Nighthawks (1981) * * * 1/2

Directed by:  Bruce Malmuth

Starring:  Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, Rutger Hauer, Lindsay Wagner, Joe Spinell, Persis Khambatta, Nigel Davenport, Hilarie Thompson

Reading the trivia section for Nighthawks, it was a film besieged with issues; not the least of which was Sylvester Stallone's ego which caused friction between he and Rutger Hauer.    It seems Stallone was not thrilled that Hauer's role overshadowed his and he used his star power to edit many of Hauer's scenes.    I can't imagine why Stallone bothered.    Nighthawks is an efficient, taut thriller, with perceptive, lean performances by Stallone and Hauer as two psychologically wounded men on opposite sides of the law.    Stallone is a Vietnam vet turned NYPD detective, while Hauer is an internationally feared terrorist with many different methods of violence at his disposal.    Nighthawks presents their cat and mouse game with relentless precision.  

Stallone's Deke Da Silva is teamed with Matthew Fox (Williams), who are paired together posing as targets in Central Park to lure and arrest muggers.    Soon, the detectives are chosen to work on a task force to capture Wulfgar (Hauer), who has terrorized much of Western Europe with bombings and killings and comes to New York to further his agenda.    British investigator Hartman (Davenport) leads the task force in training on Wulfgar's tactics and methods.    Da Silva and Fox soon learn firsthand how ruthless Wulfgar is in achieving his terrorist goals.

Wulfgar's love of the nightlife and ability to woo women who will unwittingly help him hide out is a contrast to the closed off, quiet Da Silva, who has a Vietnam War past he would much rather forget about.    Hauer's good looks and sinister smile make him an arrogant, hateful villain and he plumbs Wulfgar for all of his wretched ruthlessness.    He is a compelling presence.    Nighthawks is one of Stallone's least flashy and most effective performances, before he became tied up in endless Rocky sequels, Rambo films, and other projects which didn't make the most of his skills.    We see the brooding, animalistic presence Stallone brought to Rocky (1976) and it is a shame we didn't see more of it. 

Williams makes the most of his charm and charisma as Da Silva's wisecracking partner, but Stallone and Hauer overshadow him.    This is their game and their film.    Keith Emerson provided a synthesizer-heavy score which dates the film, but the strength of Nighthawks lies in its efficiency and intelligence.   Because the hero and villain are complex opposites, we care about the outcome and the payoff at the end is inspired and follows a certain logic.    Nighthawks isn't just mindless violence, and that makes it all the more satisfying.