Nighthawks is a 1981 movie directed Bruce Malmuth.
WHAT HAPPENS?
An undercover cop is tasked with hunting down an international terrorist.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Nighthawks is a stylistic crime thriller that features Stallone before his ascent into superstardom.
THE ACTORS
Sylvester Stallone’s Deke is the figurative bridge between his gritty 70s characters and the excessive action heroes he would later portray. While the script is laden with cliche cop dialogue and reactions, Stallone manages to allow his character moments of realism. He maintains a physical, alpha edge but remains a likable, sympathetic character.
Rutger Hauer delivers a wonderfully evil performance as Wulfgar, the international terrorist. Similar to Stallone, Hauer has to manage with a poor script – however, he easily presents his character as a dangerous villain. Billy Dee Williams and Joe Spinell fill the stereotypical roles of sidekick and police captain admirably.
THE DIRECTOR
Bruce Malmuth helms an uneven, but stylistically rich movie. The natural locales add a realism to the movie, including shots in downtrodden apartment buildings and among the city streets and subways. Yet this gritty feel is typically overwhelmed by the movie’s logic holes and attempts at comedy.
THE BEST – Rutger Hauer
Hauer is a perfect 80’s villain. His measured approach and vacant eyes create a sense of danger in every scene. He’s easy to both root against and admire – especially when he delivers his chilling, but dry lines. When delivering a police note with a hostage baby, he cooly declares: “You may drop the baby, but don’t drop this.”
THE BEST Part 2 – Angry Billy Dee Williams
It’s jolting to see smooth talking, blissful Lando Calrissian brandish a shotgun and scream obscenities at drug dealers. The character doesn’t entirely fit Williams’ style but it’s still an interesting role.
THE BEST Part 3 – Eyeglasses
Stallone’s glasses should be iconic here – and Hauer’s are remarkable too. However, the winner goes to Nigel Davenport’s physics-defying look.
THE WORST – The Worst International Terrorist Ever
Hauer’s Wulfgar simply can’t match the hype he is given as a criminal mastermind. While he easily plants some bombs and seduces women, his eventual plans to kidnap UN representatives is completely ineffective. Instead of delivering terror from a stealth position, Wulfgar traps his hostages in a transport car hanging over the city.
THE WORST Part 2 – The Shitty Interpol Teacher
Davenport’s Peter Hartman plays the professorial Interpol terrorism expert who delivers long-winded lectures to Deke and the assorted team gathered to take down Wulfgar. The role allows Stallone and Williams a chance at bad comedy and reduces Davenport to childish theatrics.
THE WORST Part 3 – Stallone in Drag
It’s not necessarily a worst, but Stallone begins and ends the movie in drag – which suggests he’s attempting to tell us all something.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 3.5/5
Nighthawks is a fun, stylistic cop thriller. If you suspend logic, Stallone is endearing in a movie that features some great chase scenes. It’s definitely worth a watch.
