The 411 Top 5 07.21.06: Week 18

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 07.21.2006

The Top 5 Movie Onscreen Duos

What's a man to do after he spends a week compiling lists of the best television onscreen duos of all time? Why, that's easy. Turn right around and do the same thing for movies, thats what. The silver screen has long given us great pairs of its own, and we would be remiss not to honor those that stand above the rest. So, without further ado, allow us to present:

THE TOP 5 MOVIE ONSCREEN DUOS


Trevor Snyder

Honorable Mentions:

- J & K (Men in Black): Great comedic team in a great movie, but an underwhelming sequel keeps them off my top 5.

- Chon Wang & Roy O'Bannon (Shanghai Noon & Shanghai Knights): The Rush Hour films, with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, may be more popular, but I prefer the old-timey antics of Chan and Owen Wilson. Here's hoping we see a third installment someday.

5) Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski & Walter Sobchak (The Big Lebowski)
4) Seth & Richard Gecko (From Dusk Till Dawn)
3) John Gustafson & Max Goldman (Grumpy Old Men & Grumpier Old Men)
2) Jay & Silent Bob (Kevin Smith's "New Jersey" series and Scream 3)
1) Riggs and Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon series)

5 – In his own movie, John Goodman's grizzled Vietnam vet Walter would be interesting, but nearly as entertaining as he is paired with Jeff Bridge's hilariously laid-back performance as "The Dude." Although the two are from very different worlds, and don't at all seem like a pair that should hang out, they have clearly formed a special friendship over their shared love of bowling; and it's a strong enough bond that Walter never has any qualms about helping his bud out when "The Dude" becomes embroiled in a bizarre kidnapping mystery. Together, they're the comedic heart of one of the modern era's greatest cult films, and a great source of memorable quotes, to boot.

4 – A lot of Tarantino fans still hope to someday see a "Vega Brothers" movie, in which we can sneak a peek at the early days of Vincent and Vic Vega. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it, but I'd much rather see a "Gecko Brothers" prequel. Clooney and Tarantino are both so perfect (yes, Tarantino is good in this one) in their roles as the on-the-run murderous duo, that you're almost disappointed when the movie switches from a down and dirty kidnapping caper to an over-the-top vampire bloodbath halfway through. I'd love the opportunity to see the brothers back in their prime; no monsters, just a hardcore, balls-to-the-wall crime flick.

3 – A friend of mind and I once had a theory that nearly every movie would be better if Jack Lemmon and Walter Mattheau were in it. We were only half joking. The two share a special kind of chemistry that can only be a result of a real friendship, and lots of experience working together. It's no surprise, then, that after years of making classic films like The Odd Couple and The Front Page, the two's onscreen magic was so finely tuned by the time they made the Grumpy Old Men films that they managed to take a fairly generic premise (two neighbors who have been feuding for years see their rivalry escalate when they both fall for the new woman in town) and turn it into not one, but two hilarious films. It's a shame both passed away before a potential third entry (Grumpy Old Men with a Vengeance?) could ever come about.

2 – Who would have ever thought while first watching Clerks back in '94 that 12 years later these two drug-dealing slackers would be a beloved film institution. OK, maybe that's stretching it a little, but there's no denying how popular the duo have become. It's hard to sum up the appeal of Jay & Silent Bob to people not into Smith's sense of humor, but those of us who do get it probably wouldn't mind seeing these characters to live on for years to come. How many onscreen duo's can say they started off as simply side characters in a small independent movie and then lived on through 5 more films (including a star-studded movie all about them), were featured in a cartoon (no matter how short lived), have had their own comic books, and are emblazoned on a mountain's worth of merchandise. Not many.

1 – There is no other way to put it; this is simply a great formula. An aging cop on the verge of retirement is paired with a reckless hotshot…chaos ensues. Four films later, Riggs and Murtaugh have become one of filmdom's greatest partnerships. Not only is their comedic banter always right on, but watching their relationship grow over four films even allowed for more character development than you get from most American action films. We watch their partnership go from an uneasy one to an almost brotherly bond, with Riggs overcoming his suicidal tendencies and gaining a surrogate family in Murtaugh's. I personally have no desire to see a fifth film, I feel that Lethal Weapon 4 had the perfect happy ending for the entire series. But, if a fifth film did come out, I'd probably be unable to resist it, because these two are that good together.


