Stallone? Kurt Russell? Honestly, I'm Surprised That More People Don't Talk About Tango & Cash

The best buddy cop movie of the ‘80s is…Lethal Weapon 2. Full stop. And, look, I’m not going to try to convince you otherwise. There’s a reason why we once called Lethal Weapon the “greatest action franchise of all time.”

It’s also why there have been so many sequels. The mismatched chemistry between Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is second to none. However, there’s another buddy cop movie from the ‘80s that I’m always surprised more people don’t talk about, and that’s 1989’s Tango & Cash starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell.

Tango & Cash is a bit by the numbers in a lot of ways. However, when was by-the-numbers ever a bad thing when the overall package is so much fun? That’s what Tango & Cash is. Fun! So, here’s why you should check it out if you haven’t already.

Tango & Cash Is Like If Cobra Met Jack Burton

You know, when you think about Stallone’s career, he sure has played a lot of cops. Of course, he played Judge Dredd in the 1995 version, and he also played Detective Sergeant Deke DaSilva in Nighthawks (which I really have to write about someday). He’s also a cop in Demolition Man, and even played it for laughs (if you can call them laughs) in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! My favorite cop movie starring Stallone is Cobra, where he plays the hard-as-nails titular character, rocking dark sunglasses and a bad attitude.

I only bring up this movie because Cobra, while trying to be a badass film, is actually pretty silly. Stallone drops cheesy one-liners, and that’s just like Lieutenant Raymond Tango in Tango & Cash, who plays the straight man to Russell’s jocular character.

In fact, one thing I love about Stallone in this movie is just how much he can poke fun at himself. For example, in one cool scene, a cop asks Tango who he thinks he is, and another cop responds, “He thinks he’s Rambo.” (Get it? Because Stallone is in the Rambo movies). But, Tango responds (in less PC words than I’m putting here, mind you) that Rambo sucks.

Funny stuff. Then, you have Kurt Russell, who plays the rival narcotics detective, Lieutenant Gabriel Cash. Russell is channeling his inner Jack Burton here from one of my favorite movies, Big Trouble in Little China, and it adds a huge dose of humor to the film. But, I think Stallone and Russell are equally funny in this movie, which I’ll get into next.

It’s Probably One Of The Best Buddy Cop Movies From The ‘80s When It Comes To Comedy

Now, here’s the thing about the Lethal Weapon series. All of them are funny, but it’s in 1989’s Lethal Weapon 2, when Joe Pesci arrives, that the series gets really funny. Yes, Glover and Gibson make for a humorous team, but I’d say that the first movie makes for a better action movie than it does a comedy. In fact, I’d say that it’s funny in the same way that Die Hard is funny (and also, I guess, a Christmas movie in the same way that Die Hard’s a Christmas movie)

However, Tango & Cash, which unfortunately only got one movie, is funny from the get-go. I think a great deal of that is because it gives Stallone a more subdued role. I’ll explain. Tango is a rather reserved narcotics detective. He wears nice suits and even does some trading on the stock market. When he jokes, it’s usually with a smile, but it’s also deadpan, which in itself is pretty funny coming from Stallone.

That said, Russell is nothing but manic energy, which is hilarious when juxtaposed with Stallone’s unamused expressions. Russell is also the one who gets some of the best scenes, like when he dresses up as a woman - with a slow pan up his body and everything - in order to escape a club, or, his many scenes screaming his head off, while everybody just looks at him funny (again, channelling that inner Jack Burton).

In the end, what I really love is that this movie never takes itself seriously, even in the action scenes, which are also pretty amazing. Oh, and about them…

The Action Is Really Great, Too!

Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there were plenty of action stars, but the two main ones of note were Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Now, personally, I was always more of a Schwarzenegger guy myself, but I would never turn down a Stallone action movie (like Daylight, which more people need to talk about, or Cliffhanger).

We get some of that classic Stallone-action here. From the very beginning, when Tango stands directly in front of a barrelling truck and unflinchingly starts shooting at it, to the end when both cops are facing down the big bad in a hall of mirrors, the whole movie never lets up. Jack Palance plays the main villain, and his underlings (who are in jail) - which I'll get into next - put our leads through the wringer with fights, shoot outs, and tense moments.

Now, is the action as good as in a movie like, say, Commando? Of course not, nothing is as good as Commando. But, does the action keep you invested all the way to the explosive conclusion? You're damn right, it does.

Which is why I'm always surprised that more people don't bring this movie up when they talk about awesome action movies. It might be because it came out in 1989, which was the same year as the already-mentioned Lethal Weapon 2. But, if it had come out in say, 1984 or ‘85 (around the same time as Rocky IV when Sly was at his peak), then I think it would be talked about a lot more today. Oh, well.

It Swerves In Unexpected Places

I've talked about the characters, the humor, and the action, but I haven't brought up the actual plot yet. While that might be secondary in some movies, like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas for instance, the plot is actually really interesting in this movie, and it’s also full of twists.

Tango and Cash are the best of the best from their respective sides of L.A. As mentioned earlier, Tango is the cool-headed cop, while Cash is the hot-headed cowboy. They hate each other before they even meet since their reputations precede them. However, when they are eventually paired up, Jack Palance’s character, Yves Perret, frames them for murder and has them both thrown in jail. Now, I said in the intro that this movie is by-the-numbers, and it is, but it also swerves in creative ways, and mostly in how the two rival cops become friends.

It’s in prison where the two become allies, but what surprised me was when Cash’s former commanding officer, Matt Sokowski (Phil Rubenstein), is at the prison as well. He's now a warden, and he helps them escape. One might think that a large portion of the film would take place in the prison, but once they're out, there’s quite a bit of film left, as they go out in search of the witnesses who put them in jail.

It’s great stuff, and an excellent buddy cop movie from the ‘80s. So, if you’re a fan of Sly Stallone and Kurt Russell and somehow managed to miss this one, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.