Another 48 Hrs.

Directed by Walter Hill, Another 48 Hrs. follows Eddie Murphy’s Reggie Hammond and Nick Nolte’s Jack Cates as they’re once again forced to work together after they’re both targeted for death by a mysterious drug lord. It’s a decidedly familiar setup that is, to a progressively pronounced extent, employed to less-than-enthralling effect by Hill, as the filmmaker, armed with John Fasano, Jeb Stuart, and Larry Gross’ screenplay, delivers a routine, by-the-numbers actioner that’s been suffused with a whole host of less-than-enthralling elements – including a preponderance of explosion-heavy set-pieces and a tedious emphasis on the bickering banter between Murphy and Nolte’s respective characters. There’s little doubt, as well, that Another 48 Hrs.‘ second-act focus on Jack’s investigation into the aforementioned mysterious drug lord does little to alleviate the partially watchable yet mostly underwhelming atmosphere, while the prolonged climax isn’t, despite its emphasis on larger-than-life mayhem, able to pack the visceral, exciting punch that Hill has undoubtedly intended – which ultimately cements the picture’s place as a disappointing sequel to a far-from-flawless original film.

** out of ****