your eyes checked. That suit is clearly green.

I always liked RED HEAT. I have a soft spot for the action-comedy stylings of Jim Belushi. I got about 50 of his lines from this one stuck in my head right now.

“You look like Marvin Haggler. I lost MONEY on Haggler!”

June 17th, 2010 at 2:32 pm

I am sort of color blind, but in the movie (not the picture above) it looks bright blue, doesn’t it? Wait a minute, what color is Jesse Ventura’s suit in THE RUNNING MAN?

June 17th, 2010 at 2:36 pm

Jesse the Body’s suit is blue, but Arnold’s suit looks pretty definitively green to me. Unless they put out a new color-corrected special edition since the last time I saw it.

It’s alright, man. It’s just your quirky color-based weakness, like in BLACKJACK. It makes you human.

June 17th, 2010 at 2:42 pm

“Hopefully he’ll work in a barbarian” Does he still want to play Ghengis Khan? Someone should take the “culture clash cop action comedy” vehicle and do it with an american and british partnership. Dunno who the wiseass american would be, but I’d like to actually see Gerard Butler play a scot in an american movie for a change rather than as an american with a fucked up accent.

June 17th, 2010 at 2:43 pm

God, I remember playing that video game on an Amstrad when I was a kid and agreeing with my friend that it was stupid that you couldn’t also play as the James Belushi character.

But then I didn’t get past the second or third level, so for all I know, there could have been a sideways-scrolling mini-game where you pull a droopy face and make belittling comments about your opponents.

June 17th, 2010 at 2:45 pm

I also remember the video game. I think they dropped the ball by not making the power-ups bowls of Chicken Kiev.

June 17th, 2010 at 2:53 pm

I always laugh at the part where Belushi gets a shot in his ass and says “What’s in that thing, CEMENT!?”

Yeah, RED HEAT is pretty badass.

June 17th, 2010 at 2:58 pm

RED HEAT is also educational. It taught me my Miranda Rights, as well as what “brigandage” is.

COWBOY CURTIS: Brigandage?

ARNIE: Burning villages, raping women.

COWBOY CURTIS: That kind of shit goes on in Russia, huh?

June 17th, 2010 at 3:08 pm

“It’s called the Miranda Act, and it says that you can’t even touch his ass.” “I do not want to touch his ass. I want to make him talk!”

“Do you know Miranda?” “Never heard of the bitch.”

June 17th, 2010 at 3:13 pm

“Time to feed parakeet.”

“What’s that, Russian for jerkin’ off?”

Owning a parakeet is textbook badass juxtaposition.

June 17th, 2010 at 3:20 pm

“Kepitalism.”

June 17th, 2010 at 4:23 pm

All I can say to attest to RED HEAT’S utter badassness is that the script opens with this qoute:

“Much has been left in the world that has to be destroyed by fire and iron.” Vladimir Lenin, 1915.

June 17th, 2010 at 4:43 pm

“what’s up with the piece of shit on the sidewalk?”

“he lives here”

Belushi is classic in this flick. Like 48 Hours it is an amazing mix of tough guy back and forth and the kind of brutal violence Hill does so well.

Walter Hill = one of the most underrated directors still working today

June 17th, 2010 at 4:45 pm

This reminds me, actually; Vern, have you ever reviewed the Michael Douglas flick “Black Rain”? If not, you should. One of my fave Ridley Scott movies.

June 17th, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Ahh ,good old Danko ! (That’s the name of the movie over here , simply “Danko”) . I always smile when I think of the scene when Danko and Belushi are questioning Viktor Rosta , and he’s only answers are curse words and harsh language. I can tell by the comments that a lot of lines are the same ( the Miranda Jokes , the parakeet ….) but one of Viktor’s answers during the interrogation is ( translated from Italian ) ” Lick your mother’s ass!” ( literally). It’s that in the original , English dub too?

June 17th, 2010 at 6:17 pm

Also , during an argument with Belushi , this is one of Arnold’s lines: “Put parakeet up your ass!” ( Yes , there’s a lot of asses in our dub).

June 17th, 2010 at 7:18 pm

It’s actually “Kiss your mother’s behind.” Arnold really sells it.-

June 17th, 2010 at 7:44 pm

Man, I don’t remember Red Heat the videogame, but I do recall my mom telling me that the Total Recall NES videogame was “so violent,” so I had to pick out a better way to spend $30 or less at Toys R Us that day. I think I settled for something baseball-related. What was weird was that I had already seen Total Recall and Red Heat the films, and my mom really likes both movies. This is just another example of the power of the Schwarzenegger–when women see him onscreen, he’s an unstoppable force/freak of nature, making them forget their usually unshakeable anti-violence tendencies when he fights other guys in just his skimpy underwear. Man, that guy should, like, govern our biggest state or something; I bet he could get a lot done.

June 17th, 2010 at 7:50 pm

RED HEAT was decent, not one of Hill’s or Arnold’s better efforts, but I liked that Arnold’s character stays a dedicated communist from start to finish.

Vern – I’m surprised you brought up the Clint thing along with Arnold tearing ass in America without making the ironic connection.

Arnold’s character at least in the opening stuff is basically what I suppose a Dirty Harry-type figure would be if (as desired by right-wingers and concerned citizens) he basically did whatever he wanted since hey in Soviet Union, he’s a cop. You the citizen don’t have rights for shit.

As a Soviet cop, your only worry is KGB and your superiors. No don’t worry about your bosses calling you out on the carpet. If you say the wrong things here and there and back the wrong people at your office, then you could wind up dead. Seriously I wonder how long Dirty Harry would have lasted in Moscow.

Which reminds me Vern buddy, you should review GORKY PARK sometime. Got all your police procedural cliches, except its a Soviet cop in 1980s Moscow. Nicely polished, Brian Dennehy around for some reason, William Hurt in his prime, and your villain is Lee Marvin.

Let me repeat that: LEE MARVIN IS THE BADDIE. I mean you need more persuasion mate?

June 17th, 2010 at 8:13 pm

I saw Red Heat on tv a few years ago while sick with the flu

I can’t remember too much about it to be honest, but I do remember the scene when Arnold is in some cheap hotel and he sees a porno on the tv and remarks “capitalism”

also I love Black Rain, I’ve been meaning to get the blu ray for years now

June 17th, 2010 at 8:39 pm

I seem to recall that Arnold shoots a gun that only has six rounds, 9 or 10 times. I rewatched it and I think he only shoots it the six times. I could be wrong.

June 17th, 2010 at 10:44 pm

“I wonder why it is, though, that if you’re a great presence or action star but they don’t think you can act they make you play Russian?”

Because there’s only one type of non-American accent: FOREIGN. Therefore, any foreigner can play any other foreigner because Billy Joe Bob can’t tell the difference.

Swedes can play Italians, Maori can play Cuban, a French dude can play Columbus and of course, all Asians are completely interchangeable. It’s the MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA rule.

June 17th, 2010 at 10:47 pm

Thanks Majestyk , sometimes our dubbing is so strange that I wonder if there’s at least some kind of connection to the original lines. In other cases , we just change the jokes , like in the name Danko , used as a joke in the dub because it rimes with “sleepy” in Italian (stanco).

On the Clint/Arnold parallel , the first film that came to my mind was The Gauntlet , both for the “cop trying to transfer a prisoner” theme and for the ending involving a bus !

And I think that a Black Rain review from Vern is a fantastic idea !

