Running Scared

R

1986

1 hr. 46 min.

Action

Comedy

Crime

Drama

List

63%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

58%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Ray and Danny (Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal) are two Chicago police detectives hot on the trail of drug kingpin Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits). They manage to nab the drug lord, but the bust is messy, and the two are suspended. While vacationing in Key West, Fla., they decide to retire from the police force and open up a bar. But when they return to Chicago and find out that Gonzales has been released on bail, they vow not to quit the force until the dangerous dealer is behind bars for good.

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Critics Consensus

Running Scared struggles to strike a consistent balance between violent action and humor, but the chemistry between its well-matched leads keeps things entertaining.

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Steve D

Not remotely funny or entertaining.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/30/23

Full Review

Franklin A

If it were a made for tv movie, the channel would have been changed. At the movie theaters however, you were stuck.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/09/23

Full Review

Vincent A

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The leads aren't your typical cop types. The plot is formulaic and predictable. So why is it one of my go-to movies? Crystal and Hines. Crystal is hilarious. Hines makes a GREAT straight man to bounce off of. They are having fun working together and it shows...THAT makes it a great movie despite the Miami Vice plotline.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/28/23

Full Review

Michael G

I don't understand the hate for this movie. Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines were a match made in heaven, playing off each others creative talent. Should this have won an Emmy? Of course not, but it checks off all the boxes you'd want in a feel-good flick. Action, comedy, and a bit of romance - all played to the soundtrack of the summer hit "Sweet Freedom" by Michael McDonald.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I wanted to watch the 2006 film of the same name starring Paul Walker, but I found this instead. I'm actually typing this review while it's playing on my TV. Good movie for people who like comedies that aren't funny.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

brad m

A bit of a lost 80's buddy cop movie. Running Scared separates itself from the crowded pack with unorthodox casting and the effortless chemistry between them.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Peter Hyams

Director

Gregory Hines

Ray Hughes

Billy Crystal

Danny Costanzo

Jimmy Smits

Julio Gonzales

Steven Bauer

Det. Frank Sigliano

Darlanne Fluegel

Anna Costanzo

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Running Scared: Official Clip - Hablo Smith & Wesson?

1:40

Running Scared: Official Clip - Pants Drop

2:28

Running Scared: Official Clip - Must Be the Vest

2:06

Running Scared: Official Clip - You're Mugging Us?

2:26

Running Scared: Official Clip - Forced Vacation

1:32

Running Scared: Official Clip - I Got Him!

1:42

Running Scared: Official Clip - State Building Shootout

2:43

Running Scared: Official Clip - Cops vs. Trash Compactor

2:12

Running Scared: Official Clip - Police Line-Up

1:36

Running Scared: Official Clip - Entrapping the Cops

2:26

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

"Running Scared" tries to be a light comedy in a violent, comic-book world. That's a difficult juggling act, and director Peter Hyams doesn't pull it off.

May 27, 2014

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

A functional 1986 actioner about two wisecracking Chicago cops (Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal) and their vendetta against a Latino crime lord (Jimmy Smits).

May 27, 2014

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

No more original or eventful than an average police TV show, so it must sink or swim on the moment-by-moment cleverness of the dialog and the behavioral talents of Hines and Crystal. Fortunately, these elements prove formidable.

May 27, 2014

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

While the 1980s were frequently a safe haven for such disastrous, what-were-they-thinking? screen teams as Pat Morita & Jay Leno (Collision Course) and Ted Danson & Howie Mandel (A Fine Mess), this offered a “buddy comedy” pairing that actually worked.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2024

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…a good example of how slick, immoral and yet somehow wholesome the simple formula for an old-school cops and robbers movie can be….

Rated: 3/5

Aug 23, 2023

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a fairly standard buddy-cop comedy that benefits from its top-notch performances and smattering of engrossing, exciting action sequences...

Rated: 3/4

Mar 7, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Ray and Danny (Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal) are two Chicago police detectives hot on the trail of drug kingpin Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits). They manage to nab the drug lord, but the bust is messy, and the two are suspended. While vacationing in Key West, Fla., they decide to retire from the police force and open up a bar. But when they return to Chicago and find out that Gonzales has been released on bail, they vow not to quit the force until the dangerous dealer is behind bars for good.

Director: Peter Hyams
Executive Producer: Peter Hyams
Screenwriter: Gary DeVore, Jimmy Huston
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Turman-Foster Company, David Foster Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.6M
Sound Mix: Surround

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