Buddy cop film
Encyclopedia
The "buddy cop" is a subgenre of buddy film
s and crime films with plots involving two men of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. The two men are normally cops, but some films, such as 48 Hrs.
(cop and an ex-con), that are not about two cops may still be referred to as a buddy cop film, or as a member of a larger genre known as buddy films.
Frequently, although not always, the two heroes are of different ethnicity or cultures. However, regardless of ethnicity, the central difference is normally that one is "wilder" than the other: a hot-tempered iconoclast
is paired with a more even-tempered partner. Often the "wilder" partner is the younger of the two, with the even-tempered partner having more patience and experience. These films sometimes also contain a variation on the good cop/bad cop
motif, in which one partner is kinder and law-abiding, while the other is a streetwise, "old school" police officer who tends to break (or at least bend) the rules. Another frequent plot device of this genre is for one of the men be removed from his natural element: sometimes in a foreign country or new city, a "desk jockey" used to paperwork being forced into the field, or a rookie or non-cop partner who is unfamiliar with police work. When this is done, the other man acts as a guide to the unfamiliar.
In his review of Rush Hour, Roger Ebert
coined the term "Wunza Movie" to describe this subgenre, a pun on the phrase "One's a..." that could be used to describe the contrasts between the two characters in a typical film.
The cliché was satirized in the film Last Action Hero
. While the movie in itself was a buddy cop film (i.e. pairing a fictional cop with a real world boy), the film's police department obligatorily assigned all cops a conflicting buddy to work with.
A subgenre of the buddy cop film is the buddy cop-dog movie, which teams a cop with a dog
, but uses the same element of unlikely partnership to create comedic hijinks. Examples include Turner & Hooch
, Top Dog
and K-9
.
, and to a lesser extent, Miami Vice
.
In the Heat of the Night was one of the earliest films of the genre, while the 1982 film 48 Hrs.
, starring Eddie Murphy
and Nick Nolte
, is one of the most successful.
, Jay Sherman reviews a sub par movie titled "Dirty Harry K-9-Robo-Cop-and-a-half 2" in which the title parodies numerous "buddy cop" films. In the film within a television show within a television show, Dirty Harry
's constant loss of partners forces the police captain to team him with "a woman, a cute little kid, an ugly old dog, a dinosaur, and a leprechaun (which ends up exploding)." An Arnold Schwarzenegger
character comments that he is partnered with "a pig, an alien, Siamese twins, a sofa, and a second rate mime (which explodes)." The scene parodies the aspect that a "partner" in a buddy cop film can be absolutely anything, no matter how strange it is.
On sketch comedy series MADtv
, a sketch appears for the trailer of a buddy cop film parody, known as The Seven Buddy Cops. The title refers to seven actors known for buddy cop films over the years (Nick Nolte
, Eddie Murphy
, Chris Tucker
, Jackie Chan
, Owen Wilson
, Will Smith
and Tommy Lee Jones
).
National Lampoon's
Loaded Weapon 1
(1993) starring Emilio Estevez
and Samuel L. Jackson
is a parody of the Lethal Weapon franchise, pairing the uptight Det. Luger character (Jackson, inspired by Lethal Weapon's Roger Murtaugh, portrayed as a by-the-book family man) and the loose cannon Det. Colt (Estevez, inspired by Martin Riggs, and described as a burnt-out, gun-happy psycho from the Narcotics Division).
Buddy film
The buddy film is a film genre in which two people of the same sex are paired. The two often contrast in personality, which creates a different dynamic onscreen than a pairing of two people of the opposite sex. The contrast is sometimes accentuated by an ethnic difference between the two...
s and crime films with plots involving two men of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. The two men are normally cops, but some films, such as 48 Hrs.
48 Hrs.
48 Hrs. is a 1982 American action comedy film directed by Walter Hill, starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy as a cop and convict, respectively, who team up to catch a cop-killer. The title refers to the amount of time they have to solve the crime. This was Eddie Murphy's film debut , and Joel...
(cop and an ex-con), that are not about two cops may still be referred to as a buddy cop film, or as a member of a larger genre known as buddy films.
