Clint Eastwood has made another police procedural, featuring Charlie Sheen as his partner. The immediate association is with classics like the “Dirty Harry” series or “The Gauntlet,” both excellent examples of Eastwood’s work in the genre. One would naturally assume “The Rookie,” released in 1990, would follow suit. That assumption proves to be inaccurate. “The Rookie” doesn't reach the level of those earlier films; it even seems less impressive than movies like “Tightrope” and “Blood Work.” While there are a few enjoyable parts, and the action does escalate considerably in the final segment, the film feels artificial and occasionally drifts into absurdity. The casting choices also don’t work well. Sheen doesn't seem believable as a hardened officer capable of handling dangerous situations on his own. The decision to cast Raul Julia and Sonia Braga as German antagonists is questionable, too. Braga looks beautiful, but her talent isn't fully used; neither is Lara Flynn Boyle’s. Tom Skerritt also feels like he’s been given very little to do playing the part of Sheen’s wealthy father. Ultimately, this is a regrettable and even comical Eastwood film that has largely faded from memory. The frequent use of strong language doesn't improve things. However, there are enough interesting scenes to make it worth seeing if you can approach it with a sense of humor. The movie has a running time of two hours and was filmed in the Los Angeles area. GRADE: C/C-

Source on TMDB