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A couple of robbers and killers are on the loose with a pretty hostage and for some reason Nick Nolte's solution is to spring their old pal Eddie Murphy from prison. But 1982's 48 Hrs. is so good you don't much care that the premise doesn't make a lick of sense.

Nolte plays Jack, a tenacious movie cop and a bit of a racist, or anyway a guy comfortable slinging epithets at Murphy just to keep him in line. Murphy plays Reggie, a cool head in a crisis who wants to use this opportunity to get laid.

Director Walter Hill constructs some great action sequences. I particularly like a stand off early on featuring a young Jonathan Banks.

The cast also features two Twin Peaks stars in supporting roles, David Patrick Kelly and Chris Mulkey. Ric Waite's nighttime neons cinematography is great though it pairs a little oddly with James Horner's score. The songs by the BusBoys are a dated delight. What genre would you call them? Ragtime rock?

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They also recorded "Cleanin' Up the Town" for the Ghostbusters soundtrack.

48 Hrs. is available on Paramount+.