June 17th, 2010 at 10:53 pm

Hey, speaking of accents, that finally give me an excuse to segue into a topic I’ve been wanting to bring up when you started the next JUSTIFIED thread, only you haven’t:

I like Raymond J. Barry as Arlo Givens just fine. He’s really got that slippery, weaselly-but-stubborn quality down. But does his accent strike anyone else as kinda weird? Some of his pronunciations and particularly his cadences strike me as distinctly New Englandy. It’s distracting.

June 17th, 2010 at 11:12 pm

greatest movie ever.

OLEG LIVES!

June 18th, 2010 at 12:23 am

And Horner reuses his 48 HRS. score. Again.

June 18th, 2010 at 12:25 am

I will forever have this movie crisscrossed in my brain with that dead-cop-comes-back-to-life-hey-let’s-team-Treat-Williams-and-Joe-Piscipo-together-in-a-buddy-cop-zombie-movie that this is nothing like. I wonder why that is?

Maybe it’s because they were both released in 1988 and featured similar posters in addition to featuring a principal actor made famous on Saturday Night Live. Or the fact that it’s called Dead Heat.

June 18th, 2010 at 12:45 am

Off-topic, but I just watched JUSTIFIED Ep. 13: BULLETVILLE, on Hulu. Man, this show just keeps getting better. Sure didn’t see THAT shit coming.

June 18th, 2010 at 12:56 am

This is one of those movies that I watch way too much. Maybe it’s the great Hill-assembled cast. Maybe it’s the great Hill sense of humor. And maybe it’s the great Hill Balls-to-the-wall conviction and commitment given to western/cop genre tropes. Or maybe it’s Walter Hill.

Also, I never miss a chance to tell my Russian buddy (who loves, and has a great deal of national pride for, Tarkovsky, Eisenstein, etc.) that RED HEAT is the best Russian film of all time.

June 18th, 2010 at 2:46 am

Didn’t Clint sorta played a Russian in FIREFOX that one time? As for RED HEAT, the most confusing thing for us Russian viewers back in the 90s was its title. The translators didn’t know that “heat” means “cop” or “police” and so they translated the title literally – krasnaya jara, something like “red heating”. As a rule, post-Soviet people enjoyed all these Russian movie filmed in Helsinki, GORKY PARK included.

June 18th, 2010 at 7:44 am

Black Rain indeed Jaimerey. Other than the Douglas Mullet, timeless.*

*Actually, I attribute Mike’s mullet in the film to attracting a then 20 year old Catherine Zowie Jones to her future husband. So maybe it’s also timeless.

June 18th, 2010 at 7:45 am

As one of my Oleg brothers pointed out, Raw Deal had the title changed in Europe to City Shark, which is one of the finest titles I’ve ever heard.

June 18th, 2010 at 7:59 am

Yes, but because Stallone’s “Cobra” is also renamed “The City Cobra” in Germany, it’s often very difficult to not confuse these two titles.

June 18th, 2010 at 8:05 am

You have to remember, Arnie wasn’t quite the biggest star yet, hence the need to ‘make up a reason for the accent’, which to be hones actually works for this film (a stupid name, i’m looking at you Raw Deal, or a lame ass excuse. True Lies and Predator got it right by just ignoring the point entirely)

Not a bad movie, not great either but Belushi was funny and Arnie kicks all kinds of ass, (think classic Clint, few words all action) and its kinda cool spotting the actors who would either go onto bigger things or be in the supporting cast of movies for years.

Liking all the calls for a Black Rain review, i’m starting to think Vern is intimidated by Michael Douglas’s hair and is ducking out of his duty to put us straight about what some see as an 80’s classic.

June 18th, 2010 at 8:27 am

Maybe Vern is avoiding BLACK RAIN because…its not much of a movie? Good cast, good director, good DP, absolutely forgettable.

June 18th, 2010 at 8:31 am

I pretty much only remember what happened to Andy Garcia.

But what happened to Andy Garcia was pretty fucking awesome.

June 18th, 2010 at 9:06 am

Best thing to ever happen to Andy Garcia in a movie featuring Andy Garcia, in fairness.

June 18th, 2010 at 9:15 am

I’M A CYBERNETIC ORGANISM!

June 18th, 2010 at 9:23 am

Hey, anybody hear of the band Austrian Death Machine? It’s this metal band that purports to be fronted by Arnold, and all of the songs are about his movies. The singer doesn’t sound like Arnold (he just screams in a satisfyingly brutal manner) but there are little skits in between the songs with a not-bad Arnold impersonator. The songs have titles like “Get To The Choppa,” “Who Is Your Daddy And What Does He Do?” “Here Is Sub-Zero, Now Plain Zero,” “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” (a duet with the Predator), “Screw You (Benny)”, and of course, “Come With Me If You Want To Live.” It sounds like a winky-winky post-modern joke, but the songs actually function as honest-to-god, punch-a-hole-in-the-wall metal. Highly recommended.

June 18th, 2010 at 9:42 am

the podbrin 9.2 mm. most powerful weapon in world.

Kapetalism.

June 18th, 2010 at 9:46 am

vern, I think to be qualified to play a russian, you must kick every ass you see for like a decade. all those dude you mentioned, adkins, arnold etc are ass kickers, they are allowed to play russians. kevin costner doesn’t count.

June 18th, 2010 at 11:50 am

Has this become the Justified season finale thread yet?

June 18th, 2010 at 11:55 am

This movie is CLEARLY not Lawson: White Heat.

June 18th, 2010 at 12:16 pm

Mr. Majestyk – You might also want to check out Arnocorps. They are another metal band that understands centering your music around Arnold’s movies is the right thing to do.

http://www.arnocorps.com

June 18th, 2010 at 12:36 pm

Done. They rock. I used to be a girlie man, but now I smoke my stoagies wherever I want.

If you’re interested in tongue-in-cheek movie-themed rock, you might want to check out .357 Lover. They’ve got songs called “Event Horizon” and “Timecop” that are a lot better and more emotional than songs called “Event Horizon” and “Timecop” have any right to be.

http://www.amazon.com/Diorama-of-the-Golden-Lion/dp/B002YOIKHA/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1276889723&sr=301-1

June 18th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

edc: I guess Harrison Ford played a Russian too, except he only got around to it at the end of his career.

June 18th, 2010 at 1:52 pm

arnocorps did it first and so much better…

June 18th, 2010 at 2:03 pm

I disagree. Arnocrops is funnier (and no doubt better to drink to), but ADM is a much tighter band. If you had no idea they were singing about Arnold movies, you’d still have to admit that they’re a vicious and technically accomplished metal band.

June 18th, 2010 at 11:35 pm

Man, I love this film.

You’re welcome.

June 19th, 2010 at 9:41 pm

You guys have ALMOST got me convinced this movie is better than I remember and that I should see it again.

The fact that I can’t remember how it ended is definitely a mark in the debit column. In fact, it seems to me a whole lot of Hill’s movies have good premises/start out strong and then don’t quite get there.

I did like THE DRIVER. The CGI cars were very convincing for such an old movie.

June 20th, 2010 at 3:19 am

ahh, yes. k19 the widow maker.

June 20th, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Speaking of hardass Russians – did anyone else notice that the legendary Oleg is in Predators? Doesn’t look like it ends well for him, judging by the trailers.

Still, impressive that anyone who can survive Drago ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZifsUlirvVc ) can still go head to head with Predators in 2010.

