''Bulletproof'' is a 1996 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Ernest Dickerson and starring Damon Wayans and

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...

. Released theatrically in the United States by Universal Pictures on September 6, 1996, ''Bulletproof'' was panned by critics and grossed $22.6 million worldwide.

Plot

Archie Moses is a small-time thief in Los Angeles who smuggles drugs for drug lord Frank Colton, who launders his drug money through a car dealership. Moses is unaware that his best friend, Rock Keats, is actually

LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

undercover cop Jack Carter, who befriended him to infiltrate Colton's gang. Carter has Moses include him in Colton's next drug shipment, secretly planning to arrest Colton and take in Moses, whom he has come to care about, unharmed. Carter's undercover status is revealed before he can enact his plan, however, and a hurt Moses pulls a gun on him. During the raid on Colton's warehouse, an out of control crane hits Moses in the back, causing him to accidentally shoot Carter in the head. He then flees the state, and is subsequently found and arrested. Carter miraculously survives and makes a full recovery with the aid of his physical therapist, Dr. Traci Flynn, with whom he falls in love. Moses is brought into custody, and he agrees to testify against Colton, but the trial is set to take place at the other side of the country. Carter's superior officer, Capt. Jensen, orders him to personally transfer Moses to the courtroom. Carter harbors resentment against Moses, and tensions escalate once the simple transfer goes awry. Colton learns through bribed federal agents and LAPD officers of Moses' attempt to testify against him. As they flee from Colton's men, Carter and Moses slowly mend their friendship, and are successful in returning to Carter's precinct. However, Colton apparently holds Flynn hostage, and blackmails Carter into turning Moses over to save Flynn. Carter and Moses pretend to comply with Colton, and shoot their way through Colton's guards. It is later revealed that Flynn is on Colton's payroll, and is responsible for leaking Carter's and Moses' whereabouts to him. Moses takes a bullet in the shoulder to save Carter's life, giving him time enough to arrest Flynn, then shoots Colton dead. Moses gives the incriminating documents on Colton to Carter, who allows him to escape. He heads to Mexico to become a bullfighter, with Carter and Moses' mother later accompanying him.

Cast

as Archie Moses * Damon Wayans as Detective Jack Carter / Rock Keats * James Caan as Frank Colton *

Jeep Swenson Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

as Bledsoe * James Farentino as Captain Will Jensen *

Kristen Wilson Kristen Wilson (born September 4, 1969) is a former American actress, best known as Miranda DuBaer in '' Twitches'' and '' Twitches Too'' and as Lisa Dolittle in the films ''Dr. Dolittle'', '' Dr. Dolittle 2'', and '' Dr. Dolittle 3''. Early li ...

as Dr. Traci Flynn * Larry McCoy as Detective Sulliman * Allen Covert as Detective Jones * Bill Nunn as DEA Agent Finch * Mark Roberts as Charles *

Xander Berkeley Alexander Harper Berkeley (born December 16, 1955) is an American actor and voice actor. Since beginning his career in the early 1980s, he has appeared in over 200 film and television projects. His film roles include '' Terminator 2: Judgment Da ...

as FBI Agent Darryl Gentry * Mark Castella as Disneyland cop * Andrew Shaifer as Cop at airport * Monica Potter as Biker's woman * Jonathan Loughran as Rookie cop * Steve White as Veteran cop

Production

Reflecting on the film years later, director Ernest Dickerson spoke to DVD Talk of his regretful experiences making the film:

Soundtrack

A soundtrack containing mostly hip hop and R&B music was released on September 3, 1996, by MCA Records. It reached No. 85 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and #23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In addition,

Varese Sarabande Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559. It is the ...

released an album of

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

's score.

Reception

Box office

''Bulletproof'' grossed $6 million its opening weekend, placing it at No. 1 at the box office. By the end of its theatrical run, it pulled in $21.6 million in North America and $1 million internationally for a worldwide total of $22.6 million.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 8% based on 38 reviews and an average rating of 3.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "In addition to its ability to deflect gunfire, ''Bulletproof'' proves sadly impervious to humor, logic, or worthwhile viewing." On Metacritic, the film received a score of 30 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Sequel

A direct to video sequel ''Bulletproof 2'' was released on January 7, 2020, directed by Don Michael Paul and stars Faizon Love and Kirk Fox as Jack Carter and Archie Moses replacing both Wayans and Sandler.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bulletproof (1996 Film) 1996 films 1990s crime comedy films 1990s road movies American action comedy films American buddy action films American buddy comedy films American buddy cop films American crime comedy films American detective films American comedy road movies Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Films about drugs Films directed by Ernest Dickerson Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in California 1990s hip hop films American police detective films Universal Pictures films 1990s police comedy films 1990s buddy comedy films 1990s buddy cop films 1996 action comedy films 1996 comedy films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films