Frequently, although not always, the two heroes are of different ethnicity or cultures. However, regardless of ethnicity, the central difference is normally that one is "wilder" than the other: a hot-tempered iconoclast
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
is paired with a more even-tempered partner. Often the "wilder" partner is the younger of the two, with the even-tempered partner having more patience and experience. These films sometimes also contain a variation on the good cop/bad cop
Good cop/Bad cop
Good cop/bad cop, known in British military circles as Mutt and Jeff and also called joint questioning and friend and foe, is a psychological tactic used for interrogation....
motif, in which one partner is kinder and law-abiding, while the other is a streetwise, "old school" police officer who tends to break (or at least bend) the rules. Another frequent plot device of this genre is for one of the men be removed from his natural element: sometimes in a foreign country or new city, a "desk jockey" used to paperwork being forced into the field, or a rookie or non-cop partner who is unfamiliar with police work. When this is done, the other man acts as a guide to the unfamiliar.
In his review of Rush Hour, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
coined the term "Wunza Movie" to describe this subgenre, a pun on the phrase "One's a..." that could be used to describe the contrasts between the two characters in a typical film.
The cliché was satirized in the film Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero is a 1993 American action-comedy-fantasy film directed and produced by John McTiernan. It is a satire of the action genre and its clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film....
. While the movie in itself was a buddy cop film (i.e. pairing a fictional cop with a real world boy), the film's police department obligatorily assigned all cops a conflicting buddy to work with.
A subgenre of the buddy cop film is the buddy cop-dog movie, which teams a cop with a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, but uses the same element of unlikely partnership to create comedic hijinks. Examples include Turner & Hooch
Turner & Hooch
Turner & Hooch is a 1989 comedy film starring Tom Hanks, Mare Winningham, Craig T. Nelson, and Reginald VelJohnson. It was directed by Roger Spottiswoode; the film was originally slated to be directed by Henry Winkler, but he was terminated due to "creative differences"...
, Top Dog
Top Dog (film)
Top Dog is a 1995 comedy action film, directed by Aaron Norris and starring Chuck Norris.-Plot:The film opens as two white nationalists destroy an apartment complex where most of the residents are minorities....
and K-9
K-9 (film)
K-9 is a 1989 American action comedy film starring James Belushi and Mel Harris. Directed by Rod Daniel and written by Steven Siegel and Scott Myers, it was produced by Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon, and released by Universal City Studios...
.
Origins
Early pioneers to the buddy film/buddy cop genre include the TV series I Spy and Starsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, and to a lesser extent, Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
.
In the Heat of the Night was one of the earliest films of the genre, while the 1982 film 48 Hrs.
48 Hrs.
48 Hrs. is a 1982 American action comedy film directed by Walter Hill, starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy as a cop and convict, respectively, who team up to catch a cop-killer. The title refers to the amount of time they have to solve the crime. This was Eddie Murphy's film debut , and Joel...
, starring Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
and Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
, is one of the most successful.
Buddy cop films from US cinema
- 16 Blocks16 Blocks16 Blocks is a 2006 crime thriller film directed by Richard Donner. It stars Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse. The movie unfolds in the real time narration method.- Plot :...
(depressed angry cop, and optimistic criminal) - 48 Hrs.48 Hrs.48 Hrs. is a 1982 American action comedy film directed by Walter Hill, starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy as a cop and convict, respectively, who team up to catch a cop-killer. The title refers to the amount of time they have to solve the crime. This was Eddie Murphy's film debut , and Joel...
(1982) and Another 48 Hrs.Another 48 Hrs.Another 48 Hrs. is a 1990 action-comedy film and a sequel to the 1982 film 48 Hrs.. It was directed by Walter Hill and stars Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Andrew Divoff, and Ed O'Ross. Nolte returns as San Francisco police officer Jack Cates, who has 48 hours to clear his name from a...
(1990) (sloppy cop with slick convict) - Alien NationAlien Nation (film)Alien Nation is a 1988 American science fiction film directed by Graham Baker and produced by Gale Anne Hurd, Richard Kobritz and Bill Borden. The storyline was based on a screenplay written by Rockne S. O'Bannon. It stars James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, Terence Stamp, and Kevyn Major Howard...
