Downtown
Tags: neo noir

Plot synopsis:
Police Officer Alex Kearney (Edwards) is a patrolman in Bryn Mawr, a rich plush suburb of Philadelphia until he stops an important businessman and his story of the incident is not believed. He is sent to work Downtown, the most dangerous, crime filled precinct in the city. Everyone there is sure that this 'by the book' suburb pampered cop is going to get himself and whoever is assigned as his partner, killed. Sergeant Dennis Curren (Whitaker) draws the unfortunate 'babysitting' assignment but when Alex's best friend is killed investigating a stolen car, Alex throws the book out the window tracking down the killer.
Though the plot of the movie references a Philadelphia suburb, Bryn Mawr, most of the exterior filming is done within the City of Philadelphia. The beginning of the film features Cresheim Valley Road, Stenton, and Germantown Avenues. This is in the Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods. However, there are a few early scenes that are filmed in and around Los Angeles. For example, the scene where Anthony Edwards pretends to pull over Penelope Ann Miller is filmed on Yale Street, in Claremont, CA. Later portions of the film are in the Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods which are now known as "The Badlands" circa 2000. Diamond Street is within this area, but Philadelphia police districts are numbered, not named for streets or neighborhoods. Any Philadelphian would enjoy trying to catch their street in the fast paced filming.

Review: Better than expected, funny, some good car chases.
Downtown wouldn't have been a personal choice but i was lent it with some other movies so I watched it.
I understood that Forest Whitaker was in downtown (actor of recent film The Last King Of Scotland) The film turned out to be quite reasonable, co-star Anthony Edwards was actually quite funny at times making the film that little bit better, and not forgetting the soundtracks that make a good film.The film included shooting scenes, car chase scenes, and a bit of comedy splashed in for good measure.Forest Whitaker played a fairly good part and is a decent actor, the problem with films these day is that 90% of them are swarming with new/fresh from drama school teens, we need to hang on to our good actors.overall, a good cop flick worth the 90 min.
Fun buddy cop movie..
I had been eying this movie for a while in cheap DVD bins but didn't think I would risk spending all the money I had in my pocket at the time on it.
Luckily I found it at a video library so decided to check it out.Forest Whitaker did a good job acting in this one.
He's a skilled actor.
He's been in a lot of movies I've seen but I didn't know it was him at the time because he wasn't one of the main characters so I couldn't pick him in the credits.It is a good blend of action and comedy.
There are some exciting chase scenes and good jokes.
Overall I thought it probably isn't worth all the money I had in my pocket at the time but is still worth a rent.
It is a good buddy cop movie, any fans of the Lethal Weapon series will probably find this enjoyable..
"The terminator wouldn't go to Diamond street"..
Simply a boisterous, if run-of-the-mill buddy cop action comedy that won't offer much in a way of surprises, but delivers a good amount of laughs, action, "Beach Boys" tunes and actor chemistry between Anthony Edwards and Forest Whitaker as two mismatched cops.
One that is a rookie, by-the-book civil officer compared to the other who's a rogue, street-smart cop who does anything to get the job done.
This wouldn't have been the first time these guys shared the screen, as Edwards and Whitaker had worked with each other in the classic 1982 teen comedy "Fast times in Ridgemont High".
The plot follows that of a idealistic young rookie cop Kearny of a rich, peaceful suburb taking a transfer to downtown; Diamond street the most brutal and crime-ridden district.
When his ex-police partner is brutally murdered in the area, he goes about trying to get those responsible but he will need the help of a detective Curren who knows how to get around this neighbourhood.
Director Richard Benjamin provides many chaotic situations, clichéd but amusing and surprisingly brutal at times with its war zone like feel etched out from its urban settings.
The bad guys here really do earn their strips.
David Clennon is perfectly smug and showy as a rich, important community figure and Joe Pantoliano is effective as the ruthlessly psychotic hired killer who goes out in a very memorable manner.
But where the amusement arises is the constant clashes between Edwards and Whitaker.
Also showing up is Penelope Ann Millar, Ricky Aiello, Art Evans and Roger Aaron Brown.
Generic, but still a fine addition to the fold."See I have this problem with authority"..
Another goddamn, four-star, class-A f*ck-up!.
OK, so it's not Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, but this cop movie deserves a look.It's not really a cop movie.
Yes, the scumbags are dealing dope and killing cops, but this is about a black cop that lost his partner (Forest Whitaker) and a fish out of water - a white cop in the worst precinct in the inner city (Anthony Edwards).
One is afraid of losing another partner, and the other just wants to learn how to do real police work.It's funny, it's tender, it's sickly sweet at times, but it is really a good story about relationships; not only between cop partners, but between the wives and their husbands.Give it a chance..
A well-done 80's Comedy with the swing of great action.
Here is another of my personal favourites 80's comedies.
A solid production with a marvellous Anthony Edwards and a bad-ass Forest Whitaker.
Lots of the scenes have an unique Choreography.A good surprise for 80's fans!!.
Forget Lethal Weapon!!!.
I really enjoyed this film.
