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Midnight Run (1988) - Full Reaction (Patreon)

Published:
2026-01-20 15:19:50
Edited:
2026-01-20 15:20:39
Imported:
2026-01
Tags:

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I don’t know about you, but I think Buddy Cop & Pop week was a smashing success! Finished it off with this absolute delight! Charming (but not haha) Deniro and sweetheart "The Duke" just adventuring-ish across America was the movie I didn’t know I needed!

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Comments

bgb1975 (Brian)

So glad you watched this one, Cassie! And gladder that you enjoyed it! Can't wait to watch it with you tonight! "Jack, you're a grown man! You have control over your own words!" "You're g-- d--- right I do! So here come two words for you: Shut the f--- up!"

Above Average Dave

This is just fun and we knew you'd love, Cassie. Simple plot extremely well-executed though probably would've been forgotten with alternate casting. But De Niro toning down his Robert De Nironess, Charles Grodin playing the lovable (but secretly conniving) nudge, Yaphet Kotto as the relentless Fed (with the running sunglasses callback) and Dennis Farina as the obnoxious, cocky mobster scumbag. Even John Ashton as Marvin, Joey Pants, the hypertensive Bail Bondsman, and the two mugs who are dumber than a bag of sand all embraced their roles and ran with them. SO glad you finally got to this. Also, why can't we have movies like this anymore!?! (maybe without the cigarettes playing a supporting character, but still)

Christopher Smith

Anyone here recall the TV version Midnight Run with Shooter McGavin?

Scott Curry

One of my all time faves! Gonna get me some chorizo and eggs and watch this tonight!

Robert da Spruce

Haven’t seen this one in a very long time. It’ll be fun to revisit this one with you Cassie!

Shehab Dawoud

De Niro’s first real comedy role. He had done some dark comedies in The King of Comedy and Brazil, highly recommend both. But this was the first time where he was allowed to be legitimately funny. One of his best roles that opened the door for the movies he would do later on. A very underrated classic that not enough people even know of. With these kinds of movies, it’s all about the chemistry between the leads, it can make or break a movie. It came out a year after Planes, Trains and Automobiles. There’s no evidence of any inspiration but you can’t help wondering. As for more buddy cop movies, 48 Hrs is a must and so is Rush Hour 2, which is even better than the first.

Variable38

Id like to see buddy cop & pop month with all 4 bad boys movies, rush hour 2 and 3 and rewatches of shanghai noon and knights and any others that can be thought of.

James M

Grodin and De Niro have incredible chemistry in this. It's not a remarkable movie in story, style, or anything really. It's just that the two of them on screen elevate each other in a way that's so fun to watch. The movie is good because these two actors are great together.

Tyler Foster

He's got a smaller role than in this, but a beautiful and very funny romantic comedy I recommend for next month that features Charles Grodin is Heaven Can Wait (1978).

Shehab Dawoud

Someone mentioned cigarettes, which made me wonder, who is the GOAT on-screen smoker? I think Bobby D is right at the very top. Midnight Run, Goodfellas, Casino, so many great smoking scenes and techniques. The second that comes to mind is Don Johnson in Miami Vice.

Stick Figure Studios

"Looks like I'm walking." Such a great closing line. The movie is filled with wonderful, memorable, quotable dialogue. Your observation about how it is all so "perfectly balanced" is very astute, Cassie. That's what makes the film so excellent. It's a magnificent blend of thrills, suspense, humor and emotion. Its script is very tight and expertly constructed with very few leaps in logic or too many unbelievable contrivances. The characters are fun and interesting and the actors they cast are all solid: Yaphet Kotto (from ALIEN and LIVE AND LET DIE) as Agent Moseley, John Ashton (from BEVERLY HILLS COP, which was also directed by Martin Brest) as Marvin, Joe Pantoliano (from THE MATRIX and THE GOONIES) as Eddie and even the director himself Brest in a small cameo at the end as the guy behind the counter at the airport. Catchy score by Danny Elfman too. They really don't get any better than MIDNIGHT RUN. For this specific type of sub-genre (the buddy action-comedy), it may have been equaled, but it's never been surpassed... it's s even a road movie to boot. So pleased you enjoyed it. I think you would also like the RUSH HOUR sequels, LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, LAST BOY SCOUT, BEVERLY HILLS COP 2 and 4 (skip 3) and the original buddy cop action movie 48 HOURS. You should check those out. Also, if I can indulge in a bit of shameless self-aggrandizement for a second, since you've now seen two of my five trivia night picks (BIG FISH and MIDNIGHT RUN), can I recommend another one: CITY LIGHTS. It's a Charlie Chaplin film and as you said you were interested in seeing one or more of his films this year, i think it would be an excellent choice (THE KID, THE GOLD RUSH, MODERN TIMES and THE GREAT DICTATOR are also great, but CITY LIGHTS is his best imo). It would be only the second silent film on the channel. As a companion piece, I think you would also enjoy the 1991 biopic CHAPLIN featuring a young Robert Downey Jr. in an Oscar-nominated performance. As always, keep up the good work.

