It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Done with a much lighter touch than Cruising, Partners operates on the same plot premise with the police looking for a serial killer of gay men. Only it's two undercovers that are sent in by the chief played by Kenneth McMillan. One is Detective Sergeant Ryan O'Neal from LAPD homicide. The other is an officer down in records played by John Hurt.I recently wrote an article about a man I knew back in the 80s who had been a McCarthyite victim because he was gay and fit all the stereotypes. Hurt's character is the same, he operates quietly and unobtrusively no doubt seething inside over the stupid homophobic comments made in front of him. When McMillan picks him for the assignment he feigns surprise. So the two go undercover in a gay area as a couple and start to mix and mingle. It's actually O'Neal who discovers there's a serial killer that the regular homicide cops missed. That's because he is a cop first and foremost as hard as he is trying to overcome his preconceived notions about gays.O'Neal and Hurt are fine in the leads. O'Neal looks every bit the hunk he plays. Hurt has the more difficult role and carries it off beautifully.I was very moved by the other reviewer who identified himself as coming from Bible Belt America and how he saw Partners much differently than LGBT people from the coasts. Sometimes the stereotypes might have been over the top in this and other films, but they validated his existence. I can truly relate to that because in the 60s when I was growing up I had even fewer entertainment role models than he probably had. Some of the gags misfire and some of the stereotypes are over the top. But Partners is a film with some real relevancy.

This forgotten comedy is a very strange movie. For one thing, it seems to get its inspiration from the Al Pacino movie "Cruising", only this time giving it a comic viewpoint. Maybe it could have worked, but it not only didn't work during its initial release, it doesn't work today. The movie seems to think that 99% of homosexuals are sex crazy and effeminate. While there are probably some homosexuals who are this way, I'm sure most viewers will find this blanket view inaccurate. (And in an odd move, the movie makes no reference to female homosexuals at all, despite the movie being gay-themed.) John Hurt does give a sympathetic performance, one that saves the movie from being bad in every department. The movie is simply unfunny, relying on stereotypes that were old hat even in the early '80s. Also, it's very strange that although the movie attempts to be a comedy, the last half hour of the movie plays out almost completely seriously. The last scene also comes across as a hastily refilmed ending. This is a movie that would never be made today, but in this instance that is a good thing.

I think "Partners" is an absolutely sweet movie, well balanced with a great John Hurt and the ending is really, really touching *tissues* ^_~ (and for the record, no I'm not a gay man, I'm a het gurl ^^)

Totally repugnant and repulsive. They just don't get any worse than this. This one is to be avoided at all costs. Watch paint dry; watch grass grow instead. Go do your laundry. How else can I put it? This is bad enough to END a career.