New Orleans Police Detective Danny Fisher finds himself having a tough day when he fiance is kidnapped by a criminal mastermind that wants revenge for the death of his girlfriend.
It seems time after time cinema cops put there lives on the line and get little more than a thank you. So to celebrate the release of 12 Rounds this week FemaleFirst takes a look at some of cinema's good cops.
- Lt John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker! John McClane was one of the biggest action icons of the late eighties and early nineties as the maverick cop who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time.
John McClane works as detective lieutenant with the New York City Police Department, during the course of his career he found himself at the Takagi Corporation’s Christmas party when Hans Gruber, a relentless businessman, uses guns, explosives to storm the building in order to steal ,millions of dollars in bearer bonds from the company.
In 1990 McClane was once again caught up in events when a group of terrorists take over air control leaving him with the task of stopping the terrorists before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights that are circling the airport run out of fuel and crash.
Die Hard with a Vengeance sees McClane pit his wits against Simon Gruber with New York City at stake. While in 2007, after a twelve year absence he pits his wits against a cyber terrorist.
At the heart of the Die Hard movies it McClane's everyman quality he fights because he believes it's what anyone would do it's also his job and what his badge stands for.
- Harry Callaghan (Clint Eastwood)
When Dirty Harry was released Callahan became the first of a new kind of movie cop: a borderline vigilante who doesn't hesitate when crossing professional and ethical boundaries in pursuit of his own vision of justice, an idea that would be copied over and over in the years to come.
Despite his somewhat unorthodox and often violent methods of apprehending criminals is devoted to protecting and avenging the victims of violent crime.
Callahan has little use for many of the official rules of police conduct, dismissing them as "red tape" and loathes the court system that lets the criminals get away with their crimes he is only interested in doing his job.. protecting the general public against violent offenders and seeking justice for those who have suffered at their hands.
Harry Callaghan remains one of the most iconic symbols of the cop movie genre as well as being one of Eastwood's most memorable roles.
- Lt Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen)
Steve McQueen stars as Detective Frank Bullitt, a hard-driving, tough-as-nails San Francisco cop. Bullitt has just received what sounds like a routine assignment: keep a star witness out of sight and out of danger for 48 hours, then deliver him to the courtroom on Monday morning.
But before the night is out, the witness will lie dying of shotgun wounds, and Bullitt, a no-glitter, all-guts cop, won't rest until he nabs the gunmen and the elusive underworld kingpin who hired them.
And while the movie was released at the height of McQueen's fame, cementing him as the King of Cool. Yet McQueen didn't play Frank Bullitt as a wise talking maverick cop instead he portrayed him as a quiet man who did what he needed to do but took no pleasure in it, unlike many cops that have gone before him or come since.
- Sgt Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson)
Sergeant Martin Riggs joined the homicide division of the LAPD after leaving the narcotics division.
As a member of the narcotics division, Riggs earned a reputation as a reckless loner that was looking for "psycho pension" from the LAPD.
During his time with "Narco", Riggs lost his wife to a terrible car accident, spiraling him down a reckless, alcohol ridden path.
But when he is reassigned to the Homicide Division he is partnered with Sergeant Roger Murtaugh with whom he forms a close bond with, and his family, that pulls him through his troubles.
The Riggs/Murtaugh partnership is one of the best ever brought to the big screen.
Other good cops include Marge Gunderson, played by Francis McDormand in Fargo, Wendell 'Bud' White, Russell Crowe in LA Confidential, Vincent Hanna from Heat and Jim Malone in The Untouchables.
12 Rounds is released 29th May
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Die Hard