JT

First, keep in mind that to me – a man who has seen thousands of movies in my lifetime – this was an insanely hard thing to narrow down. I won't lie; I essentially gave it a bit of thought, and picked a few of my favorites out of countless favorites. Hey, it's 2 a.m., and Trevor is giving me that "get it done bitch!" look.

Honorable Mention:

Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield – John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction: To be honest, there's probably quite a few you could pick from Tarantino's collection, but clearly this is the first one that comes to mind. I don't want to say that it *put Samuel L on the map* because he'd been around for so long (anyone remember his stint on Eddie Murphy's RAW, or even Coming to America or Goodfellas!?), but the truth is that it essentially did. We're all familiar with what it did for John Travolta. Point is, great movie, great roles, and these two just clicked; I really think that it showed the world that both men were way beyond greater actors than we ever imagined possible. Hell, if anyone on the planet doesn't remember John Travolta shoving a needle into Uma Thurman's chest or Sam L. bitching out buddy and even overcoming Tim Roth… they clearly haven't seen Pulp Fiction.

5) Ben Sobel and Paul Vitti – Billy Crystal and Robert DeNiro The Analyze Movies
4) James West and Artemus Gordon – Will Smith and Kevin Kline - Wild Wild West
3) Danny Ocean and Rusty Ryan – George Clooney and Brad Pitt - Ocean's 11/12
2) Jay and Silent Bob – Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith - Any of those movies
1) Sgt. Martin Riggs and Sgt. Roger Murtaugh – Mel Gibson and Danny Glover - Lethal Weapon Series

5 - This one is actually a personal favorite of mine. Just loved the chemistry between these two greats. It was the first time (at least to me) that someone had attempted to mix the serious world of the mob with a comedic side that WASN'T a total spoof. It was a legitimate flick that just happened to be a great comedy. Loved both flicks, and Bobby D and Billy complimented each other perfectly. The scene in part 1 where Paul has pulled Ben away from his hotel room (the day before his marriage no less) and into the bar where there was crying, and sharing, and all that good stuff… just classic to m.

4 - How awesome were these two? Whoever was in charge of casting just NAILED this one. In fact, having seen this, I'm kind of upset that we haven't seen these two together in anything else. They (as I used in the Top 5 from last week) perfectly complimented one another. You have the suave awesomeness that is Jim West combined with the sensible, and very intelligent Gordon, and they just brought the original duo to the next generation. I struggle with these often, because Top 5 is personal, so it's difficult to describe exactly why people should think that something is great. I suppose I can summarize it best by saying that to me, this combination – in this movie – is one of those flicks I can see a thousand times and it never gets old to me.

3 - Who doesn't want to be these characters? These two are like the coolest, move suave gentlemen on the planet. Smart, sexy (according to the ladies), confident bad-asses that will rob you under your nose. The great part, they get away with it. I happen to be a fan of both, and their rapport with one another in these films just made it all come together. Don't get me wrong, all eleven (12*) are great, but these two are the icing on the cake. I can't wait for the next installment, and despite my love for Casey Affleck, Bernie Mac, especially Don Cheadle, and the others, it's because of these two.

2 - Look, you either get it, or you don't. There is no middle ground with the View Askew collection. Sometimes, you have to have a certain sense of humor to fully appreciate Jay; fortunately, I have that sense of humor. The combination with Bob (who might possibly be the funniest character ever to never talk) is just amazing. What I really appreciate about it is the way they always try to point out the relationship between the two. EXAMPLE TIME!

Dogma – Bob doesn't say a word the entire flick except for when he throws Loki off the train and the guy is there in the cab, and he says, "Pfft, no ticket."

AND

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back – They're in the middle of the highway, and Bob is trying to explain that the car took the monkey, and Jay is just like "what? What the fuck? You have something to say? Spit it out!?", and Bob proceeds to lay into him for like twenty seconds. GOLD.

Plus you have the small nuances where Jay references him without him saying a word… plus background action from Bob… it's just wonderful how non-serious they take themselves while at the same time taking themselves so seriously.

Hell, let me flat out say it. This might be the second best duo ever created for the screen.

1 - No explanation needed, I think. You either connected with them at that age, grew up with them, or have seen them all once you've grown up. These two managed to keep the connection strong for twelve years, and to tell you the truth, I'd go see part 5. They were the quintessential cheesy cop movie that somehow slipped through the cracks and nobody cared. They were Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson from Die Hard 3, only better, and sustained it for four films. It was just a good time at the movies, and any further attempts to explain what was the greatness of these two would simply be an unjust travesty. Who knows? Maybe I'm just getting too old for this shit.


