The Best Buddy Cop Movies

The Seven Best Buddy Cop Movies

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (35)

Kevin Smith’s take on the buddy cop genre, Cop Out, arrives in theaters on Friday, and early notices seem to suggest what the trailers portended: That it’s one of the worst movies of the year. I’m looking forward to the sucker punch.

It does, however, give us a chance to add a best buddy cop list to our SRL archives. There are three traits common to the buddy cop movie: Partners of a different race; one by-the-books partner and one freewheeling partner; and often, one partner with facial hair, and the other without. Also, a murder involving a drug dealer or distributor often sets the narrative into motion, demonstrating that if drugs were legal, there’d be a lot fewer movies in the buddy cop genre.

And with that, here are the seven best buddy cop movies of all time,

7. Turner & Hooch

Buddies: Det. Scott Turner (Tom Hanks) and Hooch (A Pit Bull)

Premise: A detective must adopt the dog of a dead man to help him find the murderer.

Buddy Philosophy: These are the simple rules. No barking, no growling, you will not lift your leg to anything in this house. This is not your room. No slobbering, no chewing, you will wear a flea collar. This is not your room. No begging for food, no sniffing of crotches, and you will not drink from my toilet. This is not your room.

6. Bad Boys

Buddies: Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence)

Premise: Two hip detectives protect a murder witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin.

Buddy Philosophy: My shit always works sometimes!

5. Training Day

Buddies: Alonzo (Denzel Washington) and Jake (Ethan Hawke)

Premise: On his first day on the job as a narcotics officer, a rookie cop works with a rogue detective who isn’t what he appears.

Buddy Philosophy: To protect the sheep you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf. (I’m da po-lice, King Kong ain’t go nothing on me!)

4. Point Break

Buddies: Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) and Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey)

Premise: An FBI agent goes undercover to catch a gang of bank robbers who may be surfers.

Buddy Philosophy: Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true.

3. Beverly Hills Cop

Buddies: Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) and Det. Sgt. John Taggart (John Ashton) / Det. William ‘Billy’ Rosewood (Judge Reinhold)

Premise: A freewheeling Detroit cop pursuing a murder investigation finds himself dealing with the very different culture of Beverly Hills.

Buddy Philosophy: You know, you don’t have to be embarrassed if your dick gets hard. Your dick is supposed to get hard. See? That’s the whole object of this. Taggart’s dick is hard, but he won’t let you know ‘cause he’s the boss. Boss’ dick got to stay limp, right? See, I ain’t on duty so my dick can be hard.

2. Lethal Weapon

Buddies: Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover)

Premise: A veteran cop is partnered with a young homicidal cop. Both having one thing in common, hating working in pairs. Now they must learn to work with one and other to stop a gang of drug smugglers.

Buddy Philosophy: Do you wanna hear that sometimes I think about eatin’ a bullet? Huh? Well, I do! I even got a special bullet for the occasion with a hollow point, look! Make sure it blows the back of my goddamned head out and do the job right! Every single day I wake up and I think of a reason not to do it! Every single day! You know why I don’t do it? This is gonna make you laugh! You know why I don’t do it? The job! Doin’ the job! Now that’s the reason!

1. Hot Fuzz

Buddies: Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) and PC Danny Butterman (Nick Frost)

Premise: Jealous colleagues conspire to get a top London cop transferred to a small town and paired with a witless new partner. On the beat, the pair stumble upon a series of suspicious accidents and events.

Buddy Philosophy: Police work is as much about preventing crime as it is about fighting crime. Most importantly, it is about procedural correctness in the execution of unquestionable moral authority.

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Comments

Huzzah for Hot Fuzz love!

Posted by: ThunderSacTriumph at February 24, 2010 3:51 PM

Hooch is not a pitbull!! He is a mastiff. Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogue_de_Bordeaux

Posted by: Liz at February 24, 2010 3:52 PM

How is Lethal Weapon not #1?

Posted by: Xtreme at February 24, 2010 3:55 PM

I can't tell you how happy I am to see Hot Fuzz at the top of the list, where it belongs. SO OSSOM!!

I have never seen Beverly Hills Cop, but I've heard that I would love it.

And Hooch isn't a pit bull, he's a Dogue de Bordeaux. Get with it, Rowles.

Aww, so droopy, yet menacing!! I was surprised at the end of the film (SPOILER ALERT!!!) ecausebay Oochhay iesday. Iyay otallytay asn'tway expectingyay atthay!!!! Ethay ogday an'tcay ieday! Ishay amenay isyay inyay ethe editscray orfay Ete'spay akesay!!!

