Tango and Cash (1989) - Starring Sylvester Stallone & Kurt Russell - Drugs, prisoners and detectives

This time, Sly pairs up with Kurt Russell. The duo are detectives with the LAPD narcotics department. Given that drugs have always been big in LA, and are also a recurrent theme in Sly’s movies, he is sending out a message to audiences to steer clear away from the death knell.
Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Gabriel Cash (Kurt Russell) are hardnosed detectives who have constantly been in the news for heckling drug kingpin Yves Perret (Jack Palance), within the legal ambit, performing separately in different zones. They come face to face after a tip off that a drug deal is going to take place at an unspecified location one night. The two reach the place, only to discover the presence of a corpse, already wire taped; the FBI arrives on the crime scene, puts two and two together, and arrests the detectives.
The Federal Agents finds Cash’s weapon and makes the arrest as the evidence against the two is incriminating - especially with an audio tape given to Agent Wyler (Lewis Arquette) by one of Perret’s stooges, a guy called Requin (Brion James). In the tape, when presented in court, it is heard that Detective Gabriel Cash and Detective Tango are heard to be discussing the purchase of narcotics, and the sound of the shooting of the man (an FBI Agent, nonetheless) are both clear and evident. Tango and Cash are transported to a maximum security prison, after they plead to lesser charges. They are to be housed with the many hardened criminals they themselves have arrested in the past - and the men are waiting for their pound of flesh each (it can be pretty difficult for policemen who have been sentenced and sent to jail)!




Obviously, not ones to lose the chance of getting even with their enemies, the prisoners, led by Requin, beat the duo up, till the fighting is disrupted by the assistant prison warden Matt Sokowski (who was also Cash’s commanding officer at one point in time). Matt is understanding, and knows that the men will come after the duo again, and might end up killing them this time - he suggests they hatch a plan to escape – Tango does not acquiesce and refuses to go along with the plan; he is certain that they would not be successful. Cash, however, tries to make a run for it, in the chaos that ensues; the prisoners murder Matt and are baying for Cash’s blood as well. Luckily, Ray Tango comes to his rescue and they manage to escape the prison.
Once safe and away from the prison, they part ways, but not before Ray tells Gabriel that should he need him, he must go to the Cleopatra Club and ask for Katherine. They now make certain to bring to task the guys who framed them - Requin tops the list, of course! When they catch up with him, Agent Wyler admits that he was hand-in-glove with Perret, and that the court audio expert Skinner (Michael Jetter) is also in on the deal with the drug lord, and had engineered the tape to trap the detectives. Cash meets Kiki, aka Katherine Tango, Ray’s sister, who helps him escape the Cleopatra when police raids the premises.
 Tango and Cash meet up at Kiki’s house, and Captain Schroeder (Geoffrey Lewis), Tango’s commanding officer, gives them twenty four hours to trace Requin and sort him out. Owen (Michael J.Pollard) who is a weapons expert, arms the two detectives with a high assault vehicle, they trash Perret’s headquarters, unaware that the villain has abducted Kiki and that the building where he is holding her hostage will self destruct with the timer he has; Tango and Cash beat up Requin and his fellow goon, and shoot Perret as he holds a knife to Kiki, the trio escapes, and the building crashes down after them.
Like almost every film of his, critical appreciation always eludes Stallone, but the fans keep proving the critics wrong! Tango and Cash is yet another example of Sylvester’s raging success during that phase and his appeal with audiences worldwide.

The Amsterdam Kill (released in 1977) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Richard Edgan and Leslie Nielsen

