I hate to praise Charlie Sheen, but I must.He played this role so perfectly, that I forgot I was watching a movie. I know that's a cliché by now, but it applies.
You know the plot from the other reviews. Boyish undercover cop infiltrates a mechanic shop and befriends the owner, whom he is assigned to tail. That's because he is a suspected car thief and murderer.
Think "Point Break" here, only 4 years earlier. A charismatic bad boy, sucks a peer into his criminal world, and the peer is actually in law enforcement.
If you love 80s movies set amidst the glitz of 80s L.A., with fancy cars and classic obscure 80s dance tunes thrown in, you will love this one.
I couldn't help envying the adventure that the D.B. Sweeney character was having. Nothing exciting ever happens to me. He gets introduced to the world of "the rich and aimless," gets a brother-like best friend who gives him money and lavish gifts, and he falls in love with a beautiful rich girl.
There were a couple of authenticity problems I have to mention. The Sweeney character was supposed to be a 22 year old rookie, yet he was working undercover. Wouldn't that be a bit advanced for him? He was not a detective. But I guess they had to use him, because of his mechanical acumen with Porsches.
Also, in order to get hired as a Porsche mechanic, wouldn't he have to show that he passed certification classes? Having just worked on some old cars in his driveway, would he really be skilled enough to work with professional foreign car mechanics, without taking any courses?
The Randy Quaid character was a little comic-bookie, or over-the-top angry, but I guess they had to establish the tension between him and the rookie.
The final showdown will again remind you of "Point Break." Enjoy it. This is definitely a guy's movie.