(human teamed with extraterrestrial) - Bad BoysBad Boys (1995 film)Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Bad Boys IIBad Boys IIBad Boys II is a 2003 action/comedy film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. It is a sequel to the 1995 film Bad Boys. The film is about two police detectives investigating the flow of ecstasy into Miami...
(playboy teamed with family man) - Banlieue 13
- Beverly Hills CopBeverly Hills CopBeverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
and its sequels (an unorthodox, street-smart cop teams with by-the-book cops) - Big Mommas: Like Father, Like SonBig Mommas: Like Father, Like SonBig Mommas: Like Father, Like Son is a 2011 crime comedy film directed by John Whitesell and written by Matthew Fogel and Don Rhymer. The film is the second sequel to Big Momma's House and stars Martin Lawrence reprising his role as FBI agent Malcolm Turner...
(FBI agent teams with his stepson) - Black Rain (American cop teamed with Japanese)
- Blue StreakBlue Streak (film)Blue Streak is a 1999 American action comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Martin Lawrence. The film is a remake of the 1965 British film The Big Job, although the original film is uncredited...
(ex-con impersonating an officer and a newly appointed detective) - Bon Cop, Bad CopBon Cop, Bad CopBon Cop, Bad Cop is a 2006 Canadian comedy-thriller buddy cop film about an Ontarian and a Québécois police officer who reluctantly join forces. The dialogue is a mixture of English and French...
(French Canadian and English Canadian cops) - Brooklyn's FinestBrooklyn's FinestBrooklyn's Finest is a 2009 American crime film starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes in his first theatrical film since 2004's Blade: Trinity. The film also stars Will Patton, Ellen Barkin and Vincent D'Onofrio. It is directed by Antoine Fuqua, and written by Michael...
- BulletproofBulletproof (1996 film)Bulletproof is a 1996 American action-comedy film directed by Ernest Dickerson, and starring Damon Wayans, James Caan and Jeep Swenson.-Plot:...
(undercover cop teams with a carjacker he befriended) - ChaosChaos (2006 film)Chaos is a 2006 crime film directed by Tony Giglio starring Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, and Wesley Snipes.-Plot:During a hostage incident on a bridge, Detective York accidentally shoots and kills the hostage, and Detective Conners , his partner, shoots the criminal...
- ColorsColors (film)Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges , an experienced LAPD Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums Police Officer III, and his rookie partner,...
(rookie L.A. cop paired with a veteran L.A. cop) - Collision CourseCollision Course (film)Collision Course is a 1989 action-comedy film starring Jay Leno as a Detroit police officer and Pat Morita as a Japanese cop forced to work together to recover a Japanese turbocharger stolen by villainous Chris Sarandon. It was directed by Lewis Teague and unreleased in the U.S. until 1992, when it...
- Cop and a Half (child witness teamed with veteran)
- Cop Out (veteran partners who are constantly annoyed by each other)
- The CorruptorThe CorruptorThe Corruptor is a 1999 American action thriller film directed by James Foley, and starring Chow Yun-fat and Mark Wahlberg.-Plot:NYPD Lieutenant Nick Chen is one of New York City's police officers and is head of the Asian Gang Unit...
(American rookie cop paired with a veteran Chinese cop) - Cradle 2 the GraveCradle 2 the GraveCradle 2 the Grave is a 2003 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak featuring martial artist Jet Li and rapper DMX.-Plot:...
(Taiwanese cop teams up with an African-American jewel thief) - Dead Heat
- Die Hard with a Vengeance (cop paired with electrician)
- Live Free or Die HardLive Free or Die HardLive Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"...
(tough cop paired with computer hacker) - Double ImpactDouble ImpactThe score by Kempel was released as the Double Impact Original Soundtrack Recordings on 1993 by Silva America. The soundtrack was released on CD contained twelve tracks with a runtime of 40 minutes....
