48 Hours

Hard-boiled, no-nonsense cop Jack Cates is on the trail of two crazed killers, one of whom has escaped from prison. Desperate to find the psycho pair before they kill more cops and innocent bystanders, he decides that the only way to do it is to get high-octane, wiseacre con man Reggie Hammond out of prison. Unfortunately, the courts will only let Cates have Hammond for 48 hours. At first the cop and his unwilling sidekick despise each other, but as they endure a series of misadventures, a tentative bond begins to form. A fast-paced, lively blend of comedy, action and drama, 48 Hours marks the feature-film debut of comedian Eddie Murphy. With high-energy antics and a constant barrage of well-placed barbs, Murphy is the perfect foil for the nail-tough and somewhat laid-back demeanor of Nolte whose performance is as subtle as Murphy's is outrageous.