Product Details

• Actors: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O'Toole, Frank McRae, James Remar
• Directors: Walter Hill
• Writers: Walter Hill, Larry Gross, Roger Spottiswoode, Steven E. de Souza
• Producers: D. Constantine Conte, Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon
• Format: Subtitled, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: January 26, 1999
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305252572
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,603 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "48 HRS." visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

Before the action-oriented "buddy movie" formula settled into place in the 1980s and 1990s with the Lethal Weapon films, Walter Hill's 48 HRS. presented a much more irreverent and politically incorrect version of the genre. Eddie Murphy made an auspicious film debut alongside veteran Nick Nolte's consummate performance as a worn cop. Murphy plays a convict on a two-day furlough from prison to help capture his former partner (James Remar). The intense animosity between his character and Nolte's impatient detective is rude and violent--albeit in a comic way--and the film's racist and sexist banter is so ubiquitous that some viewers might be turned off. (This early, raw Murphy is not the Murphy of The Nutty Professor.) Then again, sometimes deliberate overkill is funny in itself, which is certainly closer to Hill's intention. There are a couple of scenes for the ages in this film, especially Murphy's single-handed shutdown of the action in a redneck bar. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Nolte stars as a cop who teams up with a convicted robber to catch two vicious murderers.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 28-MAR-2006
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The tradition of shabby home video releases continues for "48 HRS"... this time on Blu-Ray, March 10, 2011

By 

Hugo D. Hackenbush (Main Street, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 48 Hrs. [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

"48 HRS." is a terrific action-comedy that gets everything right for its genre. The action is tough, but not overdone; the comedy is funny, but not over-the-top; the direction by filmmaker Walter Hill is skillful, edgy and playful; the San Francisco location shooting makes for a wonderfully dark, atmospheric and gritty backdrop; the dated-but-effective soundtrack is awesome in its own "1980s" sort of way; and the script is tight and witty, with sharp characterizations and crackling dialogue that is sometimes vulgar, yet always smart. Best of all, the two leads are at the apex of their star power, making the film a joy to watch.

Indeed, this is the film that made Eddie Murphy a superstar, and it's easy to see why; Mr. Murphy's charisma is on full-on display throughout the film. Young, lean and hungry, Murphy plays a semi-tough street hustler/convict with just the right combination of streetwise smarts, slick charm and youthful defiance. While Eddie exudes a certain level of cockiness throughout the film, there are (thankfully) very few signs of the (often unbearable) egocentric smugness that would later come to define much of Mr. Murphy's later 80's film roles. On the other hand, Nick Nolte is no less great, playing a burnt-out, casually racist cop that somehow manages to retain a gruff charm even as his character alternates between being obnoxious and racially offensive. The two actors have distinctly different acting styles, yet the contrast works, as the two performers have genuinely great chemistry when performing together.

If I have one caveat with the film, it's the rampant male chauvinism (a typical characteristic trait that many of Walter Hill's films share) that permeates throughout "48 HRS.", a quality that hasn't aged particularly well over time; fortunately, it's not enough to taint one's overall enjoyment and respect of the film's achievements as a superior piece of pop culture entertainment. Thanks to the many knock-offs' this film has spawned over the years (e.g. "Midnight Run", "Lethal Weapon", "Bad Boys", "Rush Hour", etc.) aspects of "48 HRS" undoubtedly seem hackneyed by today's standards, but even so, the film manages to engage and thrill in a way that still feels fresh after all these years. A five star film (out of five).

Unfortunately, Paramount has never seen fit to release this highly influential film in a home video release worthy of its quality. The first DVD release from 1999 is in non-anamorphic widescreen, and barren of any type of special features. The second DVD release from 2007 is a decent (if minor) step-up, a budget title that paired up "48 HRS." with its inferior sequel "Another 48 HRS" on one dual-layer, single-sided disc with no extras. While this guaranteed a rather anemic bit-rate for both films, the presentation for both films is in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen and (surprisingly) both look and sound pretty good, all things considered; unfortunately, as with the 1999 release, the 2007 edition contains no special features. Finally, a third release followed shortly in 2008, an "I Love The 80's" DVD edition of "48 HRS.", which unfortunately is the exact same bare-bones non-anamorphic widescreen edition that was released in 1999. It seemed that "48 HRS." would never get its due respect on DVD, leaving fans to hope that the inevitable Blu-Ray release would finally do the film some justice.