It was a perfect cop/buddy movie.
The story is cool and it has a lot of comedy for an action film, but not too much.
If you are a fan of Lethal Weapon or Bad Boys, then this is for you!.
Hack Writer Alert.
"Downtown" is a box office crash & burn from 1990.
Basically it is yet another unsuccessful attempt to follow-up on the success of "Beverly Hills Cop" (without the benefit of Eddie Murphy).
These inter-racial, buddy picture, cop movie, comedy-action features simply don't work without a talented comic and Anthony Edwards of "Revenge of the Nerds" fame is only mildly funny.
Add to this a more serious group of themes than Murphy had to deal with and the incongruity of mixing these conflicting genres makes the whole a lot less than the sum of its parts.
Yet "Downtown" is more entertaining than its "bomb at the box office" reputation would lead you to believe.
The production design, filming, and editing are first class.
Although the action scenes are unconvincing, this is due more to lamely inserted comedy elements than cheap staging.
Much is genuinely embarrassing such as when a PCP abuser holds a little girl hostage, with a gun to her head, and the subtext lamely plays the scene for laughs.
What genius thought that scene would work?
And they wonder why these things lose money?
In this exercise in schizoid film-making, Anthony Edwards and Forest Whitaker are the standard odd couple partnering up to solve the murder of Edwards' former partner.
Nerd boy Alex (Edwards) in his worst scenes listens to Beach Boys music and in his best scenes is paired with his girlfriend (Penelope Ann Miller).
Alex is a suburban patrolman who has been banished to the worst downtown Philly division because of a confrontation with a slimy bigwig (unconvincingly overplayed by David Clennon).
Dennis (Whitaker) is a detective with a lot of baggage that makes it difficult for him to warm up to Alex.But Alex and Dennis eventually bond (big surprise) and Whitaker turns in a pretty good performance (much too good for this material).
Whitaker and Miller assist the marginally talented but generally likable Edwards enough that it is possible for the average viewer to suspend disbelief most of the time and actually get into the story.
Just be prepared for a lot of extremely lame moments that would have been more entertaining had the editor relegated them to his deleted scenes bin.
Then again, what do I know?
I'm only a child..
Cop out of water, big time..
Police Officer Alex Kearney is a keen, by the book cop who's happy with his beat in a nice part of Philadelphia.
Unfortunately his adherence to the rules lands him in trouble with his chiefs after he tries to arrest an an important businessman with long standing police connections.
When his side of the story is not believed, he is given the choice of suspension or a transfer downtown.
Choosing the transfer, Kearney isn't quite prepared for how dangerous and crime filled downtown is.
Worse still, his new tough no nonsense partner positively hates him!It's churlish to suggest that Downtown is merely a cash in of the buddy buddy inter racial cop movies, that, as we know, were made viable entertaining fare by the likes of Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop. Starring Forest Whitaker (Dennis Curren) and Anthony Edwards {Alex Kearney}, Downtown is as much about a fish out of water scenario than it is polar opposite cops working together.
With both things dovetailing together to create an engaging actioner that's worth the time of those who are stuck for a rental one evening.
Suffering a touch in the last finale due to the inevitable mawkish character strand, IE:just why is Curren so miserable and mean,?
while a stronger villain than David Clennon's barely grumpy Jerome Sweet would have helped enormously.
But with some genuinely funny sequences, and some well staged action set pieces, Downtown achieves most of the requisites set down for the action/comedy genre.
Nice support comes from Joe Pantoliano as a bizarre looking hit-man and Penelope Ann Miller as Kearney's fraught girlfriend, Lori Mitchell.
Tim the Bus Driver.
I'm just watching this movie and I think it's great.
One question, Kearney greets the bus driver on his commute "Downtown" as "Tim." I only caught a brief glimpse, but I think the driver is played by Tim Roth.
Can anyone confirm?Anthony Edward's performance, in my opinion, is very much like Judge Reinhold in Beverley Hills Cop. In fact I think the whole movie has a Beverley Hills Cop feel to it, albeit without the knockout performance of Eddie Murphy.
Forest Whitaker is good in this movie, as usual a very skilled performance,and I wish his character was given a little more emphasis and depth.All in all a great movie and a credit to the Buddy Cop genre..
I can't believe there is only 6 comments on this movie.
It is hard to believe there is only 6 comments on this movie.
This is a great buddy cop movie, easily one of the better ones you will see.
Both Forest Whitaker and Anthony Edwards are fine actors in anything they have been in and this movie is no exception.
The action starts right away and is very steady throughout the movie.
There is a lot of good comedy in this movie as well, slightly cheesy but no worse then most other movies.
Forest Whitaker finally received significant recognition for his acting ability for The Last King Of Scotland, it is about time!
His fine performances in movies like Phonebooth, Phenomenon, Platoon, Good Morning Vietnam and countless other roles he has played over the years have been overlooked for far too long!
The chemistry between Whitaker and Edwards is very good there are a few very funny moments between them.
If you like cop movies take a look you should not regret it and if you do it is like I always say you never have to watch it again.