‘Another 48 HRS.’ for Action Fans, 5 Relics for Garbo Buffs : THIS WEEK’S MOVIES

“Another 48 HRS.” was barbecued by most critics during the summer and earned a “disappointing” gross of slightly more than $80 million, but the new videocassette (Paramount, priced for rental, R) still delivers most of the things action fans want--tension, speed, nasty humor and, above all, an explosion every 15 minutes or so.

It may be true that this sequel to 1982’s “48 HRS.” doesn’t derive as much human interest from the relationship between a desperate policeman (Nick Nolte) and the convict (Eddie Murphy) he once again coerces into helping him thwart the bad guys. And the film is formula all the way. But the formula has all the right ingredients, and director Walter Hill skillfully keeps them moving at a fast clip.

Such a fast clip, in fact, that you may not mind all the violence (more than in the original) or notice all the incredulous bumps along the way. (Would authorities release a prisoner, as scheduled, even though he just beat up a visiting cop? Wouldn’t that same prisoner get more than a bump on the head from a spectacular bus-and-truck crash?)

And then there are the pauses for Murphy to do his thing--his just-out-of-the-slammer phone calls and his references to James Brown are hilarious.

Other 1990 theatrical releases:

“Men at Work” (RCA/Columbia, priced for rental, PG-13) is star and director Emilio Estevez’s attempt to get intrigue and humor out of a garbage can. He and real-life brother Charlie Sheen play trash collectors who get involved in a political murder.

“Betsy’s Wedding” (Touchstone, $89.95, R) finds another director-star (Alan Alda) in search of laughs, following the cinematic tradition of “Father of the Bride” rather than a garbage-truck route (although there’s more garbage-mouthed talk than you might expect in an Alda picture).

VINTAGE VIDEO:

Is there a Greta Garbo fan on your Christmas list? MGM/UA has just released five ‘30s films ($19.98 each) starring the woman still considered by many to be the epitome of glamour:

“Conquest” (1937) not only has Garbo as a Polish woman romanced by Napoleon, but also Charles Boyer, plus sets and costumes that outdo even the usual MGM opulence.

“Mata Hari” (1932) is the sexiest and most controversial of the five. Some consider it deliciously sensual, or at least campy fun. Others think the hokey script unworthy of Garbo.

“Susan Lenox (Her Rise and Fall)” (1931) offers old-time melodrama and a young Clark Gable.

“The Painted Veil” (1934) benefits from theatrical theorist Richard Boleslawsky’s direction, though the story (based on a W. Somerset Maugham novel) about a love triangle in China wears a thin coat.

“As You Desire Me” (1932) wastes an intriguing premise--an amnesiac wife who tries to return to her unremembered husband--but furnishes a delightful supporting cast (Melvyn Douglas, Erich von Stroheim, Hedda Hopper).

OTHER NEW VIDEOS

Your store should have new music tapes galore, including: “Phil Collins: Seriously Live” (Atlantic Vision, $19.98, or $39.96 in a “Fun Pack” with a CD), “Debbie Gibson: Live Around the World” (same label, same price, same “Fun Pack” option), “K. T. Oslin” (BMG, $9.98, a collection of the popular female country singer’s clips), and “INXS: Greatest Video Hits” (Atlantic Vision, $19.98, a 90-minute retrospective of the Australian rock band).