Bovie Movie

This routine fish-out-of-water thriller from director Walter Hill offered Arnold Schwarzenegger one of his more interesting action roles before he became a superstar. Playing a stony, monosyllabic Soviet cop poses no real acting problems for the big man, and in James Belushi he has an agreeably foul-mouthed foil, as the pair team up to hunt for an escaped Russian drug dealer. Hill stages a series of entertainingly violent and increasingly silly set pieces, and there’s an eclectic support cast that includes Peter Boyle, Gina Gershon and Laurence Fishburne, when he was still calling himself Larry. 

Director Jan De Bont’s listlessly routine sequel to his own powerhouse original is a massive disappointment. Sandra Bullock reprises her role as Annie Porter who, with cop boyfriend Jason Patric, boards a luxury cruise liner for a holiday. Before you can say “Where’s Keanu Reeves?”, disgruntled computer genius Willem Dafoe puts his extortion plan into operation and turns their voyage into a titanic nightmare. Bloated set pieces and predictable suspense scupper De Bont’s waterlogged effort to re-create on sea what worked so brilliantly on land. Familiarity quickly breeds contempt, with Bullock rather obviously just along for the ride. 

This charming throwback to the screwball comedies of the 1930s is one of the better vehicles designed for Goldie Hawn. She plays a pampered heiress to a fortune, who loses her memory after falling off her luxury yacht. Carpenter Kurt Russell, who had clashed with her earlier, sees the chance for revenge and convinces her that she is his wife. The chemistry between the two stars (a couple in real life) is complemented by the performances of an experienced supporting cast that includes Katherine Helmond, Roddy McDowall and Edward Herrmann. It’s slickly directed by Garry Marshall, who juggles the sharp repartee and knockabout slapstick with ease.