Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas are great Hollywood icons thanks to starring in many great films in the third quarter of 20th Century. Their stellar status was often enhanced by appearing together, often in popular or important films, making them also one of the most iconic star duos in Hollywood history. Their last joint appearance, however, happened long after their glory days in Tough Guys, 1986 action comedy directed by Jeff Kanew, which served as something like a ride into sunset for those two screen legends.
In this film they play protagonists who are also legends of their own. In 1955 Harry Doyle (played by Lancaster) and Archie Long (played by Douglas) robbed train called Gold Coast Flyer, thus becoming the last train robbers in American history. In 1956 they were caught and sentenced to prison. Plot begins in 1986 when they are paroled and have first opportunity to enjoy freedom after thirty years. They are greeted by Richie Evans (played by Dana Carvey), enthusiastic criminologist who serves as their probation service and tries to help them start new life – Archie is given a job in ice cream parlour while Harry gets a spot in retirement home. Both men try to adapt to the new world that includes gay bars, aerobics, street gangs, strange music and even stranger fashion, but they gradually realise that such world tries to rob them of their dignity. They finally decide to do what they do the best and target Gold Coast Flyer during its final southbound run, after which they will attempt to find shelter in Mexico.
Those who like to find flaws in films will have an easy task with Tough Guys. Main problems are somewhat weak plot and bad narrative structure; the first part, which establishes protagonists and their predicament works better with its main focus on “fish out of water” humour, while second, in which Harry and Archie actually start robbing train occurs almost like an afterthought and, like in many bad comedies of the time, tries to compensate humour with scenes of destruction. There are at least two characters seem completely unnecessary – elderly inept hitman played by Eli Walach (who replaced Adolph Cesar, actor who had died of heart attack shortly before production) and old police detective played by Charles Durning who, for some reason, holds decades old grudge against protagonists and wants to bring them back to jail. Scene in which Archie manages to seduce and bring to bed sexy aerobics instructor, played by Darlanne Fleugel, who might be third of his age, might make some in the audience cringe (although scene in which Douglas bravely reveals his chest and well-kept muscles might explain how such scenario might be plausible). Musical score by James Newton Howard is also nothing to write home about and, despite being firmly rooted in 1980s, sounds anachronistic in the context of the protagonists.
Yet, despite those flaws, Tough Guys is actually quite entertaining film. Most of the credits for that should go to two stars who ooze their charisma and charm as confidently as they did decades ago. They might be old-fashioned and comically out of place in “hip” 1980s Los Angeles, but audience not only roots for them but actually can believe that they can win fights against younger, physically and numerically superior opponents. The script never goes for cheap sentimentality and nostalgia; issues of old age are recognised and Tough Guys doesn’t insult viewers’ intelligence. At the time of production, Lancaster was, despite being only few year older, in significantly worse physical shape than Douglas and scriptwriters took that into account, making character of Harry less physically active than character of Doyle. Both characters, however, maintain roguish charm and two actors playing them use their great chemistry together just like in their best days. Tough Guys had more than decent results at the box office after premiere, which is quite fitting for the last major film in which those two screen legends would appear. Although the film should be best enjoyed by cinephiles already familiar with some of those actors’ classic work, it deserves recommendation even for regular audience.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11038-tough-guys Critic: AA
