
Bill Cosby and Robert Culp ("I Spy") are united again as private eyes in this Walter Hill-scripted "film noir." Searching for a missing girl, they find themselves involved with vicious criminals and precipitating a string of deaths.... (Full plot summary below)
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Bill Cosby and Robert Culp ("I Spy") are united again as private eyes in this Walter Hill-scripted "film noir." Searching for a missing girl, they find themselves involved with vicious criminals and precipitating a string of deaths.
Leave your thoughts about Hickey & Boggs.
| New York TimesA.H. Weiler"Hickey and Boggs" is not involved in a story or with characters really worthy of a full theatrical treatment. |
| Ozus' World Movie ReviewsDennis SchwartzNot a pretty story, but it should bring a smile to Peckinpah. |
| User ReviewAllan CTerrific crime film directed by Robert Culp, featuring the "I Spy" duo of Bill Cosby and Culp as PIs investigating a missing person case, which leads to, of course, more than they bargained for. The film was the first writing screen credit for Walter Hill, who would later go on to make many classics, including "The Warriors," "Extreme Prejudice" and "48hrs." While Hill can definitely write strong Dialogue (see "Hard Times" or "Undisputed") this one falls into the category of his less-is-more scripts when it comes to dialogue (see "The Driver" or "Last Man Standing"). But to this film specifically, it's a very tough detective story that is moodily directed by Culp. I'm disappointed that this was the only feature film directed by Culp. He really showed a really good sense of action and pacing, if not always great judgement when it came to some of the more broad characterizations. Still, this a terrific film that served a stark contrast to Culp and Cosby's very breezy "I Spy" TV series. And look fast for James Woods in only his second big screen appearance. You also get brief appearances by Michael Moriarty, Vincent Gardenia and Ed Lauter. |
| User Reviewmonsieur rMy favorite Bill Cosby movie. Bill as Dirty Harry, it doesn't get much better! |
| User ReviewBrad WMuch darker than their "I Spy" pairing, Culp and Cosby play out this police corruption drama to its fullest. |
| User ReviewLee MNot a pretty story, but it should bring a smile to Peckinpah. |
| User ReviewCamille LAction and suspense films from the early 1970s have a distinctive period flavor to them. The surprisingly effective Hickey and Boggs - co-star Robert Culp's sole directorial effort - embodies that disillusioned and dissolute era of movie making. The rough and choppy editing, the oddly cropped shots keep the viewer on edge; so do the less than pristine cinematography and the cacophonous sound track, with dialogue overlaid on a constant, dull background roar of ambient noise. Often this proved to be a recipe for pretentious but empty disasters and cynical exploitation films; here, it all works to keep the level of unease - of menace - uncomfortably high--Action and suspense films from the early 1970s have a distinctive period flavor to them. The surprisingly effective Hickey and Boggs - co-star Robert Culp's sole directorial effort - embodies that disillusioned and dissolute era of movie making. The rough and choppy editing, the oddly cropped shots keep the viewer on edge; so do the less than pristine cinematography and the cacophonous sound track, with dialogue overlaid on a constant, dull background roar of ambient noise. Often this proved to be a recipe for pretentious but empty disasters and cynical exploitation films; here, it all works to keep the level of unease - of menace - uncomfortably high--A Potent Dose of 70's L. A. downbeat neo-noir!! |
| User ReviewBill BOne of those defeatist 70's neo-noir movies that has a charm, but it moves painfully slow in parts and is so devoid of humanity that it's kind of a downer, (which I get is the point, but that still doesn't mean you enjoy the time spent in the dark). |
| User ReviewMarc DThe plot was difficult to follow, but so what? You get to see Bill Cosby as a cigar puffing hard ass Private Eye that drinks and curses! This movie is from 1972, not 2000, by the way. |