City Heat

Kansas City in the early '30s: prohibition, mob rule and jumping jazz-joints. Taking on the might of competing gangs are cop Eastwood and seedy shamus Reynolds, themselves immersed in some pretty ridiculous rivalry since Burt gave up the Department for independent business. This is not only a pleasantly nostalgic mixture of mobster-movie and noir thriller; it is also Eastwood's funniest comedy in years. While Reynolds indulges in his usual cheery blend of bluster and craven cowardice, Clint stealthily outdoes him with self-parodic image-knocking; after his lone-ranger walk down a bullet-ridden city street mad with bloody mayhem, his haloed heroics will never seem the same again. It's certainly not a subtle movie, but with memorable performances, ludicrously over-the-top one-liners and amiable zaniness, it qualifies as a lot of fun.