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In this obscure 1992 thriller, Anthony Edwards plays Los Angeles detective Mike Bishop, whose partner has his heart ripped out by an unknown killer after he tracks shipments of a designer drug to New Orleans; this morbid m.o. fits that of a local drug kingpin who supposedly died years earlier. Upon his arrival in the Big Easy, Bishop convinces a retired cop (Lance Henriksen) who worked the original case to assist him, much to the chagrin of local law enforcement, who would rather leave the case closed. Together, the unlikely twosome take on not only suspicious locals and antagonistic cops but each other as they learn to work together. Director Michael Fischa takes the conventions in Sam A. Scribner's script--the fish-out-of-water concept, regional police resentful of the outsider invading their space, the seductive daughter of a suspected villain--and plays them without major contrivances thanks to the enthusiastic performances from Edwards and Henriksen. Despite his initial awkwardness in the role, it's fun to watch Edwards play the prissy, image-conscious L.A. cop who literally gets down and dirty as he learns harsh survival lessons in the swamps and back roads of New Orleans. There's definitely a low-budget feel to this movie, but the ultimate ending keeps you guessing.
--Bryan Reesman