June 20th, 2010 at 9:06 pm

it sends a shiver down my willy everytime I think about the fact that an Oleg is facing off against the predators in legitimate theatre. not THE Oleg, but an Oleg.

for you see, OLEG LIVES.

June 20th, 2010 at 9:54 pm

Dude, that is THE Oleaginous, I shit you not. Also, I would love to are a Maori playing a Cuban.

June 20th, 2010 at 10:07 pm

For the last time (and fuck you Android) – that is THE Oleg. he does indeed live. No anuses involved. Unless, I guess, Bruno is watching.

July 15th, 2010 at 1:08 am

Jan Elvsen emailed me to correct a couple of my stupid errors in this review:

“Sven-Ole Thorsen is NOT the guy fighting Arnold outside the gym/steam house, he plays the thankless role of Nikolai, Arnold´s cop buddy that gets killed by Ed O`Roos early on. And Brion James plays a pimp/unwilling informer, not a nice guy and not treated nicely.”

September 24th, 2010 at 8:27 pm

I am watching this on Blu Ray right now and I’m starting to think the suit is blue after all. It looks slightly green in some lights, but I dunno man. Maybe it’s some dark turquoise of some kind.

December 6th, 2012 at 1:35 am

Your friend Jan Elvsen is wrong. The cop buddy who gets killed is played by Oleg Vidov.

Sven-Ole Thorsen just plays one of the sauna-guys. I think Arnold punches him while holding the hot rock & that’s it (Sven has a bigger role in THE RUNNING MAN as a security guy who says something about steroids – and then of course there’s his role in CONAN).

BTW, I like this movie. I watched it recently & thought it was great. My favorite part was the end where Belushi says, “Nice grouping of your shots.”

December 7th, 2012 at 7:48 am

I’ve only just seen your review of this, Vern – I’m really glad you’ve done it, because I love this movie. It’s on TV often here in the UK and I always end up watching it. I have to agree that the scenes in Russia are the best – the music just nails it. I read somewhere that they shot the stuff in Red Square without a permit, although I don’t know how true that is. It loses something in the finale, I find the bus-off really boring for some reason – but aside from that, I think it’s solidly decent entertainment with a bunch of quotable lines and genuinely funny banter between Arnie and Belushi. I’ve had a soft spot for parakeets ever since.

December 7th, 2012 at 7:51 am

I recently saw this on TV and I gotta admit that one line at the end, about Arnie and Belushi being allowed to like each other because they aren’t politicians, really stuck with me. It’s not the most subtile line about this topic, but it’s definitely a good one.

December 7th, 2012 at 8:56 am

Yeah the epilogue of this movie is really warm and feel-good. I love the jump cut during Arnold’s salute and the final shot in Red Square. And that awesome theme. Speaking of which, I actually kind of dig that James Horner recycles the 48 Hours/Commando score here, it kind of makes them cinematic soul mates, like they exist in the same universe.

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Red Heat Reviews

Red Heat is absolutely worth the watch for the first 15 minutes alone.

Full Review | Original Score: 6.5/10 | Sep 29, 2023

Red Heat is a fast-paced action comedy, with gun fire, bursting with mishaps all around. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 7, 2022

Red Heat is a slick, effective cop movie, revealing that Schwarzenegger could dominate the screen given a role tailored to his unique style

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 18, 2022

Arnold's introductory sequence in the bathhouse is a stellar action set piece, and the mega-sized bus-chicken car chase / final showdown is simply unhinged 1980s action filmmaking excessive glory at its finest.

Full Review | Nov 2, 2019

It is fairly obvious why Schwarzenegger was chosen to play the role of Danko in Red Heat.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 30, 2019

Don't assume that Arnold is pure straight man here, though. He still gets his share of laughs, mostly based on the differences between east and west, and Belushi gets his shot at character and action.

Full Review | Mar 5, 2019

It might never be remembered as a great film - or even as a great Schwarzenegger film - but it's a great slice of nostalgia.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 27, 2011

Schwarzenegger, who when he dons a green suit is dubbed 'Gumby' by Belushi, is right on target with his characterization of the iron-willed soldier, and Belushi proves a quicksilver foil.

Full Review | Jul 6, 2010

...a plodding, downright generic buddy-cop thriller that's simply unable to sustain the viewer's interest for more than a few minutes at a time.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 29, 2009

Went hotly down my throat like a shot of vodka with a donut to appease this big hunger pang I suddenly had for junk Commie things.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 3, 2008

Surface stuff, moderately contemptuous, but entertaining enough.

Full Review | Feb 9, 2006

Hill's muscular, energetic direction makes what might have been just another buddy-cop thriller into an electrifying piece of escapism. One of Arnold's most underrated flicks.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 25, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 17, 2005

This thing was a dud in the 80s. That's saying something.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | May 27, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 10, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 29, 2004

''Red Heat'' is a topically entertaining variation on the sort of action-adventure nonsense that plays best on television.

Full Review | May 20, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 6, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 25, 2002

Hill's confidence keeps the formulaic buddy-cop cliches entertaining.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 3, 2002

WhichFilm | Film Reviews | Audience Film Reviews

Red Heat (1988)

Create your own review

Red Heat, released in 1988, is an action-packed buddy cop film that combines the talents of Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi in a Cold War setting. Directed by Walter Hill, the film follows the unlikely partnership between a tough Russian police captain, Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and a wisecracking Chicago detective, Art Ridzik (James Belushi), as they team up to bring down a dangerous drug lord. Set against the backdrop of the political tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, Red Heat delivers the kind of high-octane action and explosive set pieces that were characteristic of '80s action films. The film showcases impressive stunt work, intense shootouts, and exhilarating car chases that keep the audience engaged throughout. Arnold Schwarzenegger brings his signature charisma and physicality to the role of Ivan Danko, a no-nonsense Russian cop on a mission to retrieve a dangerous criminal who has escaped to the United States. His stoic presence and impressive action sequences make him a formidable force on screen. James Belushi provides the comedic relief as Detective Art Ridzik, injecting humor into the film with his sarcastic one-liners and banter with Schwarzenegger's character. The chemistry between Schwarzenegger and Belushi is a highlight of the film, as their clashing personalities and cultural differences create an entertaining dynamic. Their contrasting styles and approaches to law enforcement add a layer of humor and tension to the partnership, leading to several comedic moments throughout the story. While Red Heat delivers on the action front, it does fall short in terms of plot depth and character development. The story is relatively straightforward and follows a familiar formula seen in many buddy cop movies. The characters, aside from Danko and Ridzik, are not given much depth, and the film relies heavily on stereotypes and clichés associated with both Russian and American culture. Furthermore, the pacing of the film can be uneven, with moments of intense action followed by lulls in the story. Some scenes feel rushed, while others could have been trimmed to maintain a more consistent rhythm. Despite its shortcomings, Red Heat remains an enjoyable action film that serves as a nostalgic throwback to the '80s era of buddy cop movies. It offers a blend of explosive action, humor, and the charismatic performances of Schwarzenegger and Belushi. The film's Cold War backdrop adds an extra layer of tension and intrigue, enhancing the overall viewing experience. In conclusion, Red Heat is a solid entry in the '80s action genre, offering a satisfying blend of explosive action and comedic banter. While it may not break new ground in terms of storytelling or character development, it delivers on its promise of entertaining escapism. Fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, and classic buddy cop films will find Red Heat to be an enjoyable addition to their watchlist.

