Rating: 
Summary: underrated action thriller
Review: I was sitting home bored one night and decieded to watch a movie on tv. I flipped thru the listings and saw this Sylvestor Stallone movie called "Nighthawks". The paper gave it 3 stars so I decided to watch it. Man, from the first scene I was hooked. It's a well crafted action thriller. The running chase scene was well directed. Performences were great as was the theme of moral values. The plot is simple. Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams play New York cops who must track down an international terrorist. They must join a special squad being trained how to deal with him. That' pretty much it. And yes there is an scene where the terrorist takes people hostage. But there is an added twist to it. I won't say what, so not to spoil it, but you will be on the edge of your seat. Sly is pretty good in this film, as is Billy Dee Williams. The plot is simple enough so pretty much anyone can understand what is going on. Filmakers today could learn a lot from this film about how to keep an audience on the edge of your seat. Does anyone know how much this movie made at the box-office. If so, email me. So if you ever see this movie on TV watch it. You won't be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: underrated action thriller
Review: I was sitting home bored one night and decieded to watch a movie on tv. I flipped thru the listings and saw this Sylvestor Stallone movie called "Nighthawks". The paper gave it 3 stars so I decided to watch it. Man, from the first scene I was hooked. It's a well crafted action thriller. The running chase scene was well directed. Performences were great as was the theme of moral values. The plot is simple. Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams play New York cops who must track down an international terrorist. They must join a special squad being trained how to deal with him. That' pretty much it. And yes there is an scene where the terrorist takes people hostage. But there is an added twist to it. I won't say what, so not to spoil it, but you will be on the edge of your seat. Sly is pretty good in this film, as is Billy Dee Williams. The plot is simple enough so pretty much anyone can understand what is going on. Filmakers today could learn a lot from this film about how to keep an audience on the edge of your seat. Does anyone know how much this movie made at the box-office. If so, email me. So if you ever see this movie on TV watch it. You won't be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: WULFGAR IS ONE BAD DUDE!!
Review: IN NIGHT HAWKS THE STAGE IS SET FOR A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE BETWEEN DEKE DaSILVA(STALLONE)& WULFGAR(HAUER).THIS ACTION/THRILLER GRABS ON TO YOU FROM THE OPENING SEQUENCE AND HOLDS ON UNTIL THE FINAL CONFRONTATION BETWEEN DEKE AND WULFGAR.RUTGER HAUER IS PERFECT IN THE ROLE OF THE VILLAIN WULFGAR AND WELL STALLONE IS TYPICAL SLY.IN MY OPINION THIS 1981 THRILLER IS HIGHLY UNDERRATED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO STALLONE FANS.THE COPY I AM REVIEWING IS A GOODTIMES 2001 DVD VERSION WITH A CLEAR PICTURE AND CRISP SOUNDTRACK.TOO BAD THE SOUNTRACK ISN'T IN 5.1 DIGITAL THEN THIS MOVIE WOULD REALLY ROCK.OVERALL THIS IS GOOD ENTERTAINMENT FOR A CHEAP PRICE,HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG.
Rating: 
Summary: One of Sly's best (No cheeky comments in this review!!)
Review: NIGHTHAWKS has got to be one of my fave Stallone movies. I know I've taken the mickey out of him on numerous occassions, but this is pretty good, despite being a bit dated. Directed by Bruce Malmuth (HARD TO KILL) and with music by Keith Emerson of ELP, NIGHTHAWKS is a fast paced and exciting thriller which will have viewers overlooking its plot inconsistancies.
Rutger Hauer plays Wulfgar, a terrorist who heads to NYC to play a game of cat and mouse with the cops. Cops Deke DaSilva (Sly) and Matt Fox (Billy Dee Williams) are assigned the task of tracking him to London and New York to stop his reign of terror. Unfortunately Wulfgar always manages to remain a step ahead of them... most of the time.
There's not much of a plot, but from the opening credits NIGHTHAWKS hooks the viewer. Early on we get to see the almost unrecognizable Sly in drag... until the beard gives him away. There are also some great stunts at the climax where Wulfgar has a group of cable car passengers held hostage. The movie also co-stars the late Persis Khambatta (best known as the bald alien Ilia in STAR TREK 1) as Wulfgar's partner; an especially delectable Lindsey Wagner as Sly's girlfriend and last but not least; as a fashion designer, Jamie Gillis; ... Why he hasn't won a slew of Oscars is beyond me.
The DVD quality is actually pretty good, the picture is sharp and the sound clear. The few extras include the movies trailer and subtitles. But at this price it's a good bargain for those who want to update their VHS copies.
Rating:
Summary: Great Cop Film
Review: Nighthawks is a great cop film that I regard as highly as I do The French Connection and Serpico. Granted, it's a pure action movie at heart rather that crime drama, but it is good action. Stallone and Williams have never been better. Hauer steals the show as the terrorist. Great action sequences and a good surprise ending only help to add to this films greatness. A must see for any Stallone fan and any Cop film fan.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable crime drama......
Review: Nighthawks is one of those movies that seemed to just come and go without leaving any real mark on the cinimatic landscape. However it is unjustly so. Nighthawks is a good, hard bitten crime drama with great acting and well paced action.
