When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe). Along with his new, straitlaced partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), Chance sets up a scheme to entrap Masters, resulting in the accidental death of an undercover officer. As Chance's desire for justice becomes an obsession, Vukovich questions the lawless methods he employs.
"The film isn't just about cops and robbers, but about two systems of doing business, and how one of the systems finds a way to change itself in order to defeat the other." - Rogert Ebert
"Comparisons to TV's "Miami Vice" are probably inevitable because of the picture's look and sound track. But "To Live and Die in L.A." is hotter, faster, kinkier, and has better music." - Detroit Free Press
"It feels like a transmission from a different planet. To Live and Die in L.A. is so of its time that you can only be captivated by it." - The Village Voice