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Metacritic reviews

• 75 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert The film is punctuated by violence, a great deal of violence, although most of it is exaggerated comic-book style instead of being truly gruesome. Walking that fine line is a speciality of Hill, who once simulated the sound of a fist on a chin by making tape recordings of Ping-Pong paddles slapping leather sofas.
• 75 TV Guide Magazine TV Guide Magazine Hill has gotten Schwarzenegger to give one of the best performances of his career, and Belushi too is thoroughly convincing as an action hero. RED HEAT is a welcome break from the shallow shoot-'em-ups that became the standard in the 1980s.
• 75 Chicago Tribune Allison Benedikt Chicago Tribune Allison Benedikt The world of his films may be violent, but Hill's vision is a delicate, subtle one-of individuals packing away the tiny bit of meaning and emotion life has granted them, and fighting to protect it at all costs. It's not a sentiment that can survive in cartoons; that it emerges at all in Red Heat is a tribute to Hill's still great talent. [17 Jun 1988, p.A]
• 70 Variety Variety Schwarzenegger, who when he dons a green suit is dubbed 'Gumby' by Belushi, is right on target with his characterization of the iron-willed soldier, and Belushi proves a quicksilver foil.
• 70 Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum Thanks to a fairly good script, this thriller about a Soviet cop sent to Chicago to apprehend a Soviet drug dealer is a respectable enough star vehicle.
• 70 Los Angeles Times Michael Wilmington Los Angeles Times Michael Wilmington Red Heat is directed in a fiery, muscular, pop-graphic style. And it has a James Horner score that puckishly mixes Prokofiev and rhythm and blues. But it's also a movie with a cramped interior. The action scenes seem to be squeezing out everything else, pressing the characters against the wall. [17 Jun 1988, p.1]
• 63 Boston Globe Jay Carr Boston Globe Jay Carr There's always something touching about the diligence with which Schwarzenegger soldiers through his assignments. There's a play of intelligence and decency in his eyes that exists quite independently of his bashing. Of the Hollywood tribe of virile fists, he's the one who seems most sensitive. [17 Jun 1988, p.31]
• 63 San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle Red Heat, the new Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie, avoids most of the usual action-movie gimmicks and is better for it. It co-stars Jim Belushi and opens around town today. [17 Jun 1988, p.E1]
• 60 The New York Times Vincent Canby The New York Times Vincent Canby Red Heat is a topically entertaining variation on the sort of action-adventure nonsense that plays best on television. Mr. Hill's touch is heavy when he takes himself seriously. However, he has a real gift for instantly disposable fantasy.
• 10 Washington Post Hal Hinson Washington Post Hal Hinson Red Heat is poorly, or even indifferently, made. It's a joyless exercise, and too much angry resignation seeps in for it to be very funny or very entertaining.
• See all 13 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for Red Heat

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Directed by Walter Hill

Moscow's toughest detective. Chicago's craziest cop. There's only one thing worse than making them mad. Making them partners.

A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Jim Belushi Peter Boyle Ed O'Ross Laurence Fishburne Gina Gershon Richard Bright Brent Jennings Gretchen Palmer Pruitt Taylor Vince Mike Hagerty Brion James Gloria Delaney Peter Jason Oleg Vidov Savely Kramarov J.W. Smith Gene Scherer Tengiz Borisoff Roger Callard Gábor Koncz Géza Balkay Zsolt Körtvélyessy János Bán Masanori Toguchi Sven-Ole Thorsen Norbert Növényi Istvan Etlenyi George Gati Show All… Peter Marikovsky Gábor Németh Istvan Vajas Peter Kis Atilla Fási Eric Mansker Lew Hopson Jason Ronard Gigi Vorgan Allan Graf Kurt Fuller Bruno Alexander Christopher Mankiewicz Bob O'Donnell Marjorie Bransfield Luis Contreras Christopher Anthony Young Bill McConnell Sr. Ed DeFusco Joey D. Vieira Michael Adams Jonathan Tate

Director Director

Walter Hill

Producers Producers

Walter Hill Gordon Carroll Mae Woods

Writers Writers

Troy Kennedy Martin Harry Kleiner Walter Hill

Story Story

Casting casting.

Jackie Burch

Editors Editors

Carmel Davies Donn Aron Freeman A. Davies

Cinematography Cinematography

Matthew F. Leonetti

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

James Dyer Gábor Váradi Tom Phillips Jeanne Caliendo Barry K. Thomas

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Bennie E. Dobbins

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Andrew G. Vajna Mario Kassar

Production Design Production Design

John Vallone

Art Direction Art Direction

Michael Corenblith László Rajk

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Ernie Bishop

Stunts Stunts

Tony Brubaker Bob Herron Allan Graf

Composer Composer

James Horner

Costume Design Costume Design

Makeup makeup.

Michael Germain Jeff Dawn Erzsébet Forgács

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Peter Tothpal

Carolco Pictures Lone Wolf Oak Pictures Lone Wolf Pictures TriStar Pictures

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Russian

Releases by Date

17 jun 1988, 06 jul 1988, 17 sep 1988, 29 sep 1988, 05 oct 1988, 13 oct 1988, 19 oct 1988, 21 oct 1988, 28 nov 1988, 23 dec 1988, 13 jan 1989, 28 jan 1989, 04 may 1989, 13 jan 1998, 09 may 2018, 02 apr 2021, 21 nov 2000, 28 feb 2001, 08 may 2001, 16 jun 2010, 13 jul 2010, 01 sep 2010, 23 oct 2019, 28 sep 2003, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Digital 14 Netflix
• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical U
• Physical DVD
• Physical 12 Blu-Ray
• Digital VOD
• Physical 12 4K UHD
• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical 16
• Theatrical T
• Theatrical R18+

Netherlands

• Physical 16 DVD
• TV 16 Veronica
• Physical 18+ DVD, Universal Pictures Rus

South Korea

• Physical 15 DVD
• Physical 15 Blu-ray
• Theatrical R

104 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by matt lynch ★★★★

"In Soviet Union, only after two days can scumbag talk to lawyer."

The rare American action film to acknowledge and politically rationalize its inherent fascist tendencies. It's funny that this came out just a year before the wall came down as its major contribution to the buddy cop canon is that it's all about how the Russkies might be on to something. These two are appropriately reprehensible cops, wantonly engaging in destruction of property, excessive force, disregard for public safety and general shredding of civil rights. The catch is that Arnold's Russian (actually "Soviet" as he firmly, hilariously corrects a roach-motel clerk) Captain Danko is clearly the more effective arm of the law here: systematic, brutal, unwavering but not without…

Review by CinemaVoid 🏴‍☠️ ★★★½

Cocainum is a hell of a drug.

Review by Todd Gaines ★★★ 42

It's East meets West as a determined Soviet policeman reluctantly pairs up with a wisecracking Chicago cop to hunt down the fugitive responsible for the death of his partner. It's Arnie and the one and only Jim Belushi as the cops. It's a Cold War Buddy Cop movie directed by Walter Hill. It's action packed with a loud musical score. Why does Arnie dress like Gumby? Maybe Jim Belushi actually has some acting talent? Red Heat doesn't sizzle, but it sure is fun to watch.

