Released in 1986 (as if the driving synth of the opening song, which is reminiscent of Harold Faltermeyer “Axel F,” doesn’t give it away), Peter Hyams’s Running Scared stars Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines as Danny Costanzo and Ray Hughes, a pair of comical, unorthodox, undercover police detectives, the type usually seen in the movies. In fact, at the time of its release, the movie itself was a type usually seen as the buddy-cop genre had been very popular for a couple decades at this point.
Buy Running Scared Blu-rayDanny and Ray’s main focus is locking up drug dealer Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits), who wants to become the first Spanish Godfather of Chicago. When they blow up a DEA investigation, their captain (Dan Hedaya) forces them to take a vacation in Key West, although they don’t get a lot of rest considering all the ladies they are paired up with in the montage. They consider retiring there and opening a bar.
Back in Chicago, they get a tip about Julio having a drug shipment coming into the airport. The script by Gary DeVore and Jimmy Huston has some good plot twists as the airport bust doesn’t go as expected. Danny and Ray chase after Julio in an extended chase that sees them drive on streets and elevated train tracks. After they obtain Julio’s stash, he blackmails them into returning it by kidnapping Danny’s ex-wife, leading to a big shootout at a high-rise building.
The video has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer displayed at aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The colors come through in accurate hues as the drab urban exteriors of Chicago contrast well against the scenes in bright, sunny Florida. Blacks are satisfactory. The image is mostly clean with occasional minor flaws. Good clarity and depth is on display as is film grain. The audio is available as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Dialogue is clear. Music and action-sequence effects can be heard in the surrounds. The elements are balanced well together in the mix.
The previously available Special Features are:
- Commentary by director/cinematographer Peter Hyams
- Making of Featurette (7 min)
- Billy Crystal Outtakes (5 min)
- Selected EPK Scenes (7 min)
- Trailer
Running Scared is formulaic, so there’s little surprise in how the story plays out. However, the charisma of its leads and the execution of the action by Hyams and his team lead to an entertaining movie for genre fans. The high-definition presentation is pleasing even though the Special Features are stale.
