Freebie And The Bean (1974)
The Buddy Cops: Practical joker Freebie (James Caan) and his hot-headed Mexican partner, Bean (Alan Arkin), swear, fight and insult their way through investigations.
Funniest Moment: Their car flies off an overpass and soars through the air. Right into an open apartment window.
Turner & Hooch (1989)
The Buddy Cops: Officer Scott Turner (Tom Hanks), presumably under the influence of several off-screen bong hits, takes a dog that witnessed a murder into his possession, believing it not only possesses vital evidence but also the ability to tell him about it.
Funniest Moment: The new buddies reach a compromise over Hooch’s reluctance to climb into the car; Hooch trots happily on his leash alongside Turner. Don’t worry he keeps it under 5mph. It’s not that kind of film.
Midnight Run (1988)
The Buddy Cops: Tough-guy bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert DeNiro) and the meal ticket he’s trying to cash in, chatty accountant Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin.)
Funniest Moment: As a way to pass the time on a bus journey, The Duke suggests that Jack look up his ex-wife and daughter in Chicago. It doesn’t go over well. At all. The shucks here are all down to the excellent delivery of the bickering by De Niro and Grodin.
Spies Like Us (1985)
The Buddy Cops: Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) and Austin Millbarge (Dan Aykroyd) are a pair of incompetent CIA agents too idiotic to realise they’re being sent to the Soviet Union as bait for a higher priority mission.
Funniest Moment: A round of introductions under their false identities (they’re both posing as doctors) to a room of other MDs, spawns a minute-long scene of everyone giving a brief nod while saying “Doctor”... a routine repeated moments later when the meeting adjourns.
The Hard Way (1991)
The Buddy Cops: Whiny brat actor Nick Lang, wangles his Hollywood connections to become partnered with the laconic and totally-disinterested-in-his-bullshit, Dt. John Moss (James Woods.)
Funniest Moment: Nick pokes fun at his grumpy partner, teaching him a life lesson while pretending to be Moss’s girlfriend Susan.
Dragnet (1987)
The Buddy Cops: A cop who takes a traditional approach to policing, Detective Pep Streebek (Tom Hanks) makes his mum dead happy by teaming up with his wacky uncle, Sgt. Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd) to crack the case.
Funniest Moment: The pair struggle with their best pokerfaces as they interview a motel owner about a potential suspect, who is described by the old gal as a “useless scum-lapping shitbag.”
Sgt. Friday kicks back to the original series with his reply; “Just the facts please ma’am.”
Bad Boys (1995)
The Buddy Cops: Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) is a cop hopelessly devoted to his job and his family. His partner Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) is hopelessly devoted to his trousersnake.
Funniest Moment: During a stakeout with murder witness, Julie (Tea Leoni), the three pass the time discussing sex. Mocking his partner, Lowrey asks Burnett “Why don’t you whip it out for her big boy?” who zings back “Yeah, right on your forehead.”
Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
The Buddy Cops: Courageous narcotics agent Jack Colt (Emilio Estevez) and straight-shootin’ Sgt. Wes Luger (Samuel L. Jackson), this pastiching pair take every buddy-cop cliche and... do them again. With floppier hair.
Funniest Moment: In a tight spot without a vehicle, the pair confiscate a couple of kiddies bicycles. As they peddle away, Luger shouts over his shoulder “Don’t worry kids, we’ll take care of your bikes!” which seconds later inexplicably explode, sending them both careening through the air.
Starsky and Hutch (2004)
The Buddy Cops: Stuffy by-the-book David Starsky (Ben Stiller) and uber-cool Ken ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (Owen Wilson). A pair of San Francisco detectives who nurture style over any additional abilities they may possess.
Funniest Moment: Unglued by a cheerleader, who undresses while answering questions, the interview gradually devolves as the pair become mesmerised by her... pair. Hutch closing out their discussion with a key question, “What’s your sign?”
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
The Buddy Cops: Criminal-turned-actor Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) shows off his stand-up schtick by breaking the fourth wall, his partner, private investigator Perry Van Shrike (Val Kilmer) aka Gay Perry, shows off by having a smart answer for everything.
Funniest Moment: Perry’s response when Harry asks him if he thinks he’s stupid: “ I don't think you'd know where to put food at, if you didn't flap your mouth so much. Yes I think you're stupid.”
