[Bullets, Blades & Badasses] ‘The Presidio’ (1988)

Sometimes you just need a little Peter Hyams (Outland, Timecop) in your life. I’m not kidding. Sometimes you’re in the mood for an old school buddy action flick that isn’t in the Lethal Weapon mold. If you get that itch from time to time and still want to remain within the ‘70s/’80s/’90s milieu, the cinema of Peter Hyams is a pretty good are to explore. I’d rattle off a few titles, but chances are I will cover them all here eventually. To keep things simple, let’s just stick with today’s subject: The Presidio.

The film was written by Larry Ferguson, a go-to writer during this time period who worked on, among other things, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Highlander, Alien 3, and The Hunt for Red October. Aided by Hyams journeyman mastery of the camera, Ferguson lays out a tried-and-true tale of a multi-jurisdictional murder investigation. In this case, it’s between the San Francisco Police Department and the U.S. Army.

The Presidio opens with a young M.P. (Jeanette Goldstein, Aliens) making her rounds on base, ultimately coming upon a burglary in progress. She is killed and during the ensuing chase, two M.P. vehicles are wrecked and a pair of San Francisco cops are killed. To add insult to injury, the culprits get away with no clue left behind as to what they were aiming to steal. It’s a mess for all involved.

On the regular cop side of the jurisdictional street, we have Inspector Jay Austin (Mark Harmon). Yes, before you even ask, he’s former Army, so there’s instant tension on that front. On the other side, we’ve got Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell (Sean Connery). If a Harmon and Connery pairing weren’t enough, The Presidio also counts the likes of Meg Ryan and Jack Warden (Used Cars), along with small appearances by character actor regulars Don Calfa (Return of the Living Dead) and Patrick Kilpatrick (Death Warrant). All in all, it’s a nice roster.

Connery and Harmon are the stars of the show, however. Whenever the film deviates from the pairing, aside from the occasional romantic interlude between Harman and Ryan, the film suffers. Lucky for us, most the running time sees Austin and Caldwell at odds over how to carry out the joint investigation. Once again, as you can guess, these two have a history and it’s not an entirely pleasant one. Austin is the quick-to-action, witty ‘80s hero that we all know like the back of our hand. Connery is the cantankerous older partner, whose hands (or at least his thumbs) are more lethal than one might expect based on his appearance. The two actors have great chemistry with one another, which smooths over any of the more cliched aspects of the plot and makes the occasional lull in pace less noticeable.

Revisiting this action drama, it’s easy to see why Harmon went on to have a steady career in film and television. He’s handsome, charming, and happens to be a good actor too, giving him a leg up on a lot of other leading men. That’s what you’d call a triple threat. I’ve never really seen much of it myself, but if I had to hazard a guess, he’s probably the main reason that “NCIS” has been on the air for almost 14 years now.)

The Presidio isn’t going to wow you, especially if you are well-versed in films of this type. That said, it’s a breezy crime drama centered around two charismatic leading men who have good on-screen chemistry. That alone makes it an appealing selection for a cable watch on a rainy afternoon. Add in the fact that director Peter Hyams is behind the wheel and you have reason enough to give it a shot if you ever come across it on your satellite or cable provider’s TV guide.