Nighthawks (1981)

"The only difference between him and us will be the badge." - DaSilva

Two cops must protect New York from a terrorist.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams, Nigel Davenport

Link to IMDB

Deke DaSilva and Matt Fox are two of New York city's finest undercover officers. They make a great team together as they work some of the most dangerous streets to catch drug dealers, muggers and other such scumbags.
We are next introduced to a man named Wulfgar, an international terrorist that is currently bombing the streets of London to get the media's attention. As the Interpol agents begin to close in on him, he decides to escape to America where he can continue his cold-blooded plans.

DaSilva  &  Fox

Interpol Agent Hartman suspects correctly that Wulfgar has arrived in New York, so he comes to work with the NYPD and form a task force. Due to their excellent records, DaSilva and Fox are selected to be on the team. The men aren't too certain about it though; they feel uncomfortable about the whole "shoot to kill" rule, and are struggling to grasp the immense scale and deadliness that terrorists function at.

"I represent the oppressed of the world. I am their voice. I am a liberator." - Wulfgar

Wulfgar

Meanwhile, Wulfgar has already struck fear into the city, and he's remaining one step ahead of the cops as he plans his next act of terrorism. The job for DaSilva and Fox gets more dangerous the closer they get to Wulfgar, and they're forced to play his deadly game of cat-and-mouse if they want to save the city!

I was expecting an 80's action movie here, but it's actually much more of a gritty 70's cop thriller. There are chase scenes and gunfights, but they are kept realistic and intimate. Even though we get to see a lot of what Wulfgar is doing, his ultimate plan is a mystery and this keeps the tensions rising steadily until the very end.

There are some small problems with the story-telling and underdeveloped characters, but it doesn't really detract from the bigger picture. Overall, this is definitely an underrated movie that seems to get forgotten, but it's worth a watch for any fans of police thrillers that (mostly) keeps things realistic.

Be sure not to miss:
- Stallone in drag. Twice.
- Lindsay Wagner has a small role.
- The script was originally planned as The French Connection 3

Internet review:
"This movie rules. That is all." -Mr. Fiendish

Should I watch it?
Yes.

Where can I find it?
Links here.

Nighthawks gets...