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1[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/027a0253cc333648789b726903d9d98a.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:299:"Good dog." "Good Jake."]]
3
4''Top Dog'' is a 1995 [[BuddyCopShow buddy cop film]] starring Creator/ChuckNorris as Jake Wilder and... a dog named Reno. Despite their friction, the duo fight crime, most notably a white supremacist group which has been bombing numerous buildings and plans to assassinate The Pope at a Coalition For Racial Unity rally.
5
6It uses pretty much every cop cliche in the book. See also ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' for a similar Chuck Norris vehicle. See also ''[[Film/{{K91989}} K-9]]'' and ''Film/TurnerAndHooch''.
7
8----
9!!This film provides examples of:
10
11* AwesomeButImpractical: Early in the film, a group of terrorists disguised as clowns pays Jake's house a visit. One of them does a pointless front flip over a hedge before shooting.
12%%* BuddyCopShow
13* CatchPhrase: Jake: "Damn dog."
14** "That dog's a real hero, you know that?" "Yeah, so I've been told."
15* ChaseScene: There's one when two of the neo-Nazis try to cross the border with weapons in their trunk, and peel away from the patrolmen who were going to search it.
16* CopKiller: "I'm a cop." "I don't care." [BANG]
17%%* CowboyCop
18* DeadPartner: Reno's partner was killed.
19* DestinationDefenestration: Jake kicks a druggie through a window. Reno gets the credit.
20* DogFoodDiet: Sort of. At one point, Jake brings home a chicken dinner. But he leaves the room and when he returns, he finds Reno has dug into his chicken. Angered, Jake asks what he's supposed to eat; Reno pushes the can of dog food intended for him in front of Jake's shoes.
21* FlashbackNightmare: Reno frequently has one about his old partner, who was killed in the line of duty.
22* GroinAttack: Jake lands one on a druggie early in the film.
23%%* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy
24* NeverTrustATrailer: Due to the fact that the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing Oklahoma City bombing]] occurred 9 days before the film's release date, all references to domestic terrorism were removed from trailer, making it appear as a family friendly buddy cop movie.
25* MonsterClown: As mentioned in AwesomeButImpractical, the terrorists are dressed as clowns.
26* {{Montages}}: Matthew and Reno at a fair. Also counts as [[{{Filler}} filler]], since it doesn't advance the story.
27* ReReleaseSoundtrack: The DVD release largely keeps the original score intact, but two scenes feature new pieces:
28** The action sequence with the gun-firing clowns. In the theatrical cut, it's accompanied by a traditional orchestral score. In the TV edit, it's replaced by demented circus music, which arguably makes the scene much funnier.
29** When Jake goes to a house and beats up a criminal (to which Reno gets the credit), the theatrical cut is accompanied by an orchestral piece. The TV edit replaces it with a country/rock piece.
30%%* SlowMotion
31%%* StuffBlowingUp
32* TrashOfTheTitans: Jake's bedroom. It's so messy he can't find the phone, even when it's ringing.
33* TurnInYourBadge: Jake is on suspension at the beginning of the film, but is pulled out of it to help crack the white supremacy case.
34* VisionaryVillain: The villain, Nelson, has a very clear goal in mind: He wants to unite all sorts of hate groups with one attack in order to spread his neo-Nazi agenda all over the world.
35--> '''Nelson''': In a ''single blow'', we can initiate the movement which will sanitize this country for ''generations''! We ''must'' succeed. We ''will'' succeed!

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