Midnight Run (1988) * * * 1/2

Directed by:  Martin Brest

Starring:  Robert DeNiro, Charles Grodin, Dennis Farina, Yaphet Kotto, Joe Pantoliano, John Ashton

A bounty hunter and his quarry find themselves on the run from bad guys and the FBI as the bounty hunter tries to get back to LA within 72 hours.     That's a simple rundown of the plot, but it's not what makes Midnight Run special.     The movie is special because of its great comic performances and smart dialogue.     It also contains a cheerful undercurrent because the bounty hunter (DeNiro) and his prisoner, a mob accountant  (Grodin) are so likable and, as it turns out, ethical.    They're easy to root for.

DeNiro's Jack Walsh is a former Chicago cop who is now an L.A.-based bounty hunter.     His next assignment is to track down mob accountant Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas who stole money from the mob and is now wanted by the mob boss Jimmy Serrano (Farina) and the FBI.     DeNiro finds Mardukas with relative ease, but getting him to LA is a much harder task.    The Duke claims he is afraid of flying and creates a scene on the plane, so Jack has to find another means of transportation.     The Duke exasperates Jack with his talkativeness, phobias, and his advice to Jack to quit smoking.      "If you don't shut up, you're going to suffer from fist-o-phobia,"   Jack tells him. 

They are in danger, especially since Jack has a history with Cerrano, a no-nonsense mobster surrounded by incompetent underlings.    Cerrano addresses his people colorfully.   ("Moron Number One, put Moron Number Two on the phone.")   Dennis Farina died a couple of days ago and he will be missed.     A former Chicago cop turned actor, he brought authenticity and slick intelligence to every role he played, whether in comedies or dramas.   

Many things happen along the way from New York to L.A., but Jack and The Duke learn plenty about each other.    We learn Jack had to make a difficult ethical choice which forced him into exile from his home and family.     We also learn the true nature of The Duke's embezzlement of mob funds and much of it wasn't self-serving.     If Jack and The Duke were as corrupt as the rest of the bunch, there would be no rooting interest and thus Midnight Run becomes a slog.    Road/buddy movies are tricky.    The plot is so familiar and that it needs a hook to make it stand out.     Midnight Run has plenty of chases, explosions, and shootings, but underneath it all is a movie with heart and a couple of actors in the leads who have wonderful comic chemistry.