(not cops; twin brothers team up to find their parents killers in Hong Kong) - Double Team (not cops; counter-terrorism agent paired with an arms dealer)
- DowntownDowntown (film)Downtown is a 1990 American police action comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin. This would be the second pairing of Anthony Edwards and Forest Whitaker both of whom played roles in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. -Plot:...
(a suburban patrolman teamed with a city cop) - DragnetDragnet (1987 film)Dragnet is a 1987 film comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, directed by Tom Mankiewicz, based on the television crime drama of the same name starring Jack Webb. The screenplay is written by Aykroyd, Alan Zweibel and Mankiewicz. The original music score is by Ira Newborn...
(the 1987 film starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks) - Fair Game
- Freebie and the BeanFreebie and The BeanFreebie and The Bean is a 1974 action-comedy film about two San Francisco police detectives who have one goal in life, bringing down a local hijacking boss. The picture, a precursor to the buddy cop film genre popularized a decade later, stars James Caan, Alan Arkin, Loretta Swit and Valerie...
(1974) - The Gauntlet (tough alcoholic cop paired with female convict)
- The Glimmer ManThe Glimmer ManThe Glimmer Man is a 1996 American action film directed by John Gray and starring Steven Seagal, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bob Gunton and Brian Cox.-Plot:...
(L.A. police partners who use different methods) - The Good GuysThe Good Guys (2010 TV series)The Good Guys is an American action-comedy series about an old-school cop and a modern-day detective that premiered with a preview episode on Fox on May 19, 2010, and began airing regularly on June 7...
(Outdated Maverick & by-the-book rookie) - Hickey & BoggsHickey & BoggsHickey & Boggs is a 1972 neo-noir detective movie written by Walter Hill and directed by Robert Culp. The film marks the first reunion of Culp and Bill Cosby since they starred together in the 1960s television series I Spy.-Plot:...
(alcoholic, maverck police partners hunting a kidnapper) - The HiddenThe HiddenThe Hidden is an American science fiction film produced and released in 1987 by New Line Cinema. The film was written by Bob Hunt and directed by Jack Sholder...
(an alien cop teamed up with a human cop) - The Hard WayThe Hard Way (1991 film)The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself...
(an actor teamed with a cop) - Hawaii Vice (series of pornographic films that parody the buddy-cop genre)
- HellboundHellbound (film)Hellbound is a 1994 action/thriller film starring Chuck Norris. It was directed by Aaron Norris and written by Ian Rabin, Anthony Ridio and Brent Friedman.-Plot:...
(Chicago police partners on a mission in Israel) - Hard BoiledHard BoiledHard Boiled is a 1992 Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo. The film stars Chow Yun-fat as Inspector "Tequila" Yuen, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as Tony, an undercover cop, and Anthony Wong as Johnny Wong, a leader of criminal triads. The film features Tequila, whose partner is killed in a tea...
(a cop inspector teamed up with an undercover cop) - Hollywood HomicideHollywood HomicideHollywood Homicide is a 2003 American action comedy film starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett.The film also features Lena Olin, Lolita Davidovich, Martin Landau, Bruce Greenwood, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, Dwight Yoakam and Master P in supporting roles, with Eric Idle making a cameo...
(aging veteran L.A. cop paired with younger cop who wants to be an actor) - Hot FuzzHot FuzzHot Fuzz is a 2007 British action dark comedy film written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. The three had previously worked together on the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead as well as the television series Spaced...
(genre parody and buddy cop movie by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Strict lawman teamed with silly and over-eager partner.) - I Spy (no cops; secret agent teams up with a championship boxer)
- InvictusInvictus (film)Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports drama film directed by Clint Eastwood starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.The story is based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation about the events in South Africa before and during the 1995 Rugby World...
(white and black bodyguards are paired to protect Nelson Mandela ) - K-9K-9 (film)K-9 is a 1989 American action comedy film starring James Belushi and Mel Harris. Directed by Rod Daniel and written by Steven Siegel and Scott Myers, it was produced by Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon, and released by Universal City Studios...
(human cop and police dog) - The Killer (1989) (a hitman pairs up with a policeman who tries to hunt him down)
- Kiss Kiss Bang BangKiss Kiss Bang BangKiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan...
