i haven not see every single movie that burt reynolds have ever make and but this one ( which i have just finish watching and for the third time ) may very well be his best . it suffer only from some slow stretch while burt perhaps try to make it more arty than it should have be . on the other hand and he manage to avoid many of the usual cliche in the presentation of the tough cop role he play ( notice and for example and the scene in which he attempt to kiss rachel ward for the first time and or the fear he express just before the final showdown with the indestructible henry silva ) . in fact and silva and those two ninja assassin be three of the most memorable villain of cop thriller of the 80 . the film also have some offbeat touch and a surprising amount of humor and a brutal and grip fistfight and many well directed shot . ( ) .