Just Plain Bob

Cassie, a few thoughts on bond and the jail/prison system. For most alleged crimes, the accused (or their representatives) can post bond and be released from jail awaiting trial. Sometimes, there may be additional requirements (such as surrendering your passport or required use of an ankle monitor to prevent fleeing the country/jurisdiction). All this is intended to ensure that the defendant will show up at trial. Bail bondsmen typically charge 10% of the bail amount to post bond for a client. So, in the case of the movie, the bondsmen would have agreed to a bond of $450,000 for Grodin’s release pending trial and Grodin would have paid the bondsman $45k. If he skipped bail, the bondsmen would be on the hook for the full amount and have two avenues of recourse. First, he could have a bounty hunter try and re-capture the fleeing defendant. Second, he could call in any collateral (houses, cars, etc) to try and recoup his losses. All this is in keeping with the due process clause of the Constitution. That is, alleged criminals may not be held in prison without due process (indictment, proper representation/advocacy at trial, jury of your peers, etc). It’s a delicate balancing act because, for obvious reasons, some people have to be kept in jail awaiting trial without bond (such as those accused of mass murder, due to the danger they pose) while others may simply be released without bail (usually involving smaller crimes), and everything in between. There’s also a massive difference between jail and prison. Generally speaking, jail is where defendants are held while awaiting trial. If convicted, they go to prison. Jails are administered by the county, prisons by the state. One exception is for misdemeanors. Typically, the maximum jail time for a misdemeanor is 11 months and 29 days. That time would be served in jail. For felonies, prison time is typically a year or more - requiring that the convict go to prison. As a general rule, federal prisons are considered nicer and safer than state prisons. And, at least where I live, prison is considered nicer than jail. I worked one investigation in which the defendant pled guilty to embezzling more than $100k. As part of her plea agreement, she wanted to serve her time in prison, not jail (the plea she was offered involved 11 months and 29 days in jail). She had already spent a couple of months in the county jail, hated its living conditions and been advised by fellow inmates that the conditions in prison were better. The special prosecutor (our staff attorney) warned her (as did her own attorney) that she would have to agree to a three year sentence to go to prison. In Tennessee, they knock off two days for every day of “good time” you accumulate, meaning she would be eligible for parole after one year, almost exactly the amount of time she would have to serve in jail. But, we warned, there was no guarantee the parole board would parole her. She was taking a risk. She hated the jail so much that she took the risk. They didn’t parole her until her second try, after she’d served 2 1/2 years in prison. Her preference for the nicer prison over the less-well-kept jail cost her an extra 18 months of incarceration.

Milton Reduxed

It wasn't Jack's choice not to see his daughter He was run out of town by mobsters, his wife left him and remarried a crooked cop on the Sorano payroll who doesn't want Jack around his new family It's not like Jack can just call his daughter on her cell phone, and this was the period of time when men had virtually no rights in the family courts—Fortunately the culture in the judiciary has changed since society realised how important fathers are in childrens' upbringing, but parental alienation is still a big problem for ex-husbands

Movies and Coffee

Underrated De Niro: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)

John A

Unless I'm forgetting something, Jackie Brown is the second best movie with a bail bondsman central character. Also with Deniro, and for some strange reason Tarantino's least popular movie even though it's great

