Tough Guys (1986)

Good concept, poorly executed.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There was an emphasis on making buddy movies in the 80's and Disney under the Touchstone banner was probably one of the biggest contributors to this genre in that decade. Not only did they make this film but also Stakeout and the very poor, even though it was a minor hit, Outrageous Fortune.Here we have Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. Although, Kirk Douglas is given first credit, the emphasis is on Burt Lancaster's character, Harry Doyle. As a man who has been in prison for most of his adult life and is getting old, you could go a lot of directions with the character. Lancaster plays it beautifully and never once do you think that he is playing it for laughs as I'm sure many lesser talents would do. Kirk Douglas on the other hand is given less to play with. A man, who tries to keep up but ultimately is pretty much out of step. He gets a younger girlfriend but the storyline is a bit hackneyed and does not contain one single thing that couldn't be predicted.Meanwhile, Lancaster gets to have some fun with an old flame. Not to say that this story is anymore interesting to see than the Douglas romance but it is sweet.The thing to admire here is Douglas' and Lancaster's dealing with their antagonists which consists of basically everybody they meet, save for the two ladies and one caring probation officer (Dana Carvey in a rare unfunny performance). They seem to take the approach that so what if they have enemies and I can see why. Their foes are made to look pretty ridiculous and absolutely no threat. The great Charles Durning, plays a cop who wants to nail them one more time but not so much because he think they are bad but to prove something to himself. And then as a capper, we get Eli Wallach as a near blind and almost totally insane hit-man. Bravo. This has to be his most funny performance ever. Not for one moment can you take him serious as a hit-man but Douglas and Lancaster, gents as they are, do let him think so.

Kirk Douglas. Burt Lancaster. 'Nuff said! As two train robbers, released from prison after a 30 year stretch, this dynamic duo try to adjust to life in the '80's and all the changes that have taken place. Douglas looks great for a man in his 60's and eventually attracts the eye of a young aerobics instructor. Their scenes together are both funny and sincere, as the differences between them eventually dictate the direction of their relationship. Kirk is also forced to work in menial jobs that involve him dealing with rude customers and a boss who doesn't like ex-cons. These scenes provide the film's best humor. Lancaster's role however is far less interested, as he is relegated to an old-folks home, wherein he becomes somewhat of a revolutionary. Realizing that they just don't fit in with society anymore, the two return to train robbing and the film moves downhill from this point. Eli Wallach contributes some funny scenes as a near-sighted hit-man who has waited 30 years to fulfill a contract to kill the duo. Despite the thin script, this is a very enjoyable film that may best be viewed with a senior citizen family member who can both identify with the characters and who remembers Lancaster and Douglas when they were A-List actors. I recommend it.

Tough Guys, for me, is a very intriguing film, you have two film greats together, and despite their ages, which are beyond their heyday so to speak,, they are still upthere..Of special interest to me was the train the train used, it is not a fictional train but one owned and currently kept up by the City of Portland,Or. -in constant us..it is considered to be the most beautiful train in the world..forerunner to Amtraks Coast Starlight..Overall, the movie is well worth watching to watch two aging guys still pull it off, and if you are a train buff you'll shudder at some of the things that happen to the train too.. See it, Shame it is only VHS

This is a rather light comedy, not an exceptional film, but entertaining enough. While Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster turn in engaging performances, the movie is stolen by Eli Wallach, whose character is nothing if not persistent! There are some very funny bits here. If you're looking for something light, funny and enjoyable, this one works. Worth watching.