Midnight Run

The "midnight run" of Martin Brest's 1988 action comedy is supposed to be an easy job for skip tracer and bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro). Walsh is hired to capture Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin), a mild-mannered accountant who stole $15 million from the mob and then skipped bail, and haul him across the country from New York City to Los Angeles to testify in a trial. Complications arise due to Duke's fear of flying (which means going overland by car, bus, train, or whatever is available), not to mention competition from a rival bounty hunter, and the fact that mobsters want to assassinate Duke. The film is packed with impressive action scenes but is carried by the odd couple humor and comic chemistry between De Niro, playing his first comedy role in a major Hollywood film as the street-smart ex-cop turned wily bounty hunter, and Grodin at his low-key best as a hapless schlub who turns out to be smarter and more honorable than he first appears. Handcuffed together for most of the film, their sparring is hilarious and their growing affection for one another gives the fast-paced film a beating heart. Dennis Farina costars as the mob boss and Joe Pantoliano is a double-crossing bail bondsman. Among the slew of action comedies and mismatched buddy films of the 1980s, this is one of the best. Newly remastered for this Blu-ray release, extras include a new interview with De Niro, as well as archival interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)