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Tango & Cash

year 1989decade 80sdirector Andrei Konchalovskygenre Action / Comedy

104 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Sylvester Stallone Lieutenant Raymond (Ray) Tango
Kurt Russell Lieutenant Gabriel (Gabe) Cash
Jack Palance Yves Perret
Teri Hatcher Katherine (Kiki) Tango
Brion James Requin
James Hong Quan
Robert Z'Dar "Face"

Tango & Cash | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Shea Serranoproducer Craig Horlbeck
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Roger Ebert's review

Rating not yet verified

The hosts report no written review but play hostile Siskel and Ebert television commentary.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:37Read transcript
  • Ebert is said to have refused a written review; the hosts instead found the television review.
  • The clip dismisses the film as a waste of electricity and an interchangeable loop of wisecracks, explosions and guns.
  • The clip mocks the mice and obsolete TV screens; the hosts still call the movie amazing.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Prison arrival and the prison escape are distinct favorites among opening, torture, nightclub and final-fight candidates.

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:47Read transcript
  • The opening highway truck stop is said to borrow from an unnamed Jackie Chan movie, with windshield action, a badge demand and cocaine revealed by gunfire.
  • The Rambo insult breaks the actor/character boundary; a personal first encounter is compared to Vanilla Ice in Ninja Turtles 2 and Boys to Men on Fresh Prince.
  • Jack Palance and his fellow villains drive by; the exaggerated villainy is compared with Brad Wesley in Roadhouse.
  • The billion-dollar operation’s dark television-filled lair, tiny henchman crew and convenient villain drive-by make little sense.
  • Desert scenery is compared with Another 48 Hours and Lethal Weapon.
  • The trial, laundry-chute trip and prison electrocution are nominated; the apparent pain and obligatory Stallone groan are enjoyed.
  • The prison escape includes apparent betrayal later revealed as help, a dead helper, a villain bossing guards, rain, a fan obstruction and an improbable cable jump.
  • Huge survivable drops and the lavish strip club with Hatcher drumming lead to Cash evading police in a wig.
  • The Cockney henchman is recalled from 48 Hours and its sequel; dangling him from a building and grenades echo other action films including Commando.
  • The simultaneous final fights are praised as a device also used in Double Impact.
  • The arrival at prison, with litter, fire and relentless jokes despite fear, is a favorite; another selection picks the escape.
  • Cash being shot, chasing the assailant and confronting him at the station is recalled as an omitted scene candidate.

What’s Aged the Best?

Kurt Russell’s action-star appeal leads a range of delighted responses to the absurdity.

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:19Read transcript
  • Joking and mutual mockery in frightening situations are enjoyed and believed.
  • The badge demand and Jack Palance’s later City Slickers Oscar are highlights; his exaggerated performance seems far removed from Oscar prospects.
  • The villain’s elaborate non-killing plan, prison diversion and convoluted trap for Cash are mocked affectionately.
  • Fubar is speculatively said to originate with this movie and its 90s TNT exposure.
  • Young Terry Hatcher is praised as a breakout, with later Seinfeld and Lois & Clark visibility recalled.
  • Insult nicknames and repeated jokes about the men’s bodies form part of the appeal.
  • Owen and the prototype armored vehicle exemplify the gadget-guy and supercar era; Stripes is compared.
  • Kurt Russell is selected, with the missing modern Russell/Swayze type of witty, resilient action star contrasted with current actors.
  • Michael B. Jordan is urged toward a buddy-cop franchise; Without Remorse scenes show potential, while a vaguely recalled Jamie Fox film illustrates overly serious modern action.

The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop

Yaz’s Don’t Go and the unidentified saxophone cue for Cash’s disguise are offered.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:00Read transcript
  • Don’t Go accompanies Hatcher’s club introduction; the band name is transcribed as yaz’s.
  • An unidentified saxophone cue accompanying the reveal of Cash dressed as a woman is offered with uncertainty about eligibility.

The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

The prison is liked, but the villain’s lair wins preference.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:17Read transcript
  • The prison is a candidate, but the warehouse-like villain’s lair is preferred.
  • Another response also moves from prison to lair, questioning whether the mouse maze was built just for the metaphor.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

The automatic belief that the two celebrated cops are corrupt strains the frame-up plot.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:31Read transcript
  • The city accepts the frame-up with little defense of the previously successful cops and no effective legal help.
  • The trope is compared to repeatedly doubting the hero despite past success, as with Die Hard.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Fake newspapers and heroic celebrity cops lead, with violence editing and gratuitous nudity discussed.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:36Read transcript
  • Fake LA Chronicle headlines are overused for transitions; an opposing joke wishes for one after every scene.
  • Tweets, websites or TikToks are imagined replacing newspaper exposition today.
  • Superstar heroic LAPD cops are located near the end of that era, with Colors as a comparison.
  • Research attributes quick violence cuts to avoiding an X rating after Cobra’s rating problems.
  • A pre-show producer observation calls the random nudity unnecessary; the garage and club are examples.
  • Rodney King footage and Derrick Gates context are linked to the early-1990s shift in depictions; hero cops and newspapers are the final top two.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