Rob Bonnette

5) Jake and Elwood (The Blues Brothers)
4) J and K (Men in Black)
3) Jules and Vince (Pulp Fiction)
2) Han Solo and Chewbacca (Star Wars Trilogy)
1) Riggs and Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon Series)

5 - Belushi and Akroyd were absolutely great together. They were stupid enough to get into all kinds of jams, resourceful enough to get out of them, and crazy enough to make the totally outrageous solution seem normal (like driving through a shopping mall to escape the police or running the Nazis off the bridge, just because).

4 - The perfect cocky student/stoic teacher combination. J (Will Smith) keeps trying to puff himself up while K keeps putting him in his place and letting him know just how little he actually knows about anything.

3 - Three words: "Royale with Cheese." I was sold. The coolest pair of bad guys ever.

2 - The way they play off each other is one of the most underrated elements of the series. Each takes turns being both the "are you crazy?" voice of reason and the brash, kick the door down first guy. Chewie speaking Wookie while Han speaks English like it's no big deal also makes it work, because it shows the depth of the friendship between the two that nothing, not even a huge language barrier can keep them from working together.

1 - They may not have been the first mismatched cop duo, but they were the best. Riggs the crazy guy and Murtaugh the straight-laced family man took us through roller coaster rides dressed up as cop movies. What really set them apart was the evolution of the duo over the series. In the first installment Murtaugh wants nothing to do with Riggs, and by the end the two are best friends, and the journey is both believable and entertaining as hell.


Avery Chan

Honorable Mentions: Vincent and Jules(Pulp Fiction), Riggs and Murtagh (Lethal Weapon 1-4), Harold and Kumar (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle)

5. Harry and Marv (Home Alone)
4. Jay and Silent Bob (All View Askew Movies not called Jersey Girl)
3. Pedro Cerrano and Taka Tanaka (Major League 2-3)
2. Tyler Durden and the Narrator (Fight Club)
1. Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid 1, 2, 3)

5. I loved Home Alone when I was a kid. I've outgrown most of the film now but the scenes with these dumbass robbers continue to crack me up then now as well as they did then. I'll never get tired of watching Pesci's Marv duck all the swinging paint cans that ultimately smack square into the face of Stern's dimwitted Marv. Like the most hardcore ECW wrestlers, these guys took non-stop punishment to the body and always came back for more. Gotta respect that.

4. J.T. nailed it on the head in his write up of these "hetero life-mates". Just go read his entry.

3. "NO MARLBOLS!" These two mismatched ball players were holdin' it down before the Wu-Tang Clan and Tiger Woods made Black-Asian fusion all the rage. Who knew Voodoo and Samurai could combine to become such a potent force in professional baseball. The producers knew these two saved Major League 2 and were smart enough to bring them in to redeem Major League: Back to the Minors. How cool would it be to see Adrian Beltre lead a blindfolded Ichiro up to the plate carrying the bat like a sword the way Tanaka does for Pedro. Stuff like that is what'll make Major League Baseball relevant again.

2. A duo so complementary to each other that they're literally one person! Sorry if I spoiled the twist for anybody who hasn't seen Fight Club. Who's a more perfect partner in crime than an imaginary friend you don't realize is imaginary who represents everything you wish you could be and do everything you wish you could do? Tyler Durden is the Narrator's Id who talks the way he wishes he could talk and "f*ck the way he wishes he could f*ck". The best duos are usually polar opposites and these two are so different that they're the same.

1. Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi top my list as the best duo in movies. Over the course of three films, their bond grew from teacher student, best of friends, to father and son. Some may frown on an old man making a teenage boy wax his cars and paint his house. Some may even be suspicious of the same elderly gentleman taking the same boy to Japan to learn to dodge swinging crane hooks and fight a Japanese thug to the death. I say that's exactly the kind of thing a boy needs to learn to become a man. They accomplished a lot in three films. Together they defeated Cobra Kai (never dies!), saved a Japanese village and opened a bonsai store. It was iffy for a while there when Daniel was tempted to the dark side and Mr. Miyagi refused to teach him the dreaded LEG SWEEP, but like all great duos, they got through it.