Milton Reduxed

For more DeNiro & Las Vegas mobsters put CASINO (1995) on the schedule

Larry Darrell

Alright, this film is growing on me. I really enjoyed that. Sometimes having expectations can mess with your viewing experience, and this film is a clear example of that. This is not your typical action comedy. I almost wouldn’t classify it as action comedy. It’s not heavy on the action, but there is some. It’s not heavy on the comedy, but there is some. I’ve watched Midnight Run twice before and each time, I didn’t feel like it was what I was wanting. But this time, I dropped all expectations and really, really liked it. (Not saying I love it yet, but I’m close though. Maybe on the next one. ;-) I did love the ending though. That is a beautiful ending. The best part of the film is Charles Grodin. His sweetness and heartfulness is the anchor that holds the film together. Honestly, without his character, there isn’t much to like about anyone else in the film, in the beginning that is. You think you like DeNiro’s character until he joins up with Grodin, and then you’re like, “damn chill out, man.” But seeing Grodin’s character little by little break through to DeNiro’s cynical heart was the best part. The campfire scene in the railroad car was definitely my favorite, next to the ending. Grodin getting DeNiro to genuinely laugh WITH him was a peak moment. And when he admits that they, under different circumstances, “probably could have been friends.” And Grodin laughingly adding, “In the next life.” Not wanting to make things too soft, or make DeNiro’s character feel uneasy. (Always reading the situation right.) Other surprise from Midnight Run was Danny Elfman’s score. This was not typical Danny Elfman, nor was it typical Oingo Bingo, and it was awesome! Unless I’ve missed something from his filmography, I’ve never noticed him doing something like this before. Very funky Chicago bluesy, blue-eyed soul, jazzy, Wilson Picketty, Joe Texy, Motowny sound. I’ll be revisiting this soundtrack for sure. It reminded me of Paul Young and the Q-Tips a bit. For a brief time in the early eighties, they brought this sound back around. As well as The Blues Brothers. :-)

Rick Rodriguez

Cassie finally saw Midnight Run and The Nice Guys... "And Alexander wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." -Hans Gruber. Die Hard.

Steve Mercier

Like The Nice Guys, this movie is largely held together by the explosively antagonistic chemistry of DeNiro and Grodin...but, man, does DeNiro steal every scene he's in. He's never seemed so loose, so fun, so game for a little stupid comedy action. Kind of a secret favorite of mine--the movie's good, but DeNiro makes it great. Good stuff.

Clay F

At PiB, I watch full reactions and almost never YT edits. When you join the Kernel Club ($10/mo), it states in bold: + Exclusive Access to all of my Full Length Movie/TV Show reactions! ***You will need your own copy of the Movie/Show to watch a long.***

Johnny Bullis

Ah yes the 80s.. when you could still smoke inside in public places and slam the phone down when you got mad at someone. Cant do that anymore with cell phones.. now we just angerly tap the end call button.. sometime we tap the end call button a couple of times if were really ticked off. Kids will never know the satisfaction of slamming the phone down. On a side note Miss Cassie.. the guy who played Eddie the bail bonds guy who hired Jack was also in Bad Boys and the John Ashton who played Marvin is also in Beverly Hills Cop.. two of the buddy cop movies on your list.

Jason Dolan

This was actually my first introduction to Robert De Niro but I knew who Charles Grodin was from SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, KING KONG and HEAVEN CAN WAIT, but I was too young for De Niro's bigger movies.

Philip Alan

Love this movie. Love this reaction. Love that you got a new TV so you're not leaning in and squinting during important dark scenes! :) haha!

Clay F

YT Live "Let’s do a drawing for a poll!" just ended. Random selection of Top 300 at Popcorn Requests. I think these are YT polls. Poll 2 23 - Dr. Strangelove (1964) [Kubrick] (comedy/war) 173 - Paul (2011) (comedy/sci-fi) 248 - Dial M for Murder (1954) [Hitchcock] 86 - Elephant Man (1980) (drama) Poll 1 157 - A Bridge Too Far (1977) (war/action) (2h 59m) 112 - A Fistful of Dollars (1964) (western starring Clint Eastwood) 198 - Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) (war) 89 - This is Spinal Tap (1984) [Rob Reiner] She said Justice League is this week.

Alex Leach

Dennis Farina (Jimmy Serrano) was actually a cop before turning to acting. I’ve always enjoyed Charles Grodin in the late 1970s version of King Kong with Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange

Kieler, Zachary

So my gf and I played rock paper scissors for what we were going to watch tonight. Looks I lost . I saw this in the 90's during my little sister Blockbuster day's. I loved the chemistry between the two guys who ended up being friends in the end. We watched The People We Meet On Vacation pretty good Romcom. My better half said it was Cassie recommended. My buddy and I watched Final Destination 4 with Kat today. That was the worst one but watching movies with Kat is fun. Her lives are fun. I did catch some of your live and I did vote. I guess we held onto that YT membership for a reason. 😆 So it's GOT tomorrow.

