RENT A COP

US, 1988, 92 minutes, Colour.
Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, James Remar, Richard Masur, John P.Ryan, John Stanton.
Directed by Jerry London.

Rent A Cop is an enjoyable, if routine, thriller. It has Chicago settings. It has a very good cast with Burt Reynolds as usual and a lively Liza Minnelli. (They had appeared together in Lucky Lady.) James Remar is, as usual, a menacing villain. Australian John Stanton is the heavy and there are guest appearances from Richard Masur, John P. Ryan as well as Dionne Warwick.

1. Enjoyable thriller, routine and familiar? The odd couple?

2. Chicago settings, the night in the city, hotels and mansions? Musical score?

3. Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli as the enjoyable odd couple? Strong cast?

4. Della and her work, the hotel, witnessing the, killings, in hospital, dancer's attacks on her? The encounter with Tony Church, deciding to hire him, their bickering? In the hotel, comic aspects of their relationship? Identifying Dancer? Her work on computers? Going for Beth's help? Trying to distract Alexander at the party? Captured by Dancer, the mansion, the massacre? The happy ending?

5. Church and his police background, security work, getting fired? With Wilson and the police officials? Contacts with Roger? Meeting Della, her hiring him, the bickering, the comedy? Lamarr and Pitts waiting outside? Getting them for back-up? Talking with Roger and his death? The chase, the fight. with Dancer? The happy ending?

6. Alexander and his empire, hiring Dancer, Roger as go-between, his henchmen, keeping cool, the confrontation with Dancer, his death?

7. Roger, the police, police corruption, interviewing Dancer about the money, the discussion in the restaurant with Church, ordered to kill him, his own death?

8. Dancer and his brutality, disguises, seeing Della, trying to kill her? His dancing, visit from Roger, confrontation with Alexander, taking Della, the final fight and death?

9. The police, the robbery, then many-deaths, Wilson and the officials (and his encounter with Della)?

10. Lamarr and Pitts, friends, stakeout? Lamarr and his friendship with Church? Pitts as the brash young man? The chases and their losing Church, the backup in the mansion? Killing Dancer?

11. Themes of crime, right and wrong? And the comic odd couple?