20 Best Buddy Cop Movies Of All Time in Honor of 'The Wrecking Crew'
From 'Bad Boys' to 'Rush Hour,' Moviefone counts down the 20 best buddy cop movies of all time including 'The Wrecking Crew', which premieres January 28th.
(L to R) Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista star in 'The Wrecking Crew'. Credit: Courtesy of Prime. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Premiering on Prime Video beginning January 28th is the new buddy cop movie 'The Wrecking Crew,' starring Jason Momoa ('Aquaman') and Dave Bautista ('Guardians of the Galaxy').
In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the top 20 best buddy cop movies of all time.
Editorial Note: The criteria to be included on this list is that at least one of the two main characters in the film is either a current cop, a former cop, or a private detective.
Let's begin!
Related Article: Jonathan Tropper Talks 'The Wrecking Crew' and 'Star Wars: Starfighter'
20. 'Ride Along' (2014)
(L to R) Kevin Hart and Ice Cube in 'Ride Along'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben (Kevin Hart) has been trying to show decorated APD detective James (Ice Cube) that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter). When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela. Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.
19. 'Money Train' (1995)
When a vengeful New York transit cop (Woody Harrelson) decides to steal a trainload of subway fares, his foster brother (Wesley Snipes), a fellow cop—tries to protect him.
18. '21 Jump Street' (2012)
When cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high school students. They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, and set out to shut down a dangerous drug ring. But, as time goes on, Schmidt and Jenko discover that high school is nothing like it was just a few years earlier -- and, what's more, they must again confront the teenage terror and anxiety they thought they had left behind.
17. 'Stakeout' (1987)
Two detectives (Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez) observe an escaped convict's ex-girlfriend (Madeleine Stowe), but complications set in when one of them falls for her.
16. 'The Presidio' (1988)
Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell (Sean Connery) was his commanding officer years before when he left the military police over a disagreement over the handling of a drunk driver. Now a series of murders that cross jurisdictions force them to work together again. That Austin is now dating Caldwell's daughter (Meg Ryan) is not helping their relationship.
15. 'The Wrecking Crew' (2026)
(L to R) Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista star in 'The Wrecking Crew'. Credit: Courtesy of Prime. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC.
Estranged half-brothers Jonny (Jason Momoa) and James (Dave Bautista) reunite after their father's mysterious death. As they search for the truth, buried secrets reveal a conspiracy threatening to tear their family apart.
14. 'Turner & Hooch' (1989)
Detective Scott Turner (Tom Hanks) has three days left in the local police department before he moves to a bigger city to get some 'real' cases—not just misdemeanors. When Amos Reed (John McIntire) is murdered, Scott sets himself on the case, but the closest thing to a witness to the murder is Reed's dog, Hooch, which Scott has to take care of—to avoid Hooch being 'put to sleep'.
13. 'Rush Hour' (1998)
When Hong Kong Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) is summoned to Los Angeles to investigate a kidnapping, the FBI doesn't want any outside help and assigns cocky LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) to distract Lee from the case. Not content to watch the action from the sidelines, Lee and Carter form an unlikely partnership and investigate the case themselves.
12. 'The Other Guys' (2010)
Unlike their heroic counterparts on the force, desk-bound NYPD detectives Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) garner no headlines as they work day to day. When a seemingly minor case turns out to be a big deal, the two cops get the opportunity to finally prove to their comrades that they have the right stuff.
11. 'The Nice Guys' (2016)
A private eye (Ryan Gosling) and an enforcer (Russell Crowe) investigate the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.
10. 'Running Scared' (1986)
(L to R) Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal in 'Running Scared'. Photo: MGM Entertainment Co.
Two street-wise Chicago cops (Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines) have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer (Jimmy Smits) that nearly killed them in the past.
9. 'Die Hard: With a Vengeance' (1995)
New York detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon (Jeremy Irons) engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.
8. 'Bad Boys' (1995)
Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is a henpecked family man. Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is a footloose and fancy free ladies' man. Both Miami policemen, they have 72 hours to reclaim a consignment of drugs stolen from under their station's nose. To complicate matters, in order to get the assistance of the sole witness (Téa Leoni) to a murder, they have to pretend to be each other.
7. 'Tango & Cash' (1989)
Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Gabriel Cash (Kurt Russell) are two successful narcotics detectives who can't stand each other. Crime lord Yves Perret (Jack Palance), furious at the loss of income they have caused him, plots an elaborate revenge against them.
6. 'Miami Vice' (2006)
A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife (Gong Li) of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves.
5. 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' (2005)
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.' Photo: Warner Bros.
A petty thief (Robert Downey Jr.) posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who's been training him for his upcoming role.
4. 'Lethal Weapon 2' (1989)
Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are on the trail of South African diplomats using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.
3. 'The Last Boy Scout' (1991)
Somewhere in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams, a stripper (Halle Berry) is murdered. Now, the private detective (Bruce Willis) she had hired and her ex-footballer boyfriend (Damon Wayans) are going to find her murderer, if they don't kill each other first. But the more they dig, the deeper they become enmeshed in a web of extortion, blackmail and corrupt politics hidden beneath the surface of professional football.
2. 'Midnight Run' (1988)
A bounty hunter and former-cop (Robert De Niro) pursues a former Mafia accountant (Charles Grodin) who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter (John Ashton), the F.B.I. (Yaphet Kotto), and his old mob boss (Dennis Farina) after jumping bail.
1. '48 Hrs.' (1982)
(L to R) Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in '48 hrs.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.
A hard-nosed cop (Nick Nolte) reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal (Eddie Murphy) temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer (James Remar).