It amuses me that they picked a Dogue de Bordeaux over a pit bull or Rottweiler or even Dobermann. I'm partial to mastiffs (they'll always be there for you), myself.

But, you know, whatever works, because: GOGGIES!!!!

Posted by: Jelinas at February 24, 2010 4:01 PM

"There are three traits common to the buddy cop movie: Partners of a different race."

I think you broke your own rule there.

7. Hanks is a dog.
6. Aren't Will Smith and Martin Lawrence both black?
4. Aren't Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey both white?
1. Aren't Simon Pegg and Nick Frost both whiter than white, like Crisco, glow in the dark white?

And where's KISS KISS BANG BANG?

Posted by: BWeaves at February 24, 2010 4:02 PM

Also: come on, Rowles, you had to know this was coming. You had to have known that the dog lovers on the site would be up in arms about --

Hey, wait a minute. You did know, didn't you? You're playing with us, the way you like to play with the geeks on the site! You're pushing our buttons on purpose!!

Well, you got me, I'll admit. Well played, Rowles. Well played.

Posted by: Jelinas at February 24, 2010 4:03 PM

i'm just burnin'-doin' the neutron dance

Posted by: gem at February 24, 2010 4:08 PM

I know it's cool to love Hot Fuzz, and it really is a good movie, but Lethal Weapon is so clearly the epitome of buddy-cop movies.

Posted by: Brenton at February 24, 2010 4:27 PM

Keanu Reeves is Canadian = different race

Posted by: rrrka at February 24, 2010 4:33 PM

...and Hawaiian, Chines, Portuguese mix too

Posted by: rrrka at February 24, 2010 4:34 PM

I love Bad Boys. It's one of those quotable flicks.
No cup holder in the car, no back seat. Just a shiny dick with two chairs in it. I guess we the balls just draggin' the fuck along.

Sigh. I used to like Martin Lawrence.

Hot Fuzz is brilliant, but I would put Lethal Weapon as number one. The fight scene in the end is worth the whole movie.

Posted by: Brie at February 24, 2010 4:36 PM

Um, pardon moi Mr. Rowles but I seem to find a GLARING omission of cinematic greatness: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.

Rush Hour 1,2,3

Buddies: Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker)

Premise: Asians are smart and good at martial arts. Black people can do Michael Jackson impressions and are hapless screw-ups. Hilarity ensues.

Buddy Philosophy: Never touch a black man's radio.

Never before, nor never again, can we expect to see such chemistry and subtlety as was provided by these two master craftsmen.

Rush Hour 4 anybody? Yeah, I just released that into the atmosphere and a suggestion of this magnitude is more powerful than Jessica Simpson's sexual napalm.

Posted by: ashlie at February 24, 2010 4:38 PM

You left out 48 Hours just to piss me off, didn't you.

Bastard.

Posted by: TK at February 24, 2010 4:48 PM

Though I suppose Murphy wasn't a cop in that.

Anyhoo - best exchange from Lethal Weapon:

Murtaugh: You're not tryin' to draw no psycho pension. You really are crazy.

Riggs: I'm hungry... I'm gonna go get something to eat.

Posted by: TK at February 24, 2010 4:53 PM

What about that one with Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone? I can't imagine it has many fans, but I remember liking it as a youngster. In the buddy cop tradition, it was two names, Someone and Someone. With (and here's the twist) Stallone as the smart one!

Posted by: Brenton at February 24, 2010 5:11 PM

I don't know where you get off calling the cops from Training Day "buddies."

Because they are not, sir. THEY ARE NOT "BUDDIES," SIR.

Posted by: superasente at February 24, 2010 5:11 PM

I believe that Brenton is referring to Tango and Cash, which is awesomely bad. And surprisingly (or not) homoerotic. Lots of meaty, shirtless, sweaty, dirty men.

I love every film on this list. I watched Turner and Hooch last when my father was dying from cancer, and the end (SPOILER) where Hooch dies was enough to send me deep in the bottle for days. And then my dad died, which sent me deeper. And now, every time I see a French mastiff, I weep and drink and weep and drink.

One minor objection. The very best buddy copy films are the Dirty Harry films. His partners - all of different races or genders - just die off too quickly. But most of those films were made back in the day where the black guy was doomed from the moment the film started, and you could set your watch by his death at 38 minutes!

Posted by: Lance at February 24, 2010 5:28 PM

I love Hot Fuzz, but it probably should be second to Lethal Weapon. That was the template for action movies for the next 20 years.