I'm a huge Walter Hill fan. I have quite a few of his movies on my favorite films list. He's also a fantastic writer and storyteller. Watch Alien and Aliens and tell me he didn't…

Review by Matt Singer ★★★

This should be the best buddy cop movie ever. It’s got buddy cop director par excellence Walter Hill, and it’s got Arnold Schwarzenegger ideally cast as a guy who basically amounts to a human Terminator: An emotionless Russian super cop who won’t rest until he captures this heinous drug dealer. You put him with Jim Belushi, who’s admittedly not the most dynamic comic presence, but does actually make a pretty convincing rumpled Chicago flatfoot. There are definitely enough moments to make it worthwhile, but it never quite gets to the level it feels like it should on paper. On this viewing, I started to wonder if the problem’s the relationship between Schwarzenegger and Belushi. They’re not that mismatched. They have…

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★ 13

Action! - The Unlikely Rumble: Hill v Hyams

Hill returns with a relatively similar formula that made him famous in the early 1980s. However, something, whether it's the familiarity of it all or the narrative, causes the film to lack the same charm.

Personally, this picture has always been on my radar thanks to TCM, which played bits of the film on repeat throughout my youth. But I never got to view it until now.

And I like this movie in part because of the level of violence and action that Hill manages to pull off so well. The banter between Arnie and Jim isn't quite on par with that of Nolte and Murphy, but it has its moments and…

Review by Slig001 ★★★ 1

A buddy cop action film that sees Arnold Schwarzenegger's Russian police officer team up with Jim Belushi's wisecracking Chicago cop to take down an international drug dealer. The film rides on the unlikely match up between Arnie and Belushi, with the dialogue featuring numerous references to cultural and political differences between the US and Russia. The pairing between the two makes the film feel like it should be a comedy, but despite a few amusing one-liners and Belushi's usual shtick, the tone is more dark and gritty than I was expecting. The plot itself is really boilerplate stuff, with the two cops gaining a personal interest in the case due to the deaths of both their partners, and much of…

Review by Penny 🎩 ★★½ 28

Opening scene: we’re in some sort of sweaty co-ed Soviet gym/sauna and all the women are fully nude but all the men are wearing little aprons. I call bullshit: if we’re to be nude sauna-ing I want to see some equal opportunity wang. 

Seriously though - is this a comedy? Because other than a brief shot of a prosthetic leg filled with cocaine I didn’t find it funny in the slightest. 

Everyone knows that the wrong Belushi died and I usually avoid Jim like he’s the clap in human form (because he is) but I made an exception and I oughtn’t have. He brings nothing to the table. The humor is on the page but he makes it feel like…

Review by Ben Hibburd ☘🏀 ★★★ 2

This film made me question which role Arnie is more perfectly suited for? A stoic, bad-ass Russian cop or an emotionless killer robot?

Regardless, I still have never been able to fully love this film like most of Arnie's filmography. All the ingredients are here,"Red Heat" is a buddy cop film made by Walter Hill and Stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, there's literally nothing else I'd rather watch, but the pieces of this film didn't fit for me.

Jim Belushi is bland and kind of annoying in this film, Arnie for some reason speaks English with his Austrian accent whilst trying to do an American's version of Russian accent, like what the hell was that about? Why not just use your regular…

Review by Jesse Snoddon ★★★½ 2

"Don't get nervous, I do this for a living"

Soviet police officer Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger) heads to Chicago to hunt down the violent drug dealer who killed his partner. He finds himself reluctantly teamed up with American detective Art Ridzic (Jim Belushi). They'll have to overcome their cultural differences if they want to take down the bad guy. 

Accidental Gina Gershon double header after just seeing Eli Roth's Thanksgiving! Even though she only has a small part in both, Gina Gershon showing up in a movie is always a good thing. Throw in Peter Boyle and Laurence Fishburne as the bosses trying to keep our loose cannon heroes on track and you have a very fun cast. 

Review by DisposableMiffy ★★★★★ 8

Red Heat sports a lackluster 6.0 rating on IMDB, a measly 6.000 views on this site and an equally outrageous 2.9 rating. What the fuck’s the matter with people?

In my book, Danko and Ridzik, polar opposites as law enforcement officers, are the best buddy cop pairing of the 80s besides Riggs and Murtaugh. Schwarzenegger’s deadpan delivery and Belushi’s hilarious take on his character’s fresh out of flying fucks attitude crack me up every time.

Clocking in at considerably under two hours the movie is well-paced and carries not one ounce of dead weight. And then there’s the action of course. It may not break new ground but it’s flawlessly executed and highly entertaining. We’re talking about the heydays of…

Review by 20oldboy03 ★★★½ 6

Markante Sprüche die einem nur so um die Ohren fliegen zweier glänzend aufgelegten, bestens harmonierenden und sich ergänzenden Cops in einem Setting das nur so von purer 80er Nostalgie strahlt untermalt von einem Score der mein Herz höher schlagen lässt.

Unübertroffen der Kampf in der Sauna hinaustragend im knietiefen Schnee der kurz vor dem Fall stehenden Sowjetunion. Ihr im nichts nahestehend die versuchte Verhaftung Viktor Rostas in der Spelunke wo auch schon einmal die Beine einem abgerissen werden.

Wird wohl einmal Zeit für eine Arnie-Ranking.

Review by Ian Curran ★★★

Simple pleasures, baby. Simple pleasures.

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REVIEW: Red Heat (1988)

That is  Red Heat ‘s main problem in a nutshell. It is actually quite well performed on Schwarzenegger’s part, and slickly directed by the always-effective Walter Hill. It leans heavily on police drama tropes and stereotypes, but Hill manages to keep it all broadly watchable and entertaining. Despite all of this work, and the best of intentions, Red Heat simply failed to last the distance with viewers.

Danko is a narcotics officer working in Moscow whose partner gets murdered by an escaping drug kingpin (Ed O’Ross). Pursuing his enemy to Chicago, Danko is assigned to shadow local detective Ridzik. Together they work to track down the murderous dealer and prevent him from expanding his criminal network to the USA.

It is remarkable how appealing a character  Red Heat  makes out of Danko. Despite being a proud Soviet in a late 1980s American film, he is represented as honourable, honest, and loyal. The role lacks Schwarzenegger’s usual one-liners and puns. In the well-established buddy cop tradition, he is the straight-laced by-the-book contrast for Belushi’s corner-cutting, disreputable slob. Schwarzenegger as always dominates the film with his strong presence, and ultimately emerges too likeable a hero for the back-and-forth with Belushi’s character to work. There is no even balance here; the entire movie pitches in Schwarzenegger’s direction. The comedic balance between the two was almost never going to result in something original, but Hill’s direction and screenplay (with Harry Kleiner and Troy Kennedy Martin) ensure it does not work at all. So deeply cynical is the film’s presentation of Chicago and its police that Danko feels like the central hero, while Ridzik feels both moderately incompetent and deeply corrupt. It is an interesting result, and an unlikely one, but it doesn’t jibe with audience expectations for this sort of mainstream action film and almost certainly is what robbed it of any iconic status.

So the film itself is competent, oddly serious, and perhaps a little dull, but it really is worth dwelling on Schwarzenegger’s performance. He plays his role straight, and it results in what is arguably the best work of his career to that point. He brings a watchable quality to an otherwise underwhelming film, and creates a distinctive and original hero at the centre of a generic work of action. It is not enough to make  Red Heat  worth digging out and re-evaluating, but it is a solid highlight for an otherwise ordinary film.

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REVIEW: Midas Man (2024)

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Red Heat Reviews

• 61   Metascore
• 1 hr 43 mins
• Drama, Action & Adventure
• Watchlist Where to Watch

A large but collected Russian policeman is teamed up with a maverick Chicago cop to track down the vicious Georgian drug dealer who killed his partner.

