Nighthawks (1981)

Directed by Bruce Malmuth. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams, Persis Khambatta, Nigel Davenport, Lindsay Wagner, Joe Spinell, Hilary Thompson. [R]

Stallone’s first real action pic is a tough, violent cop thriller set in NYC (he even has the “street” appearance and maverick integrity of a Frank Serpico-type). Plainclothes street detectives Stallone and Williams are assigned to a new task force targeting international radicals, which puts them on a collision course with icy, ruthless urban terrorist Hauer. Shallow but exciting yarn; action is complemented by gritty locations, and Stallone wisely chooses a minimalist glower over cornball heroics. In his first American film, Hauer creates a memorably contemptible antagonist, a menace that lingers even when he’s offscreen. Unfortunately, satisfaction in the villain’s defeat is diminished by an utterly predictable “reveal” at the conclusion. During the conception phase, the story was initially planned as a third French Connection picture.

74/100