Sly Stallone is Detective Sergeant Deke DaSilva who has an extensive millitary backround and is now along with his partner Detective Sergeant Matthew Fox played by Bill Dee Williams are cops who make unorthodox arrests but get the job done. Things get changed however when a terrorist named Wulfgar ,played to prefection by Rutger Hauer, comes to New York. DeSilva and Fox are assigned to help to try to stop him.
This is one of those movies that you may catch on cable late at night but my advice is not to wait go out and see this one.
Rating:
Summary: Good post-Rocky Stallone action movie.
Review: One of the first of the then-new tough cop action flicks. Good vehicle for Stallone to stretch his limited acting ability demonstrated in the early Rocky films. Co-stars Billy Dee Williams, Rutger Hauer, the late Persis Khambata and Lindsay Wagner as Stallone's on again - off again love interest. Good, solid action with an interesting, if fairly predictable, ending.
Rating:
Summary: Get the new Widescreen version.
Review: Stallone has some of his best work here. A good movie with a view on terrorism that was ahead of it's time. Most of the other reviews refer to a substandard release from another company called good times video, that is full screen and often comes in a musty DVD case, bad times. This one is a nice new widescreen release.
Rating:
Summary: Night Life
Review: Taking a break from their brand name film franchises, Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams (known more for something called Rocky and Star Wars respectively), made a good team in the underrated action thriller Nighthawks. Throw in a really good actor who knows how to play a bad guy, making his american film debut, and its all the better.
When Europe's most feared terrorist Reinhardt Wulfgar (Rutger Hauer) makes his way to the U.S. He decides to wreak havoc in Manhattan. Two elite undercover cops, Det. Sgt. Deke DaSilva (Stallone) and Det. Matthew Fox (Williams) are tapped to try and stop him before he strikes. It becomes a game of cat and mouse, as Wulfgar plans to make sure the detectives are one step behind him.
While I will admit that certain aspects of the film are hoplessly dated--disco anyone?--and David Shaber's script has its share of cliches, director Bruce Malmuth gives us plenty that will never go out of style. A big reason Nighthawks works has to do with the teaming of "Sly" and Williams. They're great together. The back and forth seems realistic enough to work. Hauer is one smooth baddie and I love how he chews on the scenery. The action is well staged and nailbiting enough. TV's The Bionic Woman, Lindsey Wagner, makes a credible witness in peril. Look for the late exotic beauty Persis Khambatta, (Star Trek The Motion Picture) playing Wulgar's fellow terrorist and girlfriend, as well.
The DVD has no extras. I know there are a handful of deleted scenes out there and if nothing else it would have been nice to see them. And exactly how busy are Sly and Williams these days? Commentary? Featurette?
Nighthawks is a solid actioner worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: A small gem
Review: This film plays a bit like an 80s French Connection. Sylvester Stallone stars in a low-key role that works very well but didn't seem to resonate with audiences the way his Rocky did. He's quieter, human, and intense. Nighthawks (a rather nonsensical title) concerns international terrorist Wulfar (Rutger Hauer's American film debut), now persona non grata among major terrorist networks after an overdone IRA-commissioned bombing in London, fleeing to New York in order to garner maximum publicity and sell himself back to major terrorist organizations. Sensing the terrorist-for-hire's power play hopes, and guessing that New York would be the likely target, a British Interpol officer travels to the city in order to brief chosen police officers in counter-terrorist tactics as part of ATAC (Anti-Terrorist Action Command). Part of the chosen officers include Sgt. Deke DaSilva (Stallone) and his partner Sgt. Matt Fox (Billy Dee Williams). Both are reluctant to change duties and are not serious about training, and DaSilva has reservations about risking civilians in a hostage situation. What follows is a cat-and-mouse through New York that features a couple of exciting and well-filmed sequences. While it seems a bit far-fetched that DaSilva and Fox would bump into Wulfgar one night in a crowded disco, the action scenes make up for it and highlight New York locations well. Especially memorable is the hijacking of the Roosevelt Island tram car. (I can't look at it today without thinking of this film). The performances are solid across the board. Stallone is engaging in the lead and is quieter than we're used to. The supporting cast includes veteran character Joe Spinell as a surly police lieutenant, Lindsay Wagner as DaSilva's estranged wife, the dusky Persis Khambata as Wulfgar's ruthless aid, and Nigel Davenport as Hartman, the Interpol officer. Rutger Hauer is perfect as the sly and suave terrorist. His talents would be highlighted in films like Blade Runner, Flesh and Blood, and The Hitcher over the years, though unfortunately he seems to have fallen to straight-to-video material in the last 10 years. The DVD is a little bit underwhelming. For one, it's not in widescreen, which is a real shame. The full-screen treatment does not do justice to the NYC locations, especially the aerial shots of the tram and the ATAC chopper, or the opening subway encounter. The picture is good but rather grainy, and the sound is fine, better than the VHS version. The extras include some cursory production notes and the original, rather underwhelming trailer. Overall, I'd recommend this DVD for fans of the film because of the very reasonable price. The picture and sound are better than the VHS, and it's a good pickup for a small early-80s gem. Keith Emerson's score is easily one of his best. Hopefully it will one day be released to CD.
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