The Rookie (1990)

The Rookie is a 1990 buddy cop film directed by Clint Eastwood and produced by Howard G. Kazanjian, Steven Siebert and David Valdes. It was written from a screenplay conceived by Boaz Yakin and Scott Spiegel. The film stars Charlie Sheen, Clint Eastwood, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Tom Skerritt. Eastwood plays a veteran police officer teamed up with a younger detective played by Sheen (the rookie of the title), whose intent is to take down a German crime lord in downtown Los Angeles following months of investigation into an exotic car theft ring.

Shot entirely on location in California during the spring of 1990, the film is distinctly remembered for its elaborate pyrotechnics and extravagant stunt work. The film crew's reliance on expensive sets and elaborate stunt equipment outweighed the need for utilizing extensive CGI special effects during production. Distributed by Warner Bros., the film never spawned a sequel.

The Rookie premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States and Canada on December 7, 1990 grossing $21,633,874 in ticket receipts. The film was overshadowed by the continuing success of Home Alone, which opened in theaters three weeks earlier and ended up being one of the top 100 highest grossing films of all time. Although considered a mild financial success, The Rookie was met with generally lackluster reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. After its theatrical run, it failed to receive award nominations for acting or production merits from accredited motion picture organizations in any category.

Synopsis

LAPD Detective Sgt. Nick Pulovski and his partner, Powell, are assigned to the case of taking down the criminal empire of a German felon, Strom, who engages in grand theft auto and chop shop operations. During an encounter with Strom and his men, who are loading a semi-trailer truck with stolen cars, Powell is murdered. Nick, despite efforts to catch the criminals on the highway, ends up losing them.

Actors