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Midnight Run is a 1988 American action-comedy film directed by Martin Brest and starring Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, and Yaphet Kotto. The film follows the story of a bounty hunter named Jack Walsh (De Niro) who is hired by a bondsman to bring in an accountant named Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Grodin), who embezzled $15 million from a mobster.

Jack Walsh, a former Chicago police officer stuck working in Los Angeles as a bounty hunter, is offered a job by Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano) to bring Jonathan Mardukas back to Los Angeles for trial. Mardukas has embezzled $15 million from the Mafia and skipped bail before his trial, and Moscone is willing to pay Walsh $100,000 to bring the accountant back alive within five days.

Initially, Walsh believes that Mardukas is an easy catch; he is working as a bondsman and already has information on the accountant's whereabouts. However, Mardukas slips out from under Walsh's nose and takes a flight to New York City. Walsh follows, only to find himself constantly one step behind Mardukas.

The pair's journey through the United States is the centerpiece of the film. Walsh and Mardukas are complete opposites: one is a no-nonsense bounty hunter who will stop at nothing to bring in his man, while the other is a timid, straight-laced white-collar worker who is reluctant to break any rules. This creates an interesting dynamic between the two characters, which is shown throughout the film.

As Walsh and Mardukas travel through the United States, they encounter a number of obstacles. They are pursued by the FBI, who want to arrest Mardukas for embezzlement, and the Mafia, who want to kill him for stealing their money. They also have to deal with a series of misadventures, including getting robbed by a motel bandit and being forced to ride in a stolen car.

The action in Midnight Run is a combination of car chases, shootouts, and fistfights. The film's action sequences are well-paced and never feel overwrought, keeping the film from veering too far into melodrama. The characters are mostly likable, and their interactions feel natural and engaging.

The casting in Midnight Run is pitch-perfect. De Niro and Grodin have excellent chemistry throughout the film, playing off each other in a way that feels genuine and natural. De Niro is convincing as the hard-nosed bounty hunter, and Grodin is equally convincing as the mild-mannered accountant. Yaphet Kotto's portrayal of Special Agent Alonzo Mosely, an FBI agent who is determined to apprehend Mardukas, is also notable.

Midnight Run is a film that succeeds because of its juxtaposition of comedy and action. The humor is never forced, and the characters are never reduced to caricatures. The action is never gratuitous, and there is always more to it than just running and shooting. This film is both a thrilling ride and a genuinely funny comedy, making it a classic of the action-comedy genre.

Overall, Midnight Run is an excellent film that still holds up today. The combination of De Niro, Grodin, and Kotto creates an engaging and timeless film that will make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a perfect film that balances the line between action and comedy perfectly, and one that should be seen by anyone who loves either genre.

Midnight Run is a 1988 action movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 6 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5 and a MetaScore of 78.