Directed by Robert Clouse, The Amsterdam Kill was filmed on location in Hong Kong and Amsterdam. Clouse also directed "Enter the Dragon" and "Black Belt Jones." Quinlan (played by Robert Mitchum) is a dishonored former DEA agent, his service record tarnished after he stole drug money. Although he’s been ‘ignobly discharged’ - he’s still all good inside, a little more honest than the other average cop you may know - rising to the occasion if the situation (and sometimes his pocket) so demands - the lesser of the devils.
He is contacted by an aging drug baron by the name of Chun Wei (played by Keye Luke) to help him uncover who is behind the murder of heroin dealers, in both Hong Kong and Amsterdam, from where Chun operates and manages one of the largest drug cartels. Wie wants to do all this ratting for a cushy price: he wants a US passport, one way ticket to New York’s Chinatown and not surprisingly, a whole lot of dollars. Quinlan is also re-hired by the DEA who want to make use of his knowledge as an ex-agent; the Department wants him to give information regarding the drug network in Hong Kong as well as Europe. He assists Chun Wei, as well as his former boss Odums (played by Bradford Dillman) and colleague Ridgeway (played by Richard Edgan), he is especially looking forward to show down the pretentious DEA honcho Riley Knight (played by Leslie Nielsen).
With information supplied by Chun, which Quinlan promptly passes onto the DEA, a noticeable number of cartels are actually busted and put out of business. However, rogue elements within the system pass on prior information about one such raid, and reacting to the tip off, the drug dealers ambush agents and policemen in a drug laboratory. When the agents conduct a raid, two agents are lost in combat - this makes Quinlan’s credibility questionable, and he realizes it would take a lot for him to regain their trust, and that most of them do not consider him to be anything but a nuisance. Chun Wei is also tracked down by the dealers, and meets a watery end in a bathtub.




Odums, who heads the US DEA in Hong Kong, tells Quinlan to come over, in order to find out who is responsible for the leaks; the ex agent flies down from London, and is attacked on numerous occasions by unknown assailants, and has miscellaneous violent encounters while in the City. After a number of red herrings and dead leads (quite literally, as the body count increases), Quinlan stumbles upon the word Juliana, the trail leads to the Venice of the North - aka Amsterdam. An eminent, hot shot political czar is vying for all the share of the drug trafficking. However the nameless person commits suicide before he can be apprehended by the law enforcing agencies.
One thing’s for certain, the DEA guys aren’t on his side, so Quinlan seeks help from a former dealer and close friend of his - Jimmy Wong (George Cheung). They soon discover the reason why the detection dogs are unable to sniff out drugs: the flower trade involves more than just ordinary flowers - the drugs are planted inside flower pots to avoid them being discovered. Quinlan and Jimmy singlehandedly, without help from local or US authorities, are able to bust a huge stash at a greenhouse in Amsterdam. The film was rumored to have its fight sequences chalked out and enacted by none other than Bruce Lee and Sammo Hung - the reality however, remains unknown. It is also rumored that Mitchum commented he did the film for money, and wasn’t really happy with neither the treatment of his character onscreen nor the treatment he received as Hollywood guy in Hong Kong.

Clear and Present Danger (1994) - Starring Harrison Ford and Anne Archer, a fight against the drug scene

This movie is adapted from the book by Tom Clancy and is a sequel to the hit patriotic Games. Directed by Phillip Noyce it starts Harrison Ford, Ann Archer, and Henry Czerny. It deals with the struggle of Jack Ryan, the US intelligence chief against the Columbian drug cartels.
Jack Ryan is appointed as the Deputy Director (Intelligence) after his boss is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In the mean time, one of the President's close friends are found murdered by the Deli drug cartel of Columbia. The President considers the drug cartels to be of clear and present danger to the United States and asks the security advisor to bring down the cartels. Cutter, the security advisor selects Jack to head the operations and he is presented with the task of getting congressional approval. Jack gets the approval and the funds required for the operation provided no troops and black ops are used in that country.
Cutter to keep jack out of the loop engages the CIA deputy director Ritter for a parallel operations. Ritter and a secret field operative Clark under take the mission and travel to Columbia to disarm the drug cartels.



