Red Heat

The combination of the tough Soviet cop Arnie and the constantly wisecracking womanizer Belushi sounds fantastic on paper. But if I’m to be completely honest… the film didn’t fully realize its potential, unfortunately. On the other hand, it’s still a fairly successful B-movie where a few lines became legendary slogans ("Cocainum"). And actually, the action doesn’t feel outdated; I’ve never seen a final showdown with the villain that involves a chase with two buses destroying half of Chicago during their ride. And what about the story itself? Well… don’t expect anything sophisticated; at times, I’d call it genuine 80s trash (but in a good way :D). And how about the two main actors? I think Arnie nailed his role, and it was amusing to see him speak Russian with a heavy Austrian accent. Belushi played his part competently (though at times he did throw out some rather cringeworthy lines). But oh well. As a quick afternoon watch, it works just fine. For me, it’s a 6.5/10. (09/11/2023)

A surprisingly funny and dynamic probe into Russian police practices. This time, it's the Americans who are incapable and the Russians are here to help, unusual roles that I wouldn't expect from Walter Hill. And the promising premise develops quite well. The screenplay is, of course, quite simple and not much happens in the film, but the wisecracks are brilliant and the duo of two such different policemen has a lot of charm. Additionally, Arnold in a Russian uniform, with plenty of one-liners and his unmistakable stiffness are simply and purely genius. The action is surprisingly skillfully shot and doesn't lack the necessary edge and speed. The typical craziness of the 1980s craziness (hairstyles, tough talk, unintentionally cheesy machismo) bothered me a bit at times, but it can be survived. (01/05/2006)

I be in sauna. I go to West. In West different ideologia. It evil. My good. My Western partner bad. I slap some. My Western partner not so bad. I drive bus. I get watch. My Western partner not at all bad. He good man like me. I must fly home now. I at in good Commie movie, it good in my filmographia. I very satisfactory. (07/10/2004)

Arnold is excellent again, he doesn't overact unnecessarily and with his motherfucker expression he easily outshines everything between Moscow and Chicago. His capitalist sidekick Belushi, though he gains some sympathy with his performance, feels as if he was there only to make Arnold's iconicity more visible. Story-wise, it’s one of those mediocre 80's B-movies that, apart from the pile of dead and maimed, is interesting mainly because the cold and principled Soviet is played by the embodiment of the modern American dream – but thank God for that... 60% (04/18/2014)

Arnold Schwarzenegger's role as a zealous Soviet cop fits him perfectly and his interaction with the capitalist world of his partner Jim Belushi supplies the movie with a fairly decent dose of sarcasm and irreverent humour, otherwise, it is a relatively respectable B-movie with an ordinary plot about the hunt for a gruff drug dealer in which this time East and West join forces. In addition, Morpheus from The Matrix and Otík from My Sweet Little Village appear in supporting roles, so what else could a Czech movie-goer want more? (01/05/2020)