Best movie ever!

An Exercise In Nonsense

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

When one thinks of Sylvester Stallone they think of Rambo or Rocky or one of his many other action avatars but this film Night Hawks is where he gives one of his most underrated performances. He plays a conservative cop trying to catch an international terrorist in his city. Rutger Hauer is another actor who is better known in films like Blade Runner but he is absolutely sublime here as the bad guy. The pacing is good and the film has that raw gritty look of early 80s. If you haven't already then you should check out Night Hawks.

Here's another oldie, which makes you realizes how terrorism is today. Here's also a chance to see a bearded Stallone in top form. I couldn't believe how good he was in this, which this would have to rack amongst his top performances. He ACTS, with fine support by Nigel Davernport, also strong as a terrorist expert, where baddie Hauer has been blowing up buildings, and taking innocent peoples live's in a ploy for media attention, which is something he definitely gets. Billy Dee Williams is okay as Stallone's partner, where Hauer makes a pretty creepy villain, but a human one too, quite outsmarted, in the climax, which you won't see coming, believe me. The last twenty 20 minute cable car scene with madman takes hostages, makes quite thrilling viewing, mainly cause of Hauer's intentions. He's in cahoots with another woman terrorist. This solid action thriller, of many years gone by, reminds you of just what animals these people are. Lindsay Wagner I felt was wasted in this, only cause of her limited scenes, but it's Stallone who really impresses. You should watch this movie, just for him, as it's a rarity to watch him act this good. The scenes with Davernport educating Stallone and co., was interesting, as was the differences of opinions. A raw, compact drama, and just another examples are fine film making, 80's style.

Nighthawks (1981)** (out of 4)Average thriller has a psychotic terrorist (Rutger Hauer) arriving in New York City where he plans on spreading terror. It's up to a couple New York cops (Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams) to try and stop him.NIGHTHAWKS isn't an awful movie but at the same time it's far from being a good one. The film will appeal to fans of the 80's action movies where there was a lot of sleaze and violence. Apparently this film was trimmed by the studio before it went to the MPAA and then it had to be trimmed again when it got a X-rating. One really has to wonder what was actually cut because the film isn't all that violent and especially when compared to several other action films from this period.With that said, the best thing about the picture is certainly the cast who at least keep the film mildly entertaining. Stallone is in good form as the cop with baggage and Billy Dee Williams makes for a good partner. The two of them are fun to watch and I also enjoyed Nigel Davenport and Joe Spinell in their roles. Hauer was a genius when it came to playing cold-blooded bad guys and he does a nice job with the role of the terrorist. Again, rumor has it that he was stealing the picture so Stallone had a lot of his scenes trimmed and cut as well.The biggest problem with NIGHTHAWKS is the direction, which is all over the place and the fact that there's never any tension. Again, who knows how much was actually cut but what remains in the film is just not that stylish and I'd argue it's certainly not intense. It's really too bad the film plays out as bland as it does because the cast and locations are so good that one wishes the story and direction were better.

I have just watched this film again tonight after a too long a time. Excellent. A terse drama which never lets,even Stallone's romance with Lindsay Wagner is not interrupted by any interludes. For me it is perhaps Stallone's best film,a lot more believable than any of his action films and it had some enlightened moments (at the beginning of the film,Stallone in drag dragging a hoodlum along a railway platform). I am a bit wary of remakes,but after 34 years this is perhaps due for one but with a new cast. Just one little query. In the IMDb,our very own Edward Fox is listed as an ATAC member. Was he is the film (although I didn't see him) and if so,was it a nod towards Fox's career changing role in The Day of The Jackal?