Bulging at the Seams 4 Star Road Trip Movie

This 1988 classic road movie from director Martin Brest (Beverly Hills Cop, Scent of a Woman, Meet Joe Black) came in the midst of the road trip film era with 48 Hrs (1982) the first that I watched at the cinema, this amazingly funny film seemed to rekindle the genre as Another 48 Hrs followed in 1990.

With Robert De Niro (Righteous Kill) in the lead and Charles Grodin (Rosemary’s Baby) as his batting partner, this a comic timing godsend as the action is fast paced and there is always a twist and turn to take on any road trip.

Jack Walsh (De Niro) is an ex Chicago cop whose moral standing put him at odds with all around him. Now he is a bounty hunter, (a good one at that) with a cigarette product placement fetish.

He takes contracts from Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano, Memento) and this one is the big one. For $100,000 he has to find the bail jumper that has cost Eddie in excess of $400,000.

This bail jumper is Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Grodin), the accountant that stole $15,000,000,000 from the Mob (dumb guy, huh). After jumping bail he has disappeared without trace and Jack has to find him and get him to LA in five days, Friday.

With the FBI and the Mob he stole from failing to find him, Jack has his work cut out (you would have thought), but Jack is a very resourceful man and he soon has his quarry in custody. Now he is in New York with a time limit, but the plane will get him to L.A in no time at all.

So with the thoughts of his own coffee shop and retirement from bounty hunting, he phones Eddie (Jack Kehoe, The Untouchables) but gets Jerry, Eddies work associate who hears the great news and decides to go and buy something to celebrate. But across the road in a dirty van people are listening in and are embarrassed at Jacks deductive prowess. So when the plane lands the FBI and the Mob are waiting, but the pair are not on it.

What has happened to the fugitive and his captor? Apparently The Duke can’t fly so they must make their way across country with the clock ticking and everybody on their heels.

Can FBI man Alonzo Mosely (Yaphet Kotto, Alien) who does a poor impression of the abilities of our hero, catch and put the Duke in protective custody to testify against Vegas Mob boss Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina, Saving Private Ryan) who has sent his most trusted goons Tony (Richard Foronjy, Carlito’s Way) and Joey (Robert Miranda, Eraser) to put the final nail in Jonathans’ coffin?

The biggest thorn in Jacks side is a fellow bounty hunter that Eddie employs, Marvin (John Ashton, Beverly Hills Cop), who Eddie uses as a violent backup when he thinks things are going pear shaped, which they do whenever he gets involved.

Will Jack get his 100 Grand or will his dreams get dashed with everybody out to stop him, permanently in some cases.

A definite one for your Blu-ray shelf as it has been brought up to date in crispy road-tripyness.

Available to Order Now.