Ike

Yet again, this one is special to me because it is one of those late night movies where my mother allowed me to stay up past a reasonable bedtime for a little Father & Son bonding. She of course, had no idea about the R-rating, but she did know we weren’t arguing, which was rare. Tough childhood, but like I said about PATTON, my “mean” Dad made popcorn, we laughed together and broke some of Mom’s rules about adult content, late night soda pop and dirty dishes. So happy you enjoyed it too!

Old As Dirt Bert

Great reaction, Cassie. I'm glad you held it together for the scenes with his daughter. Hopefully they'll reconnect just the way you'd rewrite the story.

thomas king

This is one of my favorite movies that has gotten lost over the years. Another forgotten under rated movie I think u really would enjoy made 4 years later in 1992 is called Hero.. Stars Dustib Hoffman, Geena Davis and Andy Garcia.

JP

The legendary Robert DeNiro needed a hit movie. As much as he was revered, and still is, he wasn't box office, this movie was suppose to do that for him. This was also director Martin Brest's first movie after 'Beverly Hills Cop'. You want to check out some of DeNiro's best performances, watch 'Once Upone a Time in America', 'Raging Bull', 'Taxi Driver' and 'The Godfather, Part II'.

Clay F

"You don't look like a criminal." "I'm a white-collar criminal." I liked it. Great reaction. De Niro and Grodin were good. Grodin = funny. Buddy Cop week was a success. The Nice Guys and Midnight Run were my favorites. To answer your question: De Niro could be characterized as a 'hunk' 10 years earlier in "The Deer Hunter" (1978) [AFI Top 100] (a tough Vietnam War movie) (nom 9 Oscars, winning 5 incl. Best Picture). De Niro (nom Best Actor Oscar) gave a powerful performance, showing emotional depth and strength. His character acted as a leader, and aggressively made efforts to take care of his hometown friends in Vietnam.

PaulChristopher

Mardukas was an accountant who discovered he was working for the mob. He stole some money from the mob. He was arrested for embezzlement. His family put up a percentage of the bail to a bail bonds office. The bail bonds office promised the whole amount of the bail to the court so Mardukas could be released. When Mardukas fled, the bail bonds office hired a bounty hunter to bring him back so they wouldn't be on the hook for the whole amount. Bounty hunters don't need warrants or probable cause.

Mojo One Thousand

Yep, you nailed it at one point Cassie, it is "Planes, Trains, and Auotmobiles", but with cops and robbers. Been a while, but it is a fun ride. I suspected Charles Grodin would be the dad from "Beethoven", but he has appeared on the channel in "Dave" with Kevin Kline, as another form of money man, maybe also an accountant. can't remember of the top my head. I was hoping John Ashton ("Marv") would be remembered from "Beverly Hills Cop" (same director as this), but maybe when we hit the sequel it will come back around. Couple of other smaller roles had faces we had seen recently, "Red Wood" was one of the "Klane" brothers in "Twins". And, the diner guy that gave "Jack" the matches is Tracy Waltre who "Cookie" in "City Slickers" very recently... almost thought Cassie's "wait!" was because she recognised him, it would have been tough as we really only saw the side and back of his head. Yaphet Kotto, who was in "Live and Let Die" on the channel, was in the something I watched the other day, the original "Running Man" with Arnie. My nephews wanted to watch the remake, so I said they should watch the original first... so we did... something to do on a very raining afternoon. Couple of other buddy cop movies from a similar vintage (late 80s/early 90s) I thought about while watching. They are a bit further along the seriousness spectrum this this, but don't mentioned as much as some others, but probably worth a look... "Black Rain" (1989) with Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia, and "Rising Sun" (1993) with Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes. Both have an additional thing in common as they relate to Japanese culture in some way. However, there are some that others have mentioned I would put in front of them. A more recent De Niro movie I think about that would be my suggestion for a heist movie (if it comes back around) would be "The Score" (2001) with Marlon Brando and Ed Norton.