One question,where is Freebie and the Bean? That is a great buddy movie. Bad Boys was a pile of horseflop compared to that film.

Alan Arkin + James Caan > Will Smith + Martin Lawrence.

Posted by: Rubble44 at February 24, 2010 5:34 PM

maybe its not the traditional Buddy cop movie, but how come Supertroopers doesn't get a shout out??? its got buddies, and maple syrup and shenanigans.

Posted by: juiceinla at February 24, 2010 6:32 PM

I clicked this link only to make sure that Hot Fuzz was in the top spot. I leave satisfied.

Posted by: Eva at February 24, 2010 6:36 PM

I love you for including Turner & Hooch.

But then I un-love you again for omitting Alien Nation.

Posted by: Jerce at February 24, 2010 7:14 PM

Good list, but what about Running Scared with Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines? To me, that was the best pairing for a buddy cop action comedy. Bad Boys over that? Come on.

Posted by: DeathAdder666 at February 24, 2010 7:55 PM

I know they're not both cops, but I have to give some love for Midnight Run.

Jonathan Mardukas: Jack, you're a grown man. You're in control of your own words.

Jack Walsh: You're goddamn right I am. Now here come two words for you: Shut the fuck up.

Posted by: mswas at February 24, 2010 8:20 PM

1. Props to Rubble44 for Freebie And the Bean. That one gave me a VHS flashback.

2. As buddy movies go, I'd rather watch Stakeout than Bad Boys.

Posted by: Big Softie at February 24, 2010 8:37 PM

Yeah, I don't agree with a parody at #1. I'd probably give Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2 the top two slots.

I love Point Break, but Gary Busey isn't in it enough to make a quintessential buddy cop movie.

And, yeah, as mentioned above, I don't think Alonzo every becomes a "buddy" in Training Day. LA Confidential seems like a better example if we're going off the beaten path.

There have to be more quality choices for this genre that I'm forgetting. It seems like the 80s and 90s were littered with them.

Movies like Die Hard With A Vengeance, Strange Days, and 48 Hours do certainly have the right spirit, but they are hampered by the fact that half the duo is only playing the role of a cop.

Here's a perhaps unorthodox choice: Alien Nation.

Posted by: DarthCorleone at February 24, 2010 9:11 PM

It's worth repeating...48 Hours should be on the list and near the top.

Posted by: James S at February 24, 2010 10:00 PM

Okay, you're usually right and I know you want Brett Ratner to urethrally sound himself to death with a screwdriver... however, you can not deny that the first Rush Hour wasn't very funny and kinda badass.

Just kinda? Eh, Rowles. You bastard, you.

Posted by: Ryan at February 25, 2010 4:47 AM

"Training Day" was not a buddy-cop film. "Buddy-cop" involves a hostile/competitive relationship early in the film and reaching an understanding/accord/"die for you, man" right before the Big Finish. The cop ain't your buddy if he's trying to kill you.

Satirical elements or no, there's naught wrong with having "Hot Fuzz" at the number one spot.

Posted by: Robert Sims at February 25, 2010 9:13 AM

Leaving 48 Hours off is shameful.

But the absence of Tango and Cash (Stallone, Russell, Palance, and Russell's mullet), Double Impact (Jean Claude + Jean Claude = twice the Van Damnage), and Showdown in Little Tokyo (anything with Dolph Lundgren is f*%#*n gold) is downright tragic.

Posted by: Brian K at February 25, 2010 9:49 AM

KISS KISS BANG BANG!!

And Hooch is crazy.

Posted by: Melissa at February 25, 2010 12:43 PM

Lethal Weapon should have been #1. Hot Fuzz was great but it’s nothing compared to Lethal Weapon! Nothing! And I’ll ditto that 48 Hours should have been on this list.

Posted by: Max at February 25, 2010 3:06 PM

I think the people have spoken. Never have I seen such consensus in my life (and I work for Consensus Corp. in Consensus City): Lethal Weapon is the best buddy cop movie, and the standings should be changed to reflect this.

Posted by: Brenton at February 25, 2010 3:44 PM

Training Day is a buddy cop movie? Then where is Internal Affairs?

And Lethal Weapon should be number 1. Hot Fuzz is OVER-rated.

Posted by: ed newman at February 25, 2010 8:41 PM

Turner and Hooch was a ripoff of K-9, which was a better movie.

As for the genre, I mean, you did add Training Day (wtf?), I'd add Midnight Run.

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The Seven Best Buddy Cop Movies

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