No sequel is an outrage; a second take ranks it second among 1980s buddy-cop films, with objections.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:10Read transcript
  • Tango and Cash and Roadhouse are said to have deserved sequels more than many films that got them; leaving LAPD to become detectives is an imagined continuation.
  • The stars’ other sequels make the omission baffling; different cities or countries are imagined for a follow-up.
  • A second take ranks it behind only Beverly Hills Cop, excluding 48 Hours because one lead is not a cop; Lethal Weapon, Turner & Hooch, Red Heat, Running Scared, Midnight Run, Dragnet and Alienation are discussed.
  • Lethal Weapon 2 is preferred to the first; Lethal Weapon 4 is praised separately. Another response includes 48 Hours and places Lethal Weapon 2 and Running Scared above this film.
  • Running Scared’s Key West trip and early Jimmy Smits are praised, and the absence of its sequel is also questioned.

Casting What-Ifs

Patrick Swayze reportedly left for Road House; both resulting casting choices are celebrated.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:15Read transcript
  • The script was originally The Setup; Swayze reportedly dropped out to make Roadhouse and Russell replaced him.
  • Swayze here and Russell in Roadhouse is an appealing counterfactual, but both films are thought slightly worse in that swap, especially Russell’s leg-fighting credibility.
  • The swap is compared with Van Damme leaving Predator for Bloodsport; Face and the Cockney henchman reportedly gained scenes during rewrites at Stallone’s request.
  • Face’s broken-jaw recollection implies earlier clashes with Tango beyond the opening arrest; Stallone is reported to have fired the original cinematographer.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Jack Palance is the clear choice.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:46Read transcript
  • Palance is explicitly assigned the award before imitations of other overacting lines.
  • His uncompromising, bizarre villain remains full of riddles and jokes even facing death.
  • His inscrutable performance is compared with an implausible basketball claim on Kendrick Perkins’s Twitter feed.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

The sweating Total Recall actor and the biker-clothes actor receive separate choices.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:18Read transcript
  • Brion [transcribed Brian] James, James Hong and Clint Howard are said to have graduated from that-guy status; Face is recognized from Maniac Cop.
  • The sweating actor from Total Recall is one winner, with identity not supplied in this span.
  • Adolfo [transcribed Kignonis], the biker whose clothes are taken and a performer from the Breakin’ films, is the other choice.

Recasting Couch

A critical producer reaction prompts Willis, Ford, Douglas and Schwarzenegger alternatives, but Stallone is retained.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:15Read transcript
  • Producer Craig’s invited response finds Stallone’s comedy unsuccessful in contrast with his action roles; the other response strongly objects.
  • Stallone’s awkward comedy may itself be entertaining. Willis is proposed, countered as another Cash rather than a Tango, then defended as capable of a rich suited character.
  • Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas are proposed; Douglas lacks the desired physical size, while Ford has it.
  • Schwarzenegger’s comic ability is disputed, and the final preference keeps Stallone.

Half-Assed Internet Research

A sequel report, expanded henchmen, dangerous quarry shoot, heroin branding and a Danish joke are recounted.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:09Read transcript
  • A September 2019 report says Stallone has a sequel story and has spoken with Russell; the hosts want Netflix to fund it.
  • Robert Zadar as Face and the Cockney henchman were given additional lines.
  • The quarry climax is reported filmed in Irwindale with at least eleven cameras and single-attempt dangerous stunts.
  • A dangerous Bronx heroin batch reportedly used the movie’s name, prompting police warnings.
  • The hate-Danish line is explained as a dig at Brigitte Nielsen during divorce.

Apex Mountain

Most actors are rejected; the LA Chronicle and Lethal Weapon imitations are endorsed.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:04Read transcript
  • Stallone is rejected; Russell’s influence is placed later, around Tombstone and the Escape from LA sequel.
  • No major actor seems at an apex: Face is countered with Maniac Cop and the henchman actor with 48 Hours. The film ranks highly as unintentional-comedy buddy-cop entertainment.
  • The fictional Los Angeles Chronicle is endorsed for its many front pages.
  • Lockup wins among Stallone prison films, with its muddy football game praised.
  • The grunts, hanging, fighting and football power-I play are praised, with Stallone a believable athlete.
  • Lethal Weapon rip-offs are endorsed; actor/character crossover moments are proposed with the overall apex unresolved.
  • Last Action Hero’s Stallone-as-Terminator poster is a comparison, but the Rambo joke remains a strong candidate.

