AllMovie

Movies -- in general -- don't get much worse than this flat, woefully misconceived odd-couple "comedy" that somehow manages to be offensive while being utterly toothless. Apparently a gloss on the same subject matter as 1980's reviled psycho-sexual thriller Cruising, Partners seems to forget from moment to moment what it's trying to be: an "outrageous" gay-straight farce, a sub-Scooby Doo murder mystery, or an unusually static police procedural. Scenes last far longer than they should, the score is meek and arbitrary, and most of the performances seem to be unrehearsed first takes. The one bright spot -- if you can call it that -- in this debacle is John Hurt, who at his best is trying to imbue the material with more dignity than it deserves. At his worst, however, he looks utterly dejected and visibly embarrassed by the tasteless, denigrating gay jokes perpetrated by the script. Most audience members will likely be on the same wavelength.