RED HEAT opens in Moscow (where, for the first time, an American production was allowed to film in Red Square) as dedicated police captain Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger) tracks down drug kingpin Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross). After a vicious shootout in a bar, the drug dealer flees to the US and sets up operations in Chicago. The Soviets send Danko to get him, and two Chicago detectives, Ridzik and Gallagher (James Belushi and Richard Bright), are assigned to work with the Russian. Over the course of several violent run-ins with both Rostavili and his American drug partners, Danko and Ridzik overcome their initial suspicions of each other and develop a mutual professional respect. The many layers of subtext and shadings of character found in RED HEAT are practically nonexistent in most action films produced today. Unfortunately, director Walter Hill has allowed the action scenes to become absurd and cartoonish. On the other hand, Hill has gotten Schwarzenegger to give one of the best performances of his career, and Belushi too is thoroughly convincing as an action hero. Although the project is not as visionary or personal as Hill's best work (HARD TIMES; THE DRIVER; THE WARRIORS; SOUTHERN COMFORT), RED HEAT is a welcome break from the shallow shoot-'em-ups that became the standard in the 1980s.

Red Heat (1988)

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Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action comedy film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Walter Hill and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Soviet policeman Ivan Danko, and Jim Belushi as Chicago police detective Art Ridzik. Finding themselves on the same case, Danko and Ridzik work as partners to catch a cunning and deadly Georgian drug kingpin, Viktor Rostavili, who killed Danko's previous partner. Most of the scenes set in the Soviet Union were actually shot in Hungary. Schwarzenegger was paid a salary of $8 million for his role in the film.

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Red heat 4k ultra hd review.

Red Heat (1988)

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Suspense/Thriller Lionsgate | R – 104 min. – $22.99 | October 29, 2019