Best Race Horse Name from This Movie

Tango is preferred to Ray Tango and Tango and Cash.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:19Read transcript
  • Of three imagined Kentucky Derby names, Tango is selected.
  • Longer Italian surnames are jokingly imagined behind the shortened Tango name.

Picking Nits

The plea, prison transfer, survival, absent surveillance and quarry office make little sense.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:23Read transcript
  • A no-contest murder plea and eighteen-month sentence threaten police careers; no one notices or investigates the maximum-security transfer.
  • The cops should die quickly in prison, yet the escaped men’s only close relative is not watched; Hatcher’s non-stripping performance is also questioned.
  • The quarry office’s remote commute is mocked; Taken and Reacher illustrate quarries as useful action locations.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Prefer the original or a sequel, with an eight-episode Michael Mann version entertained.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:51Read transcript
  • The film initially seems impossible to remake or convert to prestige TV; Stallone’s sequel is the preferred alternative.
  • Michael Mann is imagined making eight Heat-style episodes, with Tokyo Vice as precedent.
  • Heat 2 is praised as a novel beginning after the film; delayed viewing of Heat and affection for the film transcribed Dana Thieves are recalled.

Just One Oscar

Best director, for the joke of three directors accepting together.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:45Read transcript
  • No genuine Oscar case is made; three directors sharing an acceptance speech is the amusing choice.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

FUBAR’s origin and Cash’s relationship with Kiki are revisited.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:01Read transcript
  • The hosts repeat the speculative claim that the film invented FUBAR.
  • A Cash/Kiki marriage could start a sequel, with her kidnapping and Tango’s disapproval drawing the pair together.

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Returning to police work is unresolved because exonerating evidence is weak.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:33Read transcript
  • The hosts ask whether the charges are dropped and the men simply return to the office.
  • The audio forger was contacted, but the escape and many killings leave few witnesses or clear proof of innocence; a sequel could address this.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

A movie claim about hanging from power lines is jokingly treated as a lesson.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:08Read transcript
  • After struggling for a lesson, the hosts repeat the movie’s claim about avoiding electrocution when not grounded and joke about trying it; this is a transcript observation, not verified electrical guidance.

Producer review

Craig enjoys the distinct simplicity, cheese and stars of 1980s action films.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:25Read transcript
  • The addressed response finds older action films refreshing and treats Lethal Weapon as a favorite, unlike The Grey Man.
  • The discussion contrasts distinctive older stars with interchangeable modern casting and films driven by intellectual property.

More from the conversation

The 251st Rewatchables film is introduced after a 250-movie retrospective; the possibility of reaching 500 and past in-person taping are recalled.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:04Read transcript
The film is described as the final theatrical release of the 1980s and a lovable mixture of action tropes: Lethal Weapon, Wall Street and 48 Hours comparisons frame the two characters and their improbable imprisonment.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:38Read transcript
The opening single-handed billion-dollar cocaine bust is treated as absurd; an inflation calculation and cocaine-weight comparison are recited as discussion claims, not verified data.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:16Read transcript
Famous cops, Harold Faltermeyer’s recycled-seeming synth style and almost-but-not-quite self-awareness evoke 1989 action movies including Road House, Lethal Weapon 2 and Kickboxer.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:22Read transcript
Stallone’s career from Rocky IV and Rambo II through Cobra, Over the Top, Rambo III, Lock Up, Rocky V, Oscar and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is discussed; Cliffhanger is the recovery, and this film’s comic direction is contrasted with earlier serious roles.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:09Read transcript
A regular moviegoer recalls seeing Stallone films, a disappointing Rocky V trip and renewed enthusiasm for Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, Daylight and Assassins; the reported sense of a later career slump is disputed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:53Read transcript
Kurt Russell’s run through The Best of Times, Big Trouble in Little China, Overboard and Tequila Sunrise leads to praise for this sarcastic cop role; he is imagined fitting Die Hard or Lethal Weapon, and Tombstone illustrates range.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:21Read transcript
A remembered Kurt Russell podcast visit featured a leather jacket, cigarettes and coffee, likened to Snake Plissken.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:24Read transcript
The director’s firing, replacement directors, production overruns and conflicting serious-versus-campy aims are reported; the rush to release is described as wet prints. The stated $54 million final budget is contrasted with $35 million planned and $120.4 million gross.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:49Read transcript
A Jalen Rose keep-getting-them-checks award is introduced just for fun and given to Jack Palance; this remains a local category proposal, not a silently established registry award.
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:46Read transcript
Denzel Washington in The Equalizer and Brad Pitt in Bullet Train are remaining star-led examples; Bullet Train is recommended as an actionier Knives Out on a train.
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:10Read transcript
The closing handclasp/high-five freeze moment is recalled after being omitted from earlier discussion.
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:27Read transcript