It’s a predictable, standard buddy-cop film that finds Eastwood adopting a familiar persona reminiscent of Harry Callahan, while Sheen doesn’t quite fit the role of the young officer. Raul Julia, portraying a Puerto Rican character who is inexplicably German, appeared to be enjoying himself. The action sequences and stunts were well-executed, which made it passably entertaining despite feeling stretched out by roughl…

I frequently confuse this film with another one starring James Woods. It’s the sort of movie where you know exactly what to anticipate going in. It isn’t a terrible picture, but it’s also not particularly good. There was no anticipation for massive success at the box office, nor any expectation that it would become a major hit. The filmmakers aimed to create a simple, enjoyable police action film, and that's pr…

It’s a perfectly acceptable action movie, though it fails as a buddy cop film. This is because Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen don’t have good chemistry together. When I consider memorable partnerships of that kind—like the teams in *Lethal Weapon* or *Rush Hour*—I think about the playful back-and-forth between them and how they seem to instinctively watch out for each other. In this film, it just felt like Eastw…

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 film…