Red Heat Is an Underappreciated Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie 35 Years Later

comingsoon.net:

35 years on, is an old-fashioned action extravaganza that still packs a punch.

This underrated Arnold Schwarzenegger film teams up the larger-than-life star with the irrepressible Jim Belushi. Directed by the brilliant Walter Hill — creative force behind 48 Hrs. and The Warriors — this explosive 1988 flick is an adrenaline-fueled adventure filled. It’s laced with bone-crunching violence, along with a deadly serious tone that rivals the intensity of the director’s other works.

Hill delves into a copper culture clash, as Arnold’s stoic Soviet officer joins forces with Belushi’s laid-back Chicago detective. Together, they team to topple a ruthless drug kingpin once and for all. It’s the perfect setup to showcase each actor’s undeniable creative talents.

Arnold attacks the role of Captain Ivan Danko with feverish delight. Gone are the snazzy one-liners and goofy shenanigans that defined his later career. Instead, he delivers a powerhouse performance that hearkens back to the raw intensity of his original Terminator.From the moment he strides into a Soviet bathhouse and unleashes a storm of bone-crushing blows, Arnold commands the screen like a force of nature.Danko may not go down as a classic Arnold character, but you learn to love him despite his ice-cold personality.

Belushi, likewise, is terrific as the wise-cracking partner. In the film’s promotional material, Arnold humorously refers to him as the worst cop in Chicago.That’s not exactly the case — Art is far from inept. Sure, he may have a short fuse that can ignite with the mention of his mother — especially in Russian — and a rebellious streak that challenges authority. When it comes down to it, though, he’s damn good at his job. Belushi injects Art with a magnetic