(small-time crook paired with gay detective) - Knock Off (film) (tailor paired with CIA agents on a mission in Hong Kong)
- Last Action HeroLast Action HeroLast Action Hero is a 1993 American action-comedy-fantasy film directed and produced by John McTiernan. It is a satire of the action genre and its clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film....
(fictional cop paired with real world boy) - The Last Boy ScoutThe Last Boy ScoutThe Last Boy Scout is a 1991 action film starring Bruce Willis as a former Secret Service agent, now working as a private detective, and Damon Wayans as a retired professional football player. The two join forces to solve the murder of Wayans' character’s girlfriend . The movie was produced by...
(hardened ex-Secret Service agent turned private detective teams up with disgraced American Football star) - The Lethal Weapon seriesLethal Weapon (film series)Lethal Weapon is a series of films starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a pair of LAPD detectives. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner, and also share many of the same core cast members.-Lethal Weapon :...
(by-the-book family man teamed with maverick) - Life On MarsLife on Mars (TV series)Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
(Sam Tyler's 21st century policing methods conflict with the unprofessional methods of Gene Hunt) - Loose CannonsLoose CannonsLoose Cannons is a 1990 comedy film, written by Richard Matheson, Richard Christian Matheson, and Bob Clark, who also directed the film. The film is about a hard-nosed cop who is teamed up with a detective with multiple-personality disorder to uncover a long-lost Nazi sex tape, featuring Adolf...
- The Man (2005 film)The Man (2005 film)The Man is a 2005 comedy crime film starring Eugene Levy, Samuel L. Jackson, and Miguel Ferrer.The Man is directed by Les Mayfield and produced by Rob Fried from a screenplay by Jim Piddock, Margaret Oberman and Steve Carpenter, based on the story by Jim Piddock and Margaret Oberman...
- Marked for DeathMarked for DeathMarked for Death is a 1990 action film directed by Dwight H. Little. It stars Steven Seagal as John Hatcher, a former DEA troubleshooter. Upon moving back to his home town, Hatcher finds it taken over by a gang of vicious Jamaican drug dealers, led by Screwface.The film is widely considered by...
(ex-D.E.A. agent turned vigilante teamed with his old Army buddy) - Maximum RiskMaximum RiskMaximum Risk is a 1996 American action film directed by Ringo Lam. The film starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and Natasha Henstridge.-Plot:Alain Moreau is a cop in Nice, France. Alain is at a funeral that is being held for a fellow cop, when Alain’s partner Sebastien shows up...
(French cop paired with the girlfriend of his late twin brother) - Men in BlackMen in BlackMen in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
(Wise older agent of a top secret government agency recruits young renegade urban cop) - Mercenary (Mercenary paired with a wealthy tycoon)
- Metro (wacky police hostage negotiator paired with a tough S.W.A.T. team member)
- Midnight RunMidnight RunMidnight Run is a 1988 American action comedy film starring Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter and Charles Grodin as his prisoner....
(bounty hunter teamed with well educated accountant) - Miami ViceMiami Vice (film)Miami Vice is a 2006 American crime drama film about two Miami police detectives, Crockett and Tubbs, who go undercover to fight drug trafficking operations. The film is a loose adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name, written, produced, and directed by Michael Mann...
(2006 film based on the television series) - Money TrainMoney TrainMoney Train is a 1995 American comedy thriller film starring Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Jennifer Lopez as New York City transit cops...
(foster brothers/police partners paired with a Latino cop) - National SecurityNational Security (film)National Security is a 2003 action comedy film, directed by Dennis Dugan, starring Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn. In addition to Lawrence and Zahn, National Security boasts an additional cast of Bill Duke, Eric Roberts, Colm Feore, Matt McCoy, and others.The film was released in January 2003 and...
(disgraced former cop teamed up with wannabe who got him into trouble) - Point BreakPoint BreakPoint Break is a 1991 action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The title refers to the surfing term point break, where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline.The film was a box office success upon...