JAKH

More good buddy cop movies: "The Highwaymen" (2019) *True Story* "Bad Boys" (1995) "Tango & Cash" (1989) "Showdown in Little Tokyo" (1991) "Bright" (2017) "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (2017) "The Last Boy Scout" (1991) "Rising Sun" (1993)

Clay F

Now that buddy cop week (successful) is over, could focus on 2026 PiB Watch goals, for example: *Fall in love with a never-seen romance/romcom *A great war movie *A great foreign movie *Rewatch Nolan's Batman's

Tyler Foster

A couple of other people have mentioned it, but there's another great movie about a bail bondsman (among other things): Jackie Brown (1997), the Tarantino movie I most want you to react to. It also features a connection to another great movie, Out of Sight (1998), which features Dennis Farina, who played Jimmy Serrano. Also, you didn't notice, but Philip Baker Hall bookended your Buddy Cop & Pop week. In Rush Hour, he plays Carter's unsympathetic captain, and in Midnight Run he plays Sidney, legal advisor to Jimmy Serrano. Last but not least, I'm sure I mentioned it on The Nice Guys, but I'll say again that I really hope The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) comes up sooner than later. Probably right behind Moonstruck (1987) as the movie I most want to see on the channel, although I'd have to double-check -- certainly both are in the top 5.

Clarence Newman

I fear my observation skills are not what they should be. I used to love Happy Days when I was a kid and I've been rewatching it recently in my gym. We all know the 'Arnold's diner' set, right? On the far wall, there are two doors leading to the bathrooms - "Guys" on the left, "Dolls" on the right - and there's literally 3 inches between the two doors. Why is it, then, that whenever the guys enter the bathroom, they manage to perform the physical impossibility of turning RIGHT instead of left??!! How have I just noticed this?

Clarence Newman

I'm glad Cassie enjoyed this. Even in full throttle testosterone fare like White Men Can't Jump, she's proved that she loves the way alpha males rag on each other.

Darren Harrison

My favorite part was Cassie mistaking the old style airline headphones for a stethoscope 😂

Gray

That was great and a first watch for me, what a cracking week of film/tv. I'm up for more theme weeks if they go this well.

Walter

Great week! I love a theme. All great films - my favorite is The Nice Guys ( and it’s not close). But favorite of all time? That’s a tough one…I have to give that some thought

Robert da Spruce

Fun reaction Cassie! If you’re still a little fuzzy about bail and bail bondsman. Say a person gets arrested. Charles Grodin’s character in this case. His bail was set at $500,000. His family goes to a bail bondsman to get him out of jail until trial. They put down 10% to the bail bondsman. Or $50,000 The bail bondsman puts up the whole $500,000 dollars to the court system. Promising the person will be in court on the trial date. When the person goes to court on the day promised, the bondsman gets his entire $500,000 back. He then returns the initial $50,000 put up by the family minus a percentage he keeps for himself as a fee. This is how he earns a living If the person doesn’t appear in court and “jumps” bail. The bondsman loses the $500,000. Since the family gave him $50,000, technically he’s out $450,000 out of his own pocket. As was the bondsman in this film He doesn’t want that to happen. So he hires a bounty hunter (Robert De Niro) to find the guy and bring him to his court appearance

N M

Favorite scene: Charles Grodin in First Class: “It's too big! These things go down! These things go down!"

Chitown Livingston

I did like this one! Charles Grodin made it. Good movie with him, Dyan Cannon, Warren Beatty, and Julie Christie in 'Heaven Can Wait'.

fastecp1

I had forgotten how funny this was. It's been about 30 years since I last saw it. Robert De Niro is such a great actor. There are so many movies I would recommend starring him: Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Cape Fear, The Untouchables, Sleepers, Casino, and A Bronx Tale. I'm forgetting so many; I'm not even naming the ones you have seen.

John A

I have always loved this movie, De Niro and Grodin were great together. I met John Ashton before he passes away and he signed my BHC photo, but I told him that I loved Midnight Run, and he said then why am I not signing a Midnight Run photo. hahaha, He laughed.

Grizzly

Great movie. Glad you enjoyed it. Their chemistry was fantastic, and the banter between Jack and Alonzo was too. The scene with Jack and his daughter gets me every time. I’m sure he builds a better relationship with her now that this is all over.

crazyivan

Great reaction Cassie, as always. This and Stardust are my two favorite De Niro flicks...and another great planes, trains and automobile movie would be Silver Streak, with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.