A FEDERAL AGENT IS DEAD. A KILLER IS LOOSE. AND THE CITY OF ANGELS IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE.

L.A. cop Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) goes after the violent counterfeiters who murdered his partner two days before his retirement. That partner is not the first nor the last movie cop to be killed at that crucial point and it is just one of many silly ingredients in this cross between the director’s own French Connection (1971) and Miami Vice. Well paced and slick, with pulsating music, but the story doesn’t hold up to scrutiny and Petersen’s character gets pretty annoying. Still, there’s a cool car chase for French Connection fans.

1985-U.S. 116 min. Color. Directed by William Friedkin. Cast: William L. Petersen (Richard Chance), Willem Dafoe (Eric “Rick” Masters), John Pankow (John Vukovich), Debra Feuer, John Turturro, Darlanne Fleugel… Dean Stockwell, Gary Cole.

Trivia: Gary Sinise was allegedly considered for the part of Chance. Michael Mann sued Friedkin for plagiarizing Miami Vice, but lost.

IMDb