Bryan Kristopowitz

Honorable Mentions

- Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees- Robert Englund and Ken Kirzinger- Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

How could these guys not make a "best on screen movie duo" list? It's freaking Freddy and Jason, on the same screen at the same time. The biggest horror event in… well, a long time. Englund does all of his patented Freddy stuff and newcomer Ken Kirzinger stands there with the mask and machete in tow, ready to stalk and slash and maybe do battle with the "man" who is using him. Plus, they have a great battle at the end.

-Michael Myers and Dr. Sam Loomis- Nick Castle, Dick Warlock, George P. Wilbur, Donald L. Shanks and Donald Pleasance- Halloween 1, 2, 4, 5, 6

Sam Loomis is the doctor, and Michael Myers, "The Shape," is the ghostfaced psychopathic killer that the good doctor must track down and destroy. It was a battle that went on for five movies, each time more brutal than the last, and no matter how much the doctor tried the monster still somehow escaped. Pleasance is the reason the series lasted (and still lasts to this day) and the actors playing Myers, all four of them, all worked a kind of monster magic when on screen with Pleasance. The monster actors were all stuntman of some kind, but sometimes just standing there holding the knife is all you need to do. It's too bad Pleasance died because they could still be making Halloweens and we'd all keep watching.

-John Henderson and Beatrice Henderson- Albert Brooks and Debbie Reynolds- Mother (1996)

Brooks is the blocked novelist with female problems, and Debbie Reynolds is Brooks' mother who has a secret past that helps Brooks explain all of his own problems when he finds out. It's a great comedy, and watching Brooks and Reynolds argue over dang near everything is hilarious. When Reynolds can't figure out how to work the call waiting feature on her phone and Brooks tries explaining to her how it works, or when Brooks takes Reynolds to Victoria's Secret to buy sexy underwear are two great examples of why this duo works.

-Ben and Barbara- Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman- Night of the Living Dead (1990)

In the "Night" remake by Tom Savini the characters of Ben and Barbara engage in more interaction and arguing as they try to figure out what to do. They both care for each other deeply, and when Ben "comes back" at the end in a different state and looks at Barbara, and she looks back, you get the sense that things would have been wonderful for the two if things had worked out differently.

- Jack Deth and Shark the robot- Tim Thomerson and R.A. Mihailoff- Trancers III (1992)

It's a shame that this duo didn't get more time together on screen, or a full on movie together. Deth is the cop from the future, sent back to 1996 to fight Andrew Robinson's Trancers military project before things get out of hand in the future. Shark the robot, a big tank of a machine, showed up at the end to save the day and snap a few necks. Jack Deth even says that their pairing could be the start of something beautiful. Yeah, Charles Band, you should have brought them back for the 4th one.

5) Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway and Stitch Jones- Clint Eastwood and Mario Van Peebles- Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
4) Frank Dooley and Norman Kane- John Candy and Eugene Levy- Armed & Dangerous (1986)
3) Lt. Ray Tango and Sgt. Gabriel Cash- Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell- Tango & Cash (1989)
2) Sgt. Martin Riggs and Sgt. Roger Murtaugh- Mel Gibson and Danny Glover- Lethal Weapon franchise
1) Inspector Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond- Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy- 48 Hours (1982)

5 - The gruff old Marine and the wannabe rock star and fellow Marine first meet on a bus and they don't get along at all. Stitch keeps talking and Highway just can't stand it. The old Marine turns to the yakked and blurts out perhaps the greatest one liner in movie history, "Shut your face, hippie!" It really doesn't get any friendlier as the story goes on. Highway tries to transform Jones' freebird ways while Jones tries to get a giant muscleman to rip Highway's head off. They eventually grow to respect one another. Eastwood is great as usual as the butt kicking Gunnery Sgt. And Van Peebles is iconic as the fast talking rock star and slacker Marine. I'd love to see the two work together again.

4 - Dooley is a disgraced cop looking for a steady job. Kane is a burnt out defense attorney under orders from a judge to get a job with much less stress. They both end up being partners at Guard Dog Security, earning $4.60 an hour. And they also foil the massive criminal enterprise of Guard Dog founder Robert Loggia. Candy and Levy are hilarious as the bumbling duo who somehow manage to get to the heart of it all and get the bad guys. Candy does well here as a kind of straight man to Levy's total moron. Just great stuff that's still funny today.

3 - Tango is a well dressed, suave Beverly Hills cop and Cash is a scum bum cop with cowboy boots with guns in the heels. They're the two best cops in LA. They're framed for murder and thrown in prison, surely to be killed by the inmates they made inmates. Stallone and Russell are two of the best smart mouth cops who have to team up and get the bad guys ever put on screen. They're very different actors bringing two very different characters to life. What's really amazing is how these two never worked together again on a sequel.