Well, prepare to have your hopes dashed, as Paramount has released an incredibly weak Blu-Ray catalogue title. The 1080P picture quality is certainly sub-par, as the master used for this Blu-Ray release looks worn, faded and tired; in other words, the film master used for this release is crap. There is dirt and excessive film grain rampant throughout. Contrast is mediocre, with blacks alternating between looking pretty good and dark grey. Colors pop slightly better than the DVD, but generally come across as muted and flat. Sharpness wavers from scene to scene, with some scenes looking pretty good, and other scenes coming across as so soft, you'll swear you're watching a shoddy DVD. About the only thing this Blu-Ray picture has going for it is that there isn't any noticeable DNR or edge enhancement... but considering the overall disappointment of this Blu-Ray release, this is a small consolation at best. This is not the worst Blu-Ray title I've ever seen, but it is certainly one of the most disappointing, considering the caliber of this film.

The audio fares little better, with the Dolby True HD 5.1 sound coming across only slightly better than earlier DVD iterations. Bass is decent at times, but stereo separation overall sounds weak and muddled, even for a 1980's action film. Overall, about the only thing you'll notice different about this Blu-Ray soundtrack from its 5.1 Dolby Digital DVD counterpart is that its mixed louder.

To add insult to injury, there are no extras to be found outside of the included trailer.

At a ridiculous sticker price of $24.99, this throw-away catalog release is absolutely sure to disappoint both hardcore and casual fans. While the picture and sound quality is a step-up from the non-anamorphic 1999 (and 2008) DVD release, it is in fact only barely superior to the 2007 16x9 anamorphic widescreen release, and has no special features to speak of. Therefore, unless you can grab the Blu-Ray for $10.00 or less, I recommend the 2007 double-feature DVD release of "48 HRS" over the Blu-Ray release. The picture and sound quality on the 2007 edition is good for a DVD (especially when upconverted), the price is right at 9-12 dollars brand new, and it's the only home video version of "48 HRS." that comes with any special features, namely the sequel "Another 48 HRS" (as a side note, the "48 HRS." DVD double feature is still the only way to see "Another 48 HRS." in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen, as the stand-alone release is presented in non-anamorphic widescreen only).

If Paramount chose to release "48 HRS." on Blu-Ray as a double bill feature similar to the 2007 DVD release, the $24.99 sticker price would be far more tolerable; in fact, this is exactly what Warner Brothers has been doing recently with the release of some of their catalog titles (e.g. "Analyze This"/"Analyze That" and "Presumed Innocent"/"Frantic"). While those double feature releases carry no special features, the comparable $24.99 sticker price certainly feels a lot less painful. Of course, the most ideal situation would be for Paramount to wake up and (finally) show this film some respect, by giving "48 HRS." a proper home video release, remastered and full of special features... because ultimately this is what a classic film like as "48 HRS." really deserves. Chalk this up as yet another Blu-Ray disappointment.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eddie Murphy's Best!!!, July 3, 2006

By 

Dubyac99 "MC White" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 48 HRS. (DVD)

This is absolutely Eddie Murphy's best movie! Certainly better than most other stuff he's done this century, and the past decade! I saw this movie for the first time in the theater, and also have it on VHS. I have watched this movie easily 50 times. I'm sure it might be more though.

It is a true classic, highlighting the true natural talent of Eddie Murphy. He and Nick Nolte play off each other well, and Nolte isn't too bad himself in the comedy department. Though his type of humor is much more subtle. He does get his digs in, on Mr. Murphy's expense, mind you.

To the best of my knowledge, this was one of the first movies that combined excellent humor scenes with extreme violence and emotion. And while many tried to duplicate it, in later years, including other Eddie Murphy vehicles, such as Beverly Hills Cop, nothing can compare to the original!

A true classic. I will probably buy this on DVD soon, but I'm kind of holding out for an "extras loaded" special DVD, if it were to come out! Don't know that for a fact, but I'm still holding out hope!

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up!!!

MC White said: Check it out!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Film That Launched Murphy's Career, October 27, 2001

By 

Gus Mauro "coolbrezze" (Brandon,mb) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 48 HRS [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When i look back at the films of the 1980's "48 Hours" has to
be one of the best and most memorable films of that particular
time periord. What is shown here is a slam bang mix of action
and rasict comedy when Murphy is sprung out of jail on a weekend
pass to help a tough no-nonsense cop(Played by Nick Nolte in his
good attempt at playing these type of roles) in tracking down
Murphey's ex-partner who is ine search of hidden loot from a
previous heist. The chemistry between Murphey & Nolte is realistic and times very funny. This is the film that pretty much
started the whole "buddy buddy" craze which was very popular back
in the eighties especally films like THE LETHAL WEAPON films
The standout performaces was when Murphy masquarades as cop
in a local redneck bar. Very funny film and is indeed one of
Eddie Murphy's best.