Woodyanders Review of Tango & Cash

Tango & Cash (1989)

An immensely entertaining late 80's buddy cop action comedy treat

[8/10 · 11 January 2009]

Neat, dapper, suave Ray Tango (a pleasingly wry performance by Sylvester Stallone) and loud, boorish, scruffy Gabe Cash (Kurt Russell in peak slobby form) are the two top cops in Los Angeles. The mismatched "Odd Couple"-style pair get sent to prison on trumped-up charges by cunning crime kingpin Yves Perret (essayed with deliciously hammy brio by Jack Palance). The duo escape from the joint and go after Perret. Director Andrei Konchavlovsky, working from a witty script by Randy Feldman, keeps the snappy pace hurtling along at a nonstop breakneck pace, stages the rousing action set pieces with rip-roaring verve (a protracted prison breakout and the wild pull out all the stops explosive finale rate as the definite heart-pounding highlights), and maintains a cheerfully ridiculous tongue-in-cheek tone throughout. The excellent cast of familiar faces further energize the lively proceedings: Stallone and Russell have an absolute blast sending up their larger-than-life macho screen images, the insanely foxy Teri Hatcher lights up the screen as Tango's sweet hottie dancer sister Katherine, Brion James sports a red ponytail and an alarmingly atrocious British accent as Perret's slimy limey henchman Requin, the enormous Robert Z'Dar displays all the galvanizing ferocity of a rabid pit bull as vicious hoodlum Face, and Michael J. Pollard contributes an amusing turn as flaky weapons master Owen. Moreover, we've got nifty support from Geoffrey Lewis as Ray's disapproving superior Captain Schroeder, Eddie Bunker as the gruff Captain Holmes, James Hong as smooth crime lord Quan, Marc Alaimo as antsy fellow underworld boss Lopez, and Clint Howard as deranged psycho convict Slinky. Better still, there's even a hysterically over-pronounced streak of rampant homoeroticism complete with the inevitable prison shower scene and an especially gut-busting piece of cross-dressing courtesy of Kurt Russell. Donald E. Thorin's slick cinematography gives the picture an attractive glossy look. Harold Faltermeyer's jaunty, rousing score likewise hits the exciting spot. A really fun flick.