(young undercover FBI agent paired with seasoned FBI agent) - Police Story 3: Super Cop (Hong Kong cop paired with a female detective)
- Red HeatRed HeatRed Heat is a 1988 buddy cop film directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Moscow narc Ivan Danko, and James Belushi, as Chicago detective Art Ridžić...
(Russian cop teamed with American cop) - RenegadesRenegades (1989 film)Renegades is a 1989 crime film starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Kiefer Sutherland. Floyd Red Crow Westerman debuted in this film as "Red Crow", Hank Storm's father....
(American cop paired with a Native American civilian) - Replicant (film)Replicant (film)Replicant is a 2001 action- science fiction film starring Michael Rooker and Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Ringo Lam. It is set in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, United States...
(cop paired with the human clone of a killer he's obsessed with catching) - Righteous KillRighteous KillRighteous Kill is a 2008 crime thriller film with elements of a buddy cop film directed by Jon Avnet, and starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Righteous Kill also features John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson...
(vetern police partners pursuing a vigilante they busted years ago) - Rising SunRising Sun (film)Rising Sun is a [1993 film directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Sean Connery , Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa...
- The RookieThe Rookie (1990 film)The Rookie is a 1990 American action film directed by Clint Eastwood and produced by Howard G. Kazanjian, Steven Siebert and David Valdes. It was written from a screenplay conceived by Boaz Yakin and Scott Spiegel. The film stars Charlie Sheen, Clint Eastwood, Raúl Juliá, Sônia Braga, Lara Flynn...
(stressed out, nervous rookie cop paired with seasoned Veteran cop) - The RundownThe RundownThe Rundown is a 2003 American action comedy film starring The Rock and Seann William Scott about a bounty hunter who must head for Brazil to retrieve his employer's renegade son. It was directed by Peter Berg...
(not cops, but a similar idea: a bounty hunter must team up with the target he was originally put in charge of finding) - Running Scared
- Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2Rush Hour 2Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 martial arts action comedy film. This is the second installment in the Rush Hour film series. A sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour, the film stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker who respectively reprise their roles as Inspector Lee and Los Angeles police detective James Carter...
, and Rush Hour 3Rush Hour 3Rush Hour 3 is a 2007 martial arts/action-comedy film, and the third installment in the Rush Hour film series, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, that began with the 1998 film Rush Hour and continued with the first sequel Rush Hour 2 in 2001. The film was officially announced on May 7, 2006,...
(professional Chinese cop teamed with a loudmouth and obnoxious African-American cop) - Se7en (educated cop about to retire teamed up with young, eager cop)
- Shanghai NoonShanghai NoonShanghai Noon is a 2000 American martial arts action comedy western film starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. The film, marking the directorial debut of Tom Dey, was written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar....
and Shanghai KnightsShanghai KnightsShanghai Knights is a 2003 action-comedy film. It is the sequel to Shanghai Noon. It was directed by David Dobkin and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.-Plot:...
(no cops; Chinese- American former palace guard teamed up with American outlaw) - Shakedown (1988)
- Showdown in Little TokyoShowdown in Little TokyoShowdown in Little Tokyo is a 1991 action film. It features Brandon Lee in his first American film role, starring alongside Dolph Lundgren. Set in Los Angeles, California, two police officers attempt to take down a new and deadly Japanese drug gang...
(1991) (strong, tough American cop paired with Euroasian cop) - Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes (2009 film)Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 action-mystery film based on the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham and Simon...
(2009) (two intelligent detectives, one sensible, one slightly eccentric, teamed up) - Shoot to Kill (1988) (black FBI agent teams up with white outdoorsman to catch a killer in the Washington wilderness)
- ShowtimeShowtime (film)Showtime is a 2002 action-comedy film directed by Tom Dey and starring Robert De Niro and Eddie Murphy.-Plot:The film centers on two cops, Mitch Preston and Trey Sellars , who are paired together for a reality police show and run into real trouble with a crime lord...
- Stakeout
- Starsky & HutchStarsky & Hutch (film)Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s....
(streetwise intuitive cop teamed with reserved, intellectual cop) - Tango & CashTango & CashTango & Cash is a 1989 American buddy cop film starring Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Jack Palance and Teri Hatcher. It was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, although Albert Magnoli took over in the later stages of filming....
