Year of Eastwood #38

The Rookie (1990)

Starring: Eastwood, Charlie Sheen
Directed by Eastwood

Clint’s been getting a lot of press again lately involving internet reports that there’s going to be another Dirty Harry movie. People, let’s put this one to rest. I’ve already discussed the recent stars-of-a-certain-age returning to their previous glory (this just in … Eddie Murphy’s going to make another Beverly Hills Cop movie). But what gets lost in all the speculation is that many of these franchises had been played out years ago. Even the final two Dirty Harry movies weren’t exactly classics. At least Clint has the sense to say he has no interest in making another sequel.

Anyways, there’s lots of other Clint cop movies out there that the public has completely ignored. Take, for example, The Rookie - which is probably one of the crappiest and biggest flops that Clint has ever been involved in. Clint is a cantankerous cop who plays by his own rules. It doesn't really matter his character's name, but it might as well have been Harry Callahan.

Clint’s hunting down car smugglers. Raul Julia is the kingpin who really needs a big payday to pay off some debts of his own - and if he doesn’t get that money soon, he’s going to be in all sorts of trouble. So they load up a semi with all sorts of expensive, foreign cars. Clint and his partner show up for the bust. His partner gets shot - but Clint must have read the title on the script and knew he was getting a new partner anyways, so he chases after the bad guys.

The thieves are now trucking down the expressway. Instead of trying to be the least bit inconspicuous - they’re banging up cars right and left - and when Clint gets too close driving his Oldsmobile, they decide the best way to get away is to drop their cargo (the same thing is what got Han Solo in so much trouble with Jabba the Hut). So $100 grand cars are being dropped all over the interstate and Clint’s weaving and dodging, but there’s always some wise guy in a Winnebago who flips that sucker over and then there’s all sorts of chaos. And the perps get away.

Back at the precinct, Clint gets pulled from the case and teamed up with a new partner fresh out of the academy. Clint never seems to be happy with his new partners - but if he wasn’t always getting them killed, maybe he wouldn’t have to deal with that problem. Charlie seems to have the skills, but in addition to his addiction to hookers and coke, he’s always having dreams about his dead brother and waking up in a cold sweat. And talk about covered in sweat … it must have been worse than going thru withdrawals and being married to Denise Richards all rolled up into one.

Meanwhile … Raul is in a lot of hot water and still needs that money. He and his pleasant girlfriend, Sonia Braga (who has like 2 lines in the whole movie), decide to kidnap Clint and hold him for ransom. Then there’s lots of scenes thrown together involving dog fights, donut jokes, and bar fights. Oh yea, and Charlie’s girlfriend (played by a young Lara Flynn Boyle before she put on all that weight) almost gets killed until Charlie busts his motorcycle thru the house to save her. Then they fight, they laugh, and Charlie heads out to save Clint.

Some other stuff happens - let’s say somehow Charlie saves Clint and then they chase down the bad guys in an airport … I’m sure some innocent people got killed … and the two get chased on foot by a jet. Clint catches up with the bad guy, beats him up, and then shoots him in the head - I’m sure he got a medal for it. So, there’s your Dirty Harry sequel folks…