Own Ernest Dickerson’s Bulletproof on 4K from Kino Lorber!
In 1996, two heavyweights of Comedy, one a seasoned pro, the other an up and coming movie star, came together to make their own updated version of an ‘80s buddy cop film, directed by a rising star in the genre film scene who already had more than a few stone cold classics under his belt. The end result is Bulletproof. Is it any good? Eh.
Bulletproof follows Keats (Damon Wayans) and Moses (Adam Sandler), two young, dumb criminals who decide to go into business with each other working in drug smuggling with drug kingpin Colton (James Caan). One problem, though; Keats is an undercover cop, and when a drug sting goes bad, Moses ends up on the run and Keats with a bullet in his head (courtesy of Moses). Now, Keats needs to drag Moses back to LA to stand witness against Colton, but not without a fight, from both Colton’s goons and between each other.
Director Ernest Dickerson said that Bulletproof, to him, was his 48 Hours (I’d say it’s more like Midnight Run, but who’s asking). It is a film that is very much trying to be that specific brand of buddy comedy mixed with a surprising amount of blood and action. In practice, though, it suffers from some pretty severe lead mismatching, as well as an unfocused central plot that kinda just drifts from set piece to set piece.
Both Wayans and Sandler were at career highs in 1996. Wayans had been working consistently in film since the end of In Living Color in ‘94, and Sandler was a breakaway SNL success, having already released both Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore by the time Bulletproof came out. They were both established, specific comedy voices, and it is very clear neither of them were really looking to shift away from the limelight. This ends up being a problem for Bulletproof as these two share just zero chemistry. Scene to scene, it is pretty clear both of them are just jockeying for pole position, never really meshing as two characters who are supposed to be friends-turned-enemies.
It doesn’t help either that neither of them are great at selling the action here, either. Great in their own comedic ways, for sure, but once the gunfire erupts and the punches start flying, I can’t really take either one of them seriously. At least in something like The Last Boy Scout, co-staring Wayans, you had someone like Bruce Willis taking the lion’s share of the action, but here, with two comic actors, you constantly miss that specific action-heavy actor to take the reins (Sandler clearly agrees with that sentiment, since he’s never taken a role even somewhat similar to this again).
A lot of this could be forgiven if the film moved a little more fluidly, but, instead, it’s got a real weird pace where it keeps speeding up and slowing down the narrative; there’s like a whole 3-act arc that exist within this that keep it interesting, for sure, but make the whole thing feel incredibly messy and chopped to hell (there’s a whole bit about the FBI being dirty that lasts about 5 minutes before being complete forgotten about). There’s probably a 2 hour cut of this that moves a lot more smoothly (as Dickerson has said in the past), but as is, it has a real jittery/choppy energy to it.
Still, what is here is still fun enough. Wayans is a bit neutered, but Sandler seems to be having a great time, and his natural charisma shows through in a role that is able to make him both a clown and as a sympathetic victim (great use of his “rage mode” here as a man who feels betrayed). The best bit has to be between Sandler and a motel front desk clerk, played by Mark Roberts, who Sandler keeps propositioning for a threesome. It is a very strange and very funny bit that showcases Sandler’s brand of charismatic comedy, but also the disparity of chemistry between Sandler and Wayans.
For those who are fans of off-kilter mid-’90s action comedies, of early Sandler charisma, or of James Caan in a cowboy hat and bench pressing some serious weight, check out Bulletproof.
Special Features:
-New 4K HDR/Dolby Vision Master, from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
-New Audio Commentary by Director Ernest Dickerson with Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
-New Audio Commentary by Action Film Historian Mike Leeder
-A Character That Helps to Tell the Story: Interview with Actor Xander Berkeley
-Deleted Scenes
-Theatrical Trailer
Bulletproof is available on 4K from Kino Lorber on September 22nd!
