Michael J Fox. What a star. I think you look back to The Hard Way and it makes you really hate the disease that takes away not just from him but us as comedy fans. So full of energy and vitality, a very physical actor, a gifted comedian; Michael J Fox made even the more routine of comedies (this one a take on the street police buddy action comedy so popular in the 80s) palatable. James Woods has always been a star. A "powerhouse" as Leonard Maltin likes to refer to Woods, he commands and impresses with that intensity and charisma at all times. Here, it was his chance to play a cop—a good one who is after an unstable, blond-haired, wicked-grinned Stephen Lang (he carved himself a niche for villainy of all sorts; the moment he shows up in Seagal's Fire Down Below you know he's no good, or his military hard-ass in Avatar) picking off "street criminals" (pimp, drug dealer, underground gun-maker)—tasked with the burden of shouldering a prima-donna diva action star, played by Fox. Fox is about to star in a film about a cop, and it is part of Fox's "method" to follow Woods, so he can get down the mannerisms, speech, and personality of the real deal. Woods, of course, would rather focus on catching a killer on the street, not carrying around a egotistical actor (obviously, Fox is too likable and endearing to be as annoying and grating as real ego-rich Hollywood stars) hoping to hone his craft by following close to the hip of an authentic streetwise detective. So that's the film in a nutshell. Toss in a hot Annabella Sciorra as Woods' romantic interest (she was in EVERYTHING at this time in the early 90s), Delroy Lindo as Woods' boss (and Fox supporter), and plenty of shootouts, explosions, and car destruction (Guess what? Yep, you, got it; a fruit stand is barreled through and a cop car takes a couple flips!), The Hard Way has plenty to offer those with an affinity for action buddy comedies that involve two totally different guys, such polar opposites, eventually coming together to stop a killer.
Memorable moments include Fox awakening to find himself handcuffed to a bed (with Woods leaving behind a sign to mock him), Woods staging a faux "accidental murder" to frighten Fox away (going so far as to use a cop portraying an innocent bystander shot by Fox in a staged "collateral damage" ruse!), Fox exchanging gunfire with a hood (running with two other punks) in a subway station (with Woods coming to the rescue), and the climactic billboard sign overlooking the city scene where Lang is responsible for Sciorra hanging for dear life from a giant cigarette, Woods having to grab hold to the bill of a hat (granted it's a HUGE hat), and Fox grabbing hold to his own eye (granted this eye is slightly larger) with a rope he swings across his face (granted okay, you get the picture) to rescue Sciorra before her cigarette snaps into. Fox gives us the expected laughs, but Woods isn't too shabby as the straight part of the act, his frustrations and aggravation at enduring such a tag-along leading to some fun moments, too. Woods has always been a phenomenal heavy, but this proves he can take on the part of one of the good guys...I really liked this one scene where Woods calls out Sciorra for the old argument of "I don't want to attach myself to the man who may never come home" by retorting, "We are always the one, though, depended upon with the bad goes down." Fox and Woods have some solid chemistry, which certainly doesn't hurt. Lang plays the part of the colorful lunatic (the one you would see mocked in "Last Action Hero"), with no restraint.
Memorable moments include Fox awakening to find himself handcuffed to a bed (with Woods leaving behind a sign to mock him), Woods staging a faux "accidental murder" to frighten Fox away (going so far as to use a cop portraying an innocent bystander shot by Fox in a staged "collateral damage" ruse!), Fox exchanging gunfire with a hood (running with two other punks) in a subway station (with Woods coming to the rescue), and the climactic billboard sign overlooking the city scene where Lang is responsible for Sciorra hanging for dear life from a giant cigarette, Woods having to grab hold to the bill of a hat (granted it's a HUGE hat), and Fox grabbing hold to his own eye (granted this eye is slightly larger) with a rope he swings across his face (granted okay, you get the picture) to rescue Sciorra before her cigarette snaps into. Fox gives us the expected laughs, but Woods isn't too shabby as the straight part of the act, his frustrations and aggravation at enduring such a tag-along leading to some fun moments, too. Woods has always been a phenomenal heavy, but this proves he can take on the part of one of the good guys...I really liked this one scene where Woods calls out Sciorra for the old argument of "I don't want to attach myself to the man who may never come home" by retorting, "We are always the one, though, depended upon with the bad goes down." Fox and Woods have some solid chemistry, which certainly doesn't hurt. Lang plays the part of the colorful lunatic (the one you would see mocked in "Last Action Hero"), with no restraint.