Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is a 1992 American buddy cop action black comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Sylvester Stallone and Estelle Getty. The film was released in the United States on February 21, 1992. The film received highly negative reviews upon release but grossed $70.6 million worldwide. The film is generally considered a lesser film in Stallone’s catalog. In 2006, in response to a question about the films Stallone wished he had not done, this film was the first one he mentioned.

Plot.

Sergeant Joseph Andrew Bomowski (Sylvester Stallone) is a tough cop. His seemingly frail mother Tutti (Estelle Getty) comes to stay with him and progressively interferes in his life, driving him crazy. After cleaning his gun with bleach and finding out she ruined it, Tutti buys him an illegal MAC-10 machine pistol, and witnesses the murder of one of the men who sold her the gun. Tutti is taken to the police station to give a statement, and starts poking around in Joe’s cases. She learns the gun she purchased was part of a collection taken from a burned building, and the gun insurance money was received. On her way back home, Tutti recognizes a man at the airport. He flees when she and Joe follow him, and Tutti remembers she saw him on America’s Most Wanted for shooting his mother.

Development Writing, Box office.

Sylvester Stallone signed-on to the film based on rumors that Arnold Schwarzenegger was interested in the lead. In October 2017, Schwarzenegger confirmed the rumor that, knowing the script was “really bad”, he had publicly faked interest in starring for producers to lure Stallone. The film brought in $28.4 million in the US and over $42.2 million internationally for a total of $70.6 million worldwide.