2 - Four movies chronicling the partnership of on the edge super cop Riggs and the older, more cautious cop Murtaugh. Their partnership is uneasy at first, with neither side really trusting the other. By the fourth movie they're family and they've developed a wicked back and forth. They care for one another and they'd do anything for the other. Good God, they're almost gay! Ha! This is the role Gibson will be remembered for forever, and Glover hasn't done a more likeable character in years. They've become the standard for buddy cop movies mostly because they have made four of them and each one is actually a little different, helping to create a range to work from. Would it be great to see Riggs and Murtaugh come back for one more case? You bet it would be. They'll always be welcome back.

1 - The one that started the modern buddy cop genre, and one of Walter Hill's best movies. Nolte's racist tough cop and Murphy's smart butt but resourceful convict out on a weekend pass so they can find murdering criminals Albert Gans (James Remar) and Billy Bear (Sonny Landham) before they… well, do more bad guy stuff. Nolte is outstanding as the cop and he works so well with Murphy, acting as a sort of straight man to Murphy's wicked one liners. They fight, they cuss at one another in creative ways, they break in on a couple of lesbians, they beat up a bunch of hicks at a bar, it's all great stuff. They teamed up again in Another 48 Hours, a good movie in its own right, but the duo was never better than in the first flick. No one has yet been able to duplicate the same kind of chemistry in a movie. They probably never will.


Cris Murphy

5) Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson - Cary Grant & Rosiland Russell - His Girl Friday
4) The Bride & Pai Mei - Uma Thurman & Gordon Liu - Kill Bill Vol. 2
3) Jules & Vincent Vega - Samuel Jackson & John Travolta - Pulp Fiction
2) Edmund Dantes & Jacopo - Jim Caviezel & Luis Guzman - The Count of Monte Cristo
1) Jake and Elwood Blues - Dan Ackroyd & John Belushi - The Blues Brothers

5) Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson: It takes a special kind of chemistry to pull off the rapid fire, pun-filled dialouge of Howard Hawks' screwball comedy His Girl Friday. And Cary Grant and Rosiland Russell not only delivered these lines with impecible timing, they sold it as if this is how they had talked for the last 30 years. Plus, they managed to exude a modicum of angst over their past divorce and the love they still have for each other. At each other's throats, yet still yearning for each other, Russell and Grant became the mold for all future romantic comedies to come.

4) The Bride & Pai Mei - Still my favorite scenes from either of the Kill Bill films. The student/master dynamic between these two characters contained some of the funniest and best character dynamics of any Tarantino film. The only exception being...

3) Jules & Vencent Vega - Now here are two that can get down verbally. It's hard to go wrong with a cold killer and a Bad Muther Fucker. Their dialouge was superb, and delivered with the upmost of ease by each actor. It really showed to guys just letting it all hang out with a director who let them just do it. They showed a comfort and ease that's still hard to find in film.

2) Edmund Dantes and Jacopo - The master/servant dynamic really disguised the subtle friendship between these two characters. One man is bent for revenge, no matter what the cost. The other helps carry out his plans, yet still looks out for what's best for his friend. A former prisoner and a former smuggler joining forces to become near royalty. I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, and these two were the major reasons why.

1) Jake and Elwood Blues - The coolest duo on film. Unflappable. Unemotional. Yet, the funniest and coolest characters on the planet. With Ackroyd and Belushi being such close friends, it really made the dynamic between these two as close to brothers as you can get. This is one of my favorite films. I still want to be Elwood, and I still hate Illinois Nazis. And I can point to these two as the reasons why.

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You know what I love most about the Top 5? I get to learn things I never knew about my fellow writers. For instance, I never would have thought there was anyone on earth who loves Wild Wild West as much as JT apparently does. Well, I guess it's good news for that movie that JT is willing to watch it thousands of times, because it sure doesn't seem like anyone else has been watching all these years.

Anyway, speaking of bad movies based on TV shows (and I'm probably gonna hear it from JT now), that's actually our topic next week. In honor of the release of the big screen version of Miami Vice, we're going to take a special two-week look at Hollywood's previous attempts to translate the small screen to the big, and both the good and bad that resulted. First up, next week we take a look at The Top 5 Worst Movies based on TV Shows.