48 Hrs. - 4K Restoration

Can I have my light back, Reggie?

With guns blazing and fierce energy kicking about in its insides Walter Hill’s 48 Hrs. is a violent and truly funny action comedy.  When it was originally release, it was the movie which rocketed Eddie Murphy to stardom thanks to his performance on the unlikely ride along with the hard-edged Nick Nolte.  

"48 Hrs is a certifiable classic movie.  End of story."


This is what happens when two good cops, Detective Algren (Jonathan Banks) and Detective Van Zant (James Keane), get gunned down when trying to capture escaped convict Albert Ganz (James Remar, who didn't sleep during the making of the movie to give his character a crazy appearance) and his associates.  The shootout in the Walden Hotel is powerful and brutal as blood flies all over the place with each piercing bullet.  And Inspector Jack Cates (Nolte) of the San Francisco Police Department was there to watch it all.

Now, he’s hellbent on getting revenge.  A cop of the edge who wants to get revenge?  Okay, so it isn't all that original, but 48 Hrs. does everything correctly.

There is a crook on the loose!  Which is why he pulls con Reggie Hammond (Murphy) from the joint.  Reggie wants Ganz back in jail just as bad as Cates.  Their partnership, lasting the 48 hours that Hammond is in Cates’ care, is immediately at odds . . . in a very tense and hilarious way.  The acting dynamics between Murphy and Nolte is quite on fire throughout the action comedy and - as they run down all known associates of Ganz, which includes Luther (David Patrick Kelly of Twin Peaks fame), - they don’t grow any more fond of each other.

Walter Hill knows his way around an action movie and his skills don’t disappoint in the action which - especially for 1982 - hits both hard and fast.  He doesn’t know what to do with his actresses - which include Annette O’Toole, Kerry Sherman, Margot Rose, and Denise Crosby who would later star in Star Trek: The Next Generation - but he more than makes up for that with keyed-in choreography when it comes to the action beats. 48 Hrs. - 4K Restoration

These two make for a true odd couple.  They might have different objectives, but they need each other as they scour the streets of San Francisco in the ongoing search for Ganz and his friend Billy Bear (Sonny Landham), the tall Native American who helped break him out of the chain gang.

From an on-point takedown in a redneck dive where Murphy pats down all the racists present to the constant back-and-forth banter between Murphy and Nolte (which, yes, includes a bare-knuckled brawl between the two and more than a few choice slur words thrown out), 48 Hrs takes a lot of shit these days for being poorly made, but I just don’t see it.  This is Walter Hill’s attempt to update his usual violent and chauvinistic characters and the natural chemistry between the two - which eventually led to Another 48 Hrs. - is beyond exhilarating . . . especially with this new 4K restoration from Paramount.

Originally developed for Clint Eastwood and Richard Pryor in the 1970s, 48 Hrs. benefits from the delay as both Nolte and Murphy elevate their roles with solid performances that will never be forgotten.  This film is now a piece of history.  Even its score, which features James Horner experimenting with low sounds, avant-garde instruments, and piano flutters, works to create an unforgettable atmosphere.

48 Hrs is a certifiable classic movie.  End of story. Paramount Presents’ new 4K transfer of 48 Hrs and its sequel, Another 48 Hrs, are both now available.

1/5 stars

48 Hrs. - 4K Restoration

Blu-ray Details

Home Video Distributor: Paramount
Available on Blu-ray
- July 6, 2021
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
Audio:
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1; German: Dolby Digital 2.0; German: Dolby Digital 2.0; Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0; Music: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Eddie Murphy rocketed to movie star status (and earned a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination) in this acclaimed action comedy that pushes the limits of both genres. Nick Nolte is unforgettable as Jack Cates, a rough-edged Inspector on the hunt for two vicious cop-killers. Unlikely ride-along con Reggie Hammond (Murphy), is given 48-hour leave from prison to help Cates on the case. The laughs fly almost as much as the punches, as both men attempt two very different goals in a short amount of time. Restored from a new 4K film transfer and packed with all-new special features featuring director Walter Hill, this Paramount Presents edition of 48 Hrs. is an essential upgrade of a high-octane classic. 

Video:

This brand-new HD release of 48 Hrs. sports a brand-new restoration by Paramount from a 4K scan of the original negative.  Fans of Trading Places already know what a Murphy-led restoration looks like.  This one is pretty fantastic.  Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio utilizing the AVC codec, the images are crisp and full of colors.  Black levels are always sturdy and layered as the neon colors of the lights in this endless night of cat and mouse chasing falls all around.  There are some scenes where the colors land bold, bright, and shadows are thick with lines and deep blacks. 

Audio:

James Horner’s on-point score sounds fantastic on this robust Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

This release includes all-new supplemental items from Walter Hill, who talks about the making of the movie.

  • FILMMAKER FOCUS: Director Walter Hill on 48 HRS.
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Space Kid [original 1966 animated short]

Blu-ray Rating

  Movie 5/5 stars
  Video  5/5 stars
  Audio 5/5 stars
  Extras 4/5 stars

Composite Blu-ray Grade

5/5 stars


Film Details

48 Hrs. - 4K Restoration

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
94 mins
Director
: Walter Hill
Writer:
Roger Spottiswoode; Walter Hill; Larry Gross
Cast:
Nick Nolte; Eddie Murphy; Annette O'Toole
Genre
: Crime | Action
Tagline:
Theboys are back in town.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I've been in prison for three years. My dick gets hard if the wind blows."
Theatrical Distributor:
Paramount
Official Site:
Release Date:
December 8, 1982
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
July 6, 2021.
Synopsis: Nick Nolte is unforgettable as Jack Cates, a rough-edged Inspector on the hunt for two vicious cop-killers. Unlikely ride-along con Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy), is given 48-hour leave from prison to help Cates on the case. The laughs fly almost as much as the punches, as both men pursue two very different goals in a short amount of time.

Art

48 Hrs. - 4K Restoration