The king pin of one of the gangs Ernesto Escobedo looses 600 million dollars due to the freezing of his assets. He deputes Felix Cortex his intelligence chief to sort out the problem. Cortex acts as a romantic interest to Moira Wolfson the secretary of FBI director Emil Jacobs and gets the inside information about Ritter's operations. Cortex has an hidden agenda, as to head the drug cartels himself. To fulfill his ambitions he assassinates Emil Jacobs in a car bomb accident in which only Jack Ryan survives. An enraged United States orders the bombing of the Cartels. In this operation many drug lords and innocent men and women are massacred. Cutter is dismayed but keeps Jack off the information.
Jack and Cortex find out that the the US Government had ordered the killings. Cortex inks a deal with Cutter, to cut down the US operation in return for the lesser degree of drug shipments to the US. He also promises that the drug cartels will give an impression of the US wining the drug war to dupe the public. Cutter agrees and ask Ritter to delete the files.
Jack hacks in to Ritter's files and confronts him about the duplicity. Ritter taunts him saying that he has permission to act from the President himself and Jack would be responsible for all his actions, as he had asked for funding from the Congress. In the mean time the foot soldiers lead by John Clark are ambushed and Jack leaves to save them. He convinces Clark and the soldiers about Ritter's cunning and they decide to unmask him.
Jack provided Escobedo with Cortez's activities and the enraged Escobedo orders his execution. Cortex kills Escobedo and is in turn killed by Clark's men. Ryan and co escape from Columbia with the prisoners and reach the States. Jack confronts the President about his culpability and is offered favors. A disgusted Jack declines and leaves the President to depose before a congressional committee. This was a big box office success and was followed by the prequel Sum Of All Fears in 2002. A good movie for all action buff's.

Witness (released in 1985) - Starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, protecting a young witness

A thriller directed by Peter Weir starring Harrison Ford, Kelly Macgillis and Lukas Haas, it was released in 1985 to critical and box office acclaim.
The plot involves a young Amish widow Rachel Lapp who is taking her son Samuel for a trip to Baltimore to see the outside world. Samuel in the rest room witness a murder of a police officer Zenovich. Samuel sees only one of the murderers who happens to be a tall black man. Rachel and Samuel are taken by the police as witnesses and are introduced to captain John Book and Sergeant Carter. Samuel as the principal witness has to identify the killer and fails to find the right man in the police line-up. As he saunters around in the police head quarters he sees a newspaper clipping of a police officer Mcfee and recognizes him as the killer.
Book reports this development to his superior, Captain Paul Schaffer and is asked to investigate further. He informs Book, that Mcfee had raided a drug hideout and did not report his findings. Zenovich was killed for investigating Mcfee's drug offenses. Schaffer advices Book to keep the report a secret, till they can find some clinching evidence.



Book escorts Rachel and Samuel to a safe hotel where they are ambushed by Mcfee. Book shoots Mcfee and realizes that Schaffer would be the traitor. Book seriously wounded decides to go in to hiding with the Lapps. He calls up Carter and asks him to remove all the files relating to the Lapp's and his investigations. Book informs Rachel about the situation and escorts them to their home in Lancaster city.
A severely wounded Book, tries to leave the Amish colony after he ha safely escorted the Lapps. But he faints having lost a lot of blood and Rachel's father in-law reluctantly agrees to keep him there. As he recovers he helps Eli, Rachel's father-in-law around the house doing small carpentry and other odd jobs. He finds it difficult to adjust to the Amish way of life, but soon it grows on him. He takes Samuel under his wing and bond starts to develop between them.
Various culture clashes happens as Book adjusts himself to the Amish way. He is forced to surrender his fire arm as the Amish believe in non violence. He does the community jobs like building towers for residents and Samuel helps him to work the machines like a silo. Book enjoys his life with the Amish and also develops a soft corner for Rachel. He also fights others who mock the Amish. Rachel and Book are attracted to each other to the discomfiture of her suiter Hockleitner. Eli and other residents also disapprove of this alliance.
Book in the mean time telephones Carter for information and the villains kill him. Realizing that the game has gone too far, he calls up Schaffer and challenges him. Soon Schaffer and Co reach Lancaster and both Mcfee and Fergie are killed. Schaffer holds Rachel hostage, but the arrival of all residents, make him realize that his game is up. Book arrests and hands him to the Sheriff. But he also comes to the understanding that he cannot be part of the Amish for ever, and returns to the world with his love for Rachel.
Witness was a box office winner and was also nominated for 8 academy awards wining two for the best screen play and editing. It was also a toast at the BAFTA Awards. A good simple movie.