Date Published: 10/21/2019 | Author: The Movieman

Walter Hill Walter Hill (story), Harry Kleiner & Walter Hill and Troy Kennedy Martin (screenplay) Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O’Ross, Laurence Fishburne Featurettes, Theatrical Trailer Maybe Yes 4K, Blu-ray 2 English (DTS-HD MA 5.1) 2160p/Widescreen 1.85 HDR10, Dolby Vision English SDH, French, Spanish HEVC / H.265 A, B, C Lionsgate provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own. Captain Ivan Danko (ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER), a by-the-book Russian detective who partners with Detective Art Ridzik (JAMES BELUSHI), an undisciplined American cop, to track down Russia’s deadliest drug smuggler — who had killed Danko’s partner — through the mean streets of Chicago. There’s nothing like 1980s schlocky action films from Arnold Schwarzenegger and add in the buddy-movie formula, one would think was a sure-fire winner. Well, not so much, albeit it is a competently directed film from Walter Hill. For his part, Schwarzenegger was a lot of fun in his role as I do often love dry humor and his straight-faced line deliveries were often amusing. Unfortunately the other side of that formula is the casting of Jim Belushi as the brash American cop which on the surface seems like setting up for easy contrast but something about his on-screen chemistry with Schwarzenegger never quite gelled, especially when you compare a movie like and the dynamic that develops between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Perfection. I’m not sure if merely recasting the role would’ve helped, though I can imagine Jim’s brother, had he been alive, might’ve made for a better pairing, or even someone like Dustin Hoffman perhaps would’ve worked. In any case, whenever Schwarzenegger and Belushi were on screen, never really felt any sort of budding friendship that we’re supposed to have at the end, and probably open up for a sequel had this been a massive box office success (spoiler: it wasn’t; $76 million adjusted). As I mentioned, the film was directed by Walter Hill, the oft brilliant filmmaker behind a fantastic buddy-film, , one where the talents of Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte bounce off each other’s diverse personalities so brilliantly, as well as a few other classics like (though he’s had his share of duds, , and come to mind). I did like some of the choices he made, kind of bucking the action-thriller tropes, like instead of some generic car chase, he instead chose a bus vs. bus chase sequence instead, and it was hilariously entertaining, perhaps the saving grace of an otherwise forgettable, watch-and-toss, film. This release may come with a slip cover, though my review copy did not. Could be a similar situation as the release of … Anyway, inside is a redemption code for the . All of the features are included on both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs. — This is a profile on the legendary action hero and his career, with interviews by those who have worked with him. (9:54) examines some of the political undertones of a Russian working with an American. is a featurette on the pairing of a couple of producers for Carolco of uniting the East and West cinema. is a tribute to Bennie Dobbins who passed away of a heart attack during production. is on actor Ed O’Ross who plays the villain. — Fun little featurette from 1987/88 with on-set interviews with members of the cast and crew. Lionsgate releases onto 4K Ultra HD where it’s presented with a 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p high-definition transfer (HEVC/H.265 codec). The picture quality here is decent though not sure it’s a big improvement over a properly transferred Blu-ray where the old one was stricken with the tools the studio utilized in the early (dark) days of Blu-ray with edge enhancements and the like. So in that regard, this is probably worth an upgrade, just compared to others from the time period, it’s not great, but still fine. More specifically, the detail here was good with a nice sharpness to the close-ups, black levels were stark and the original film grain and noise has been retained. In all likelihood, the included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is probably the same one included on the 2009 Blu-ray release. As such, it’s a serviceable track but does lack a certain amount of depth you expect would be present during the shootouts, where gunfire hardly had much of an impact, or the chase sequence at the end. Dialogue though comes through the center channel with good clarity but the front and rear speakers were on the softer side. is a sometimes engaging and entertaining 1980s-era actioner but the pairing of Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Belushi never had much of on-screen chemistry, though if you’re a fan of action schlock, probably worth checking out. The 4K UHD release has an improved video transfer over its old Blu-ray counterpart and a good selection of bonus features.   Leave a Reply Your Comment You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Name (required) E-mail (required) Red Heat - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Although nothing particularly special about Walter Hill's buddy-cop Red Heat , the story is an entertaining enough mix of the conventional formula with topical issues, featuring an amusing performance by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The cult action favorite lands on Ultra HD packing a generally good-looking 4K Dolby Vision presentation, a strong DTS-HD MA soundtrack but the same bonus material as before. Still, the overall UHD package is Worth a Look for fans.  Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi star in this nonstop action thriller from the director of 48 HRS. Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the height of his A-list career when he was in talks to star in Walter Hill's cult action favorite Red Heat . At the time, the action-blockbuster superstar was also looking to expand his brand, to avoid being typecast and dip his feet into other genres, specifically comedies. Up to that point, mainstream audiences had only seen glimpses of Schwarzenegger's comedic talents from many of his tongue-in-cheek one-liners, especially in Commando and The Running Man . To star in Hill's latest project offered the Austrian actor the opportunity to flex his comedic muscles by playing the straitlaced, uptight and wooden Moscow Militia detective Ivan Danko, a deadpan performance that was amusing but not quite as hilariously memorable as his role in Twins , which released later that same year.  At first glance, comparing Hill's R-rated actioner to Ivan Reitman's beloved family comedy seems like an unfair comparison. On the other hand, contrasting the two actually yields insight into why one worked and the other did not, and frankly, the key is Schwarzenegger's costars. This not to suggest Jim Belushi is a bad actor or that Danny DeVito is better. Instead, Belushi is not particularly funny or all that interesting as the loudmouthed, brash and unconventional Chicago detective assigned to help Danko in capturing a Georgian drug kingpin (Ed O'Ross). Meant to be eccentric and unorthodox in his tactics, Belushi's gumshoe spends more time yelling what should be funny lines, clownishly reacting to Danko's devil-may-care methods and basically being schooled by Danko's ironically effective detective work.  Speaking of a better super sleuth, a noteworthy positive in Red Heat is its script, which Hill co-wrote with Harry Kleiner ( Bullitt ) and Troy Kennedy-Martin ( The Italian Job ). The plot blatantly adheres to the familiar buddy-cop formula popularized by Hill's 48 Hrs. and was very popular at the time, leaving very little room for surprises while also making for a predictable movie. Be that as it may, Hill applies the conventional blueprint to the police procedural where we see our odd-couple protagonists actually follow the clues, question suspects and known associates, and find themselves entangled in a complex situation that involves Soviet Russia at a time when international tensions were very high. And in this, the movie makes for an easy watch worth checking out as one of many Schwarzenegger favorites.  Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings Walter Hill's  Red Heat to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a flyer for a Digital Copy. The code can be redeemed via moviesredeem.com or through VUDU, but only the 1080p HD version with legacy Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio is available. The triple-layered UHD100 disc sits comfortably opposite the same Region A locked, BD50 disc and housed inside a black, eco-cutout case. At startup, the disc goes straight to the usual menu screen with full-motion clips and music playing in the background. Video Review The cult buddy-cop action favorite walks past airport security packing an overall good-looking HEVC H.265 encode. However, despite reportedly coming from a fresh 4K remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives by StudioCanal, the new transfer still manages to set off enough alarms and cast suspicions to keep it on this side of completing its successful mission.  To be sure, this Ultra HD edition delivers a marked upgrade over the 2009 Blu-ray, offering significantly sharper definition and clarity throughout. We can better make out the finer stitching in Danko's militia uniform, the small architectural features of the buildings and city streets, and clearly see the negligible blemishes and pores in the facial complexions. Unfortunately, the 2160p picture comes with a few ugly instances of faint chroma noise and very mild, near-negligible macroblocking in the background, but thankfully, these artifacts are not egregious enough to completely ruin or distract from the encode's best aspects.  Besides, the fresh facelift offers more positives than negatives, like the small boost in contrast, making for a slightly brighter 4K video with cleaner, snappier whites in the clothing, snow and various light fixtures. On the other hand, specular highlights only enjoy a slight improvement and fall just above average, allowing for a bit more visibility within the brightest spots while the glow from lights on faces and wet surfaces appear tighter. On the other end of the spectrum, black levels remain about the same but true with strong dark shadows that maintain good clarity in the darkest corners. Bathed in a thin layer of natural grain, the 1.85:1 image has an attractive cinematic, film-like quality.  On an interesting note when comparing it to its HD SDR counterpart, this Dolby Vision presentation appears to be the result of a new color timing, which could be argued as more faithful to Matthew F. Leonetti's original photography. In either case, the orange-teal gamut is more prominent with fuller greens and cyans in nearly every scene while blues are more dynamic and vivid, and the reds in blood, clothing and lights range from animated rose to deep cherry crimson shades. The improvement in secondary hues, however, is more subtle and not by much. The marigold orange glow of indoor lights is warmer and yellows have a fiery, golden tone in explosions and some gunfire, but the jump is ultimately rather mild and light. Nevertheless, the end result is enough of an upgrade to make some fans happy. (Dolby Vision Video Rating: 76/100) Audio Review Moscow cops land to home theaters with the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as its predecessor, but that's not entirely a bad thing since the 80s crime actioner was never known for its audio quality.  In fact, the original 4-channel Dolby Stereo design is a very front-heavy, near-mono presentation with practically no activity in the surrounds and all the attention on the on-screen action. To be fair, movement across the front channels is satisfying and effective for a movie of this caliber and vintage, and even when applying the receivers' Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality, atmospherics seldom lightly bleed into the top heights or sides. Admittedly, this broadens the soundstage ever so slightly in some of the bigger action set pieces, but it's still nothing memorable or noteworthy. Meanwhile, those same sequences come with a rather meager sense of presence, as the mid-range largely feels restrained and uniform despite exhibiting strong distinction in the louder moments. The same can sadly be said of the lower frequencies, providing adequate bass to gunfire and the climactic bus chase but with very little impact or weight. Dialogue reproduction is also good and intelligible for the most part, but occasionally, vocals can lightly be drowned out by some of the action. In the end, it's not a disappointing high-rez track, and like the movie's two heroes, this lossless mix ultimately gets the job done. (Audio Rating: 72/100) Special Features A pair of new supplements exclusive to this Ultra HD edition is joined by the same collection featured in the 2009 Blu-ray, and they can all be enjoyed on the UHD disc.  Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Man Who Raised Hollywood (HD, 16 min): A rather brief discussion on the actor's career and his legacy on cinema.  Political Context of Red Heat (HD, 10 min): Author Dave Saunders shares his thoughts on the film's subtext, or at least, he attempts to make a case for a deeper meaning.  Making of Red Heat (SD, 19 min).  A Stunt Man for All Seasons (SD, 12 min).  East Meets West (SD, 10 min).  I'm Not a Russian, But I Play One on TV (SD, 5 min).  Trailer (SD, 2 min).  In truth, there is nothing particularly special or unique about Walter Hill's Red Heat , as it is the fairly standard, predictable buddy-cop formula. Nevertheless, Hill injects the conventional with topical international intrigue and the police procedural while also allowing Arnold Schwarzenegger the opportunity to flex his comedic muscles opposite Jim Belushi. The cult action favorite stirs some chaos on Ultra HD packing a generally good-looking 4K Dolby Vision presentation that delivers a notable improvement over its Blu-ray counterpart and the same, strong DTS-HD MA soundtrack as before. All in all, the overall UHD package is worth a look for fans looking to upgrade their previous HD version.  Bringing you the best reviews of 4k and high definition entertainment 4k ultra hd news. The latest 4K Ultra HD News 4K Ultra HD In Stores This Week New Releases on 4K Ultra HD 4K Ultra HD Coming Soon to Stores Upcoming Releases on 4K Ultra HD The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter site categories Venice diary day 3: sex and controversy, a pizza for matteo, diapers on the red carpet. As Nicole Kidman's racy 'Babygirl' hits the Lido, things are heating up in Venice — both onscreen and off. By Federica Polidoro Federica Polidoro Share on Facebook Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Some Like it Hot (Some Don’t) Related Stories Why director jon watts turned his back on marvel to make 'wolfs' with brad pitt and george clooney, harmony korine puffs cigar, talks inspiration for first-person shooter art film 'baby invasion': "you're starting to see hollywood crumble creatively". A Pizza for Matteo In the square adjacent to the Palazzo del Casinò, amidst bland sandwiches, Styrofoam cakes and pre-cooked foods, there is a pizzeria. Orders are called out by name. “Matteo!” the waiter shouts, and eight hungry journalists rush to the counter to fight over their lunch, each grabbing a slice. If you want to get a bite at the Venice Film Festival , it’s best not to be named Matteo.   Diapers on the Red Carpet Around midnight, the festival area is almost deserted when an elderly man in diapers is seen running toward the red carpet. Having escaped from a nursing home, Alfonso was only trying to reach the beach to take a swim. The few onlookers stare in disbelief. Some Like it Hot (Some Don’t) — Part 2 Meanwhile, the biggest challenge facing most of the A-list celebs strutting their stuff on the red carpet is the sweltering heat of late summer on the Lido.  Being elaborately dressed in a gown or buttoned up in a tuxedo when the thermometer is at 92 degrees is no picnic. The weather at the festival made a number of red carpet stars look, well, a bit hot and bothered, like they couldn’t wait to have a cold shower. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter Telluride: ‘nickel boys,’ adapted from colson whitehead’s book, will challenge oscar voters, drew barrymore on why she regrets “chaste” ‘playboy’ photos: “never knew there would be an internet”, adnan syed’s murder conviction still stands in ‘serial’ case as court orders new hearing, doctor in matthew perry death probe set to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine charge, tom hanks warns fans about ai-generated ads using his likeness to sell “wonder drugs”, ‘dancing with the stars’ pro artem chigvintsev arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. 228 IMAGES Red Heat (1988) Red Heat Red Heat (1988) Red Heat (1988) Red Heat (1988) Red Heat VIDEO Red Heat Movie: How Arnold Sneak-Filmed Red Square and His Unconventional Role... Movie gem: He lives here *HEAT* (1995) is actually some HEAT... "Heat" EXPLAINED In 1 Minute Heat movie review 1995 THE HEAT Movie Review COMMENTS Red Heat movie review & film summary (1988) 106 minutes ‧ R ‧ 1988. Roger Ebert. June 17, 1988. 3 min read. "Red Heat" is not the first movie about a couple of very different cops, and it will not be the last, but as the formula goes this is a superior example. It's an action picture with a sense of humor and slyly comic performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi ... Red Heat Rated: 6.5/10 • Sep 29, 2023. Red Heat is a fast-paced action comedy, with gun fire, bursting with mishaps all around. [Full review in Spanish] Jul 7, 2022. Red Heat is a slick, effective cop ... Red Heat (1988) Red Heat: Directed by Walter Hill. With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Belushi, Peter Boyle, Ed O'Ross. A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country. Red Heat (1988) The rating I am giving is 10/10 this movie deserves it. Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko, and James Belushi, as Chicago detective Art Ridzik. Red Heat (1988 film) Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action comedy film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Walter Hill and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Soviet policeman Ivan Danko, and Jim Belushi as Chicago police detective Art Ridzik. Finding themselves on the same case, Danko and Ridzik work as partners to catch a cunning and deadly Georgian drug kingpin, Viktor Rostavili (), who killed Danko's ... Red Heat (1988) Red Heat (1988) One thing we've learned from the movies is that cops often come from faraway lands to follow a fugitive or transfer prisoners back to their jurisdictions, and when they do that they have to team with a screw-up from the local department and at first they hate each other and say ignorant things but over time the screw-up will ... Red Heat Red Heat is a slick, effective cop movie, revealing that Schwarzenegger could dominate the screen given a role tailored to his unique style. Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 18, 2022. Ed ... Red Heat OriginalDanger. Jul 1, 2020. Red Heat is a 1988 action thriller film directed by 48 Hrs director, Walter Hill.... You can see some of his trademark elements from Another 48 Hrs in Red Heat, Ed O'Ross is in it and the basic feel and horrible look of Red Heat and the shootout scenes... Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Laurence Fishburne ... Red Heat (1988) Film Reviews Red Heat, released in 1988, is an action-packed buddy cop film that combines the talents of Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Belushi in a Cold War setting. Directed by Walter Hill, the film follows the unlikely partnership between a tough Russian police captain, Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and a wisecracking Chicago detective, Art Ridzik ... Red Heat (1988) Red Heat. 61. Metascore. 13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com. 75. Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert. The film is punctuated by violence, a great deal of violence, although most of it is exaggerated comic-book style instead of being truly gruesome. Walking that fine line is a speciality of Hill, who once simulated the sound of a fist on a chin ... Red Heat 4K Blu-ray Review By 1988, Arnie was on fire.Conan in '82, Terminator in '84, Commando in '85, Raw Deal in '86, The Running Man AND Predator in '87, then Twins AND Red Heat in '87. It was a fierce quest to dominate the Box Office in terms of his trademark action vehicles, and he would prove unstoppable for a whole 10 years, all the way through a career-high sci-fi actioner in Total Recall (possibly bested only ... ‎Red Heat (1988) directed by Walter Hill • Reviews, film + cast Synopsis. Moscow's toughest detective. Chicago's craziest cop. There's only one thing worse than making them mad. Making them partners. A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country. Remove Ads ... REVIEW: Red Heat (1988) REVIEW: Red Heat (1988) Among Arnold Schwarzenegger's pantheon of 1980s action characters, Russian police detective Ivan Danko is undoubtedly one of the more obscure. Paired up with James Belushi's jaded American cop Art Ridzik in Walter Hill's Red Heat (1988), he did not resonate with audiences beyond the borders of his one film - and ... Red Heat (1988) In this episode of Bags of Action we review Red Heat from 1988 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Ed O'Ross, Peter Boyle, Gina Gershon and Lauren... Red Heat UHD Movie Reviews; 3.5 Stars Who is ... The 80s produced some of the best buddy cop flicks ever and Red Heat fit right in with them, cementing Scwarzeneggar's capability of mixing up comedy with action. All while introducing Americans to an opening and more approachable side of Moscow, being the first Hollywood film to ever shoot in Red ... Red Heat RED HEAT opens in Moscow (where, for the first time, an American production was allowed to film in Red Square) as dedicated police captain Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger) tracks down drug ... Red Heat (1988) Visit the movie page for 'Red Heat' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. Watch trailers, exclusive interviews, and movie review. Your guide to this cinematic ... Red Heat (1988) Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko, and James Belushi, as Chicago detective Art Ridzik. Finding themselves on the same case, Danko and Ridzik work as partners to catch a cunning and deadly Soviet Georgian drug kingpin, Viktor Rostavili (Ed O ... Red Heat 4K Ultra HD Review VIDEO - 4.0/5. Lionsgate releases Red Heat onto 4K Ultra HD where it's presented with a 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p high-definition transfer (HEVC/H.265 codec). The picture quality here is decent though not sure it's a big improvement over a properly transferred Blu-ray where the old one was stricken with the tools the studio ... Red Heat (1988) Movie Review Red Heat is a 1988 American buddy cop action film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko, and James Belushi... Customer Reviews: Red Heat (1988) When people think of 80's action movies, you can't NOT think of Arnold. But Red Heat seems to be that movie that people sometimes forget about. While this movie has all the earmarks of your standard action movie, the pairing of Schwarzenegger and Belushi is a combination that strangely works extremely well. Red Heat Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings Walter Hill's Red Heat to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a flyer for a Digital Copy. The code can be redeemed via moviesredeem.com or through VUDU, but only the 1080p HD version with legacy Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio is available. The triple-layered UHD100 disc sits comfortably opposite ... Red Heat Again, like all 80s Action, Red Heat just rails and rails against liberal judges who are soft on crime. Belushi makes a big drug bust where the guys not only have 30 guns, a few hundred grand in cash and a small mountain of cocaine, but one of the bad dudes starts popping off shotgun rounds (he of course misses everyone in the five-foot wide room). Venice Diary Day 3: Nicole Kidman's 'Babygirl' Divides Audiences Venice Diary Day 3: Sex and Controversy, A Pizza for Matteo, Diapers on the Red Carpet. As Nicole Kidman's racy 'Babygirl' hits the Lido, things are heating up in Venice — both onscreen and off. assignment essay homework paper phd resume review speech thesis