(smooth cop teamed with scruffy cop) - TaxiTaxi (1998 film)Taxi is a 1998 French action-comedy film starring Samy Naceri, written by Luc Besson, and directed by Gérard Pirès.- Plot :The film takes place in Marseille, France, and involves an aspiring racecar driver named Daniel , who initially works as a pizza delivery boy, but changes jobs to become a taxi...
- Theodore RexTheodore RexTheodore Rex, also known as T. Rex, is a 1996 buddy cop/science fiction/family film starring Whoopi Goldberg. Though originally intended for theatrical release, the film went direct-to-video, and consequently became the most expensive direct-to-video film ever made at the time of its release.The...
(human teamed with dinosaur) - The Guard (2011 film) (Irish cop teamed with FBI agent)
- The Other GuysThe Other GuysThe Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...
(Nerdy accountant-type cop teamed with aggressive, case breaking cop) - Top DogTop Dog (film)Top Dog is a 1995 comedy action film, directed by Aaron Norris and starring Chuck Norris.-Plot:The film opens as two white nationalists destroy an apartment complex where most of the residents are minorities....
(maverick human cop teamed with a smart German Sheppard) - Training DayTraining DayTraining Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
(dedicated narcotics cop paired with rookie) - Turner & HoochTurner & HoochTurner & Hooch is a 1989 comedy film starring Tom Hanks, Mare Winningham, Craig T. Nelson, and Reginald VelJohnson. It was directed by Roger Spottiswoode; the film was originally slated to be directed by Henry Winkler, but he was terminated due to "creative differences"...
(cop paired with crime dog) - Wild Wild WestWild Wild WestWild Wild West is a 1999 American steampunk action-comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline , Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek.Similar to the original TV series it was based on, The Wild Wild West, the film features a large amount of gadgetry...
(US Army Soldier teamed with US Marshal) - White ChicksWhite ChicksWhite Chicks is a 2004 American film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written and produced by Keenen Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios...
(black FBI agents and brothers disguised as white women)
Parodies in pop culture
In the animated prime time series, The CriticThe Critic
The Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz. It was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, both of whom had worked as writers on The Simpsons. The Critic had 23 episodes produced, first broadcast on ABC in 1994,...
, Jay Sherman reviews a sub par movie titled "Dirty Harry K-9-Robo-Cop-and-a-half 2" in which the title parodies numerous "buddy cop" films. In the film within a television show within a television show, Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
's constant loss of partners forces the police captain to team him with "a woman, a cute little kid, an ugly old dog, a dinosaur, and a leprechaun (which ends up exploding)." An Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
character comments that he is partnered with "a pig, an alien, Siamese twins, a sofa, and a second rate mime (which explodes)." The scene parodies the aspect that a "partner" in a buddy cop film can be absolutely anything, no matter how strange it is.
On sketch comedy series MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
, a sketch appears for the trailer of a buddy cop film parody, known as The Seven Buddy Cops. The title refers to seven actors known for buddy cop films over the years (Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
, Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
, Chris Tucker
Chris Tucker
Christopher "Chris" Tucker is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing the role of Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.-Early life:...
, Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
).
National Lampoon's
National Lampoon
National Lampoon was both a ground-breaking American humor magazine and also a wide range of productions directly associated with that magazine. The magazine ran from 1970 to 1998, and was originally a spinoff of the Harvard Lampoon....
Loaded Weapon 1
Loaded Weapon 1
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 is a 1993 crime-comedy film, directed by Gene Quintano and starring Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson and William Shatner...
(1993) starring Emilio Estevez
Emilio Estevez
Emilio Estevez is an American actor, film director, and writer. He started his career as an actor and is well-known for being a member of the acting Brat Pack of the 1980s, starring in The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire...
and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
is a parody of the Lethal Weapon franchise, pairing the uptight Det. Luger character (Jackson, inspired by Lethal Weapon's Roger Murtaugh, portrayed as a by-the-book family man) and the loose cannon Det. Colt (Estevez, inspired by Martin Riggs, and described as a burnt-out, gun-happy psycho from the Narcotics Division).