When one of Europe's most lethal terrorists shows up in New York, an elite undercover cop is assigned to take him down by any means necessary.When one of Europe's most lethal terrorists shows up in New York, an elite undercover cop is assigned to take him down by any means necessary.When one of Europe's most lethal terrorists shows up in New York, an elite undercover cop is assigned to take him down by any means necessary.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaStories about on-set fights between Rutger Hauer and Sylvester Stallone are still talked about amongst fans of this movie and both actors. In his autobiography, Hauer stated that Stallone had come off a recent string of box office bombs, and was in desperate need of a hit movie. Hauer felt that many of the on-set clashes stemmed from Stallone's constant efforts to keep tight control over every aspect of the film's production (such as replacing original director Gary Nelson with Bruce Malmuth). However, Hauer also said during interviews in later years that he actually didn't take his arguments with Stallone personally, and that the biggest problem during filming was that it was a very difficult movie to make. From his part, Stallone has expressed deep regret over his behavior in the 1980s during a 2014 interview, stating that the success of Rocky (1976) had made him "insufferable"; by his own admission, he "abused power and was an authority on everything", and wished that he "could go back and punch myself in the face".
- GoofsWhen Fox is loading his rifle just before the confrontation at the bus, you can clearly see the crimped ends of the blank rounds he's loading.
- Quotes
Deke DaSilva: Lieutenant? I just got these latest transfer orders from the Captain.
Lt. Munafo: Yeah, don't sing me any operas. I'm not feeling well right now and I'm in a bad mood.
Deke DaSilva: I'm not gonna sing any operas. I'm talking about these transfer orders. Come on, Munafo. I've been working Decoy for nine years and now I'm pulled and I'd like to know why.
Lt. Munafo: Hey, don't start with me. It's Lieutenant. You don't know me well enough to call me Munafo. But I know you, DaSilva. The gung-ho Lone Ranger of the street crime unit. Well, you can forget about that because we've been asked to cooperate with a special federal/state unit, and we will. You and Fox have been assigned to an ATAC unit.
Matthew Fox: Come on! Terrorism is hijackers and hostages. That's FBI stuff. What the hell do they want with us?
Lt. Munafo: I don't know. Your service records may have something to do with it. How many times have you been hospitalized last year? Five? Well, consider this squad a vacation from Decoy.
Deke DaSilva: I don't need a vacation.
Lt. Munafo: Yes, you do. Now, they need someone who knows the local rat holes and you're nominated. Anything goes down, you're the man.
Deke DaSilva: You mind telling me where this came from?
Lt. Munafo: From the Commissioner, and he got it from Washington. They're sending a specialist from Europe... Interpol... to help organize it in conjunction with Federal funding. And this department will extend every courtesy. Do you understand?
Deke DaSilva: [grabs Munafo] No, I don't understand...
Lt. Munafo: Get your hands off me! Understand this, sucker! You're a cop and you'll go where you're assigned! Now, you and Tonto be here at eight o'clock tomorrow, sharp! End of story!
- Alternate versionsSPOILER: The theatrical release as well as all video, laserdisc, television, and DVD versions contain the altered ending where DaSilva shoots Wulfgar only twice, despite the fact that Wulfgar has six bullet wounds on his body.
- SoundtracksGetaway
Written by Billy Powell (uncredited), Dale Krantz (uncredited) and Barry Lee Harwood (uncredited)
Performed by The Rossington Collins Band (as Rossington Collins)
Courtesy of MCA Records
For Wulfgar dissembles his identity with several incognitos, thus making him a tougher target to capture.
NIGHTHAWKS is a well-mounted, well-paced thriller that puts the accent on suspense (with some bloodshed of course). NIGHTHAWKS is a neat powerhouse! The movie contains riveting chases, a spectacle for a final confrontation, and an aggressively structured formula throughout the entire film. There are lots of opportunities for combustible moments in this film as well.
What makes NIGHTHAWKS standout even greater and better than the ordinary action flick is its emphasis on characterization and morals. NIGHTHAWKS does a terrific interpretation of how fascinating and surreptitious the terrorist bad guy is compared to a troublesome criminal. Whereas the latter simply relies on survival and desperation in the derelict streets, the former is a very intelligent person with a respectively high I.Q. and an organized purpose. His mission is clear: to fight the oppressors who have destroyed his native land and people. The terrorist covers his tracks well and moves from location and location, making his presence less conspicuous. As for the heroic cops, Deke DaSilva (Stallone) manages to preserve ethics first when making a judgment before decisive action. He knows when to call out the shot. DaSilva refuses to jeopardize innocent lives just for the sake of shooting down the villain, and in most cases, he has earned a level of propriety. DaSilva's testament to moral values is also well demonstrated in NIGHTHAWKS.
Rutger Hauer gave a genuinely eerie and chilling performance as he portrays a very psychotic but also very convincing villain with a substantially bad attitude. Overall, NIGHTHAWKS is a high caliber action film. This "above and beyond the call of duty" type quality of motion picture is a consistently thorough and memorable film. This ranks among the finest cop dramas ever composed and for over a decade, this film's reputation and aura have managed to stand the test of time. NIGHTHAWKS is a recommended hit.
RATING: *** out of ****.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Night Hawks
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $14,905,359
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,525,360
- Apr 12, 1981
- Gross worldwide
- $19,905,359
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1