A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection. (IMDb)
A hard-boiled NYC cop thriller that’s a little dry–especially in the beginning–but has a second half that’s loaded with patiently crafted scenes brimming with tension (see the subway station battle of wits, wild car chase, car dismantling drug search). Hackman’s brash and bold Doyle, meanwhile, is the perfect protagonist for the gritty urban setting. The ending leaves something to be desired though, with its anticlimactic “gotcha” moment (you’d think the cops could’ve planned that better).
7/10 (Good)
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