Reviews (155)

An Overdose of Comedy
In the 1970's, Hollywood created an endless stream of disaster movies. Having found a "winning formula" they latched onto it and milked it for every penny producing disaster flick after disaster flick until it all became a joke onto itself. Enter Airplane. The result of a couple of guys who, seeing all these airplane disaster movies thought it had all gotten so ridiculous that the entire genre was a joke, a brilliant idea was born. Enter the era of the spoof.

Today we take spoofs for granted but back then the idea was brand new, and thats what makes Airplane such a brilliant masterpeice, it literally spawned a whole new genre of movies that is being copied this very day. Naked gun, or Scary movie would not exist today without Airplane, and yet, Airplane is funnier than every other spoof ever made even all these years later.

Put simply, this movie is non stop rapidfire comedy. It's saturday night live on qualudes. It's nonstop wisecracks and jokes and gags. If you like intelligent critical movies, run away...quickly. This is not your movie.
If however you enjoy pure slapstick a la three stooges, just pure bumbling humour. Totally idiotic side gags. This is your dream come true. This is more than likely the most hillarious movie ever made. It's become a classic like Gone with the wind or the godfather, but for Comedies, and with good reason. The jokes simply are nonstop beggining to end. Right from the opening scene with the Hare Krishna's at the airport until the autopilot waving goodbye in the end scene. The movie simply does not stop for even an instant. At certain points you literally have to stop laughing even if you think a joke is funny just to breath. Don't expect brilliant writting here, it's all slapstick but it REALLY is hillarious stuff. The guys who did this by the way have gone on to write many of hollywoods great comedic scenes and we can see their raw talent to great effect here, completely unrestrained. This is the granddaddy of the Spoof Genre. If you love slapstick, by all means, Get this movie. You won't regret it.

I AM serious, and don't call me Shirley!
The greatest movie spoof and funniest film of all time is on DVD! Directed by the Zucker Brothers, AIRPLANE is the king of all spoofs, putting lame attempts like SCARY MOVIE to shame. The relentless number of gags is the key here, with so many jokes it takes several viewings to catch them all. My favourite gags are the Saturday Night Fever disco mock, the mayhem jokes on the plane (crash postions etc), Stephen Stucker as Johnny ("The tower! Rapunzel!) and the very patient cab driver! And of course, one of the best lines, "Surely you can't be serious!" "I AM serious, and don't call me Shirley!" and "Joey, do you like movies about Gladiators?" Classic! The jokes come fast and frequently, providing enough weird humour to satisfy fans of this genre. Great fun. The DVD extras consist of a terrific Commenatary from the directors and a trailer. More extra stuff would be nice, but the commentary alone is worth it.

Outrageously funny!
God this movie is so incredibly hilarious! Few movies have such witty and original jokes as 1980's Airplane! does. This is one of the best comedy movies of all time and is strongly recommended for those struggling with depression or just want a good laugh.

A jetliner is bound for Chicago but when contaminated fish spreads illnesses on most of it's passengers and incapacitates both of it's pilots, it's up to a war veteran to fly and land the airliner and save the passengers before the illness claims their lives.

This movie is so incredibly funny and is highly recommended for comedy audiences. They sure don't make comedy movies like they used to.

Outrageous Comedy About 70's Disaster Films
Airplane was released in theatres in 1980 and was in production in 1979. Evidently, "Airplane" was a spoof of the 70's disaster film "Airport." This movie was an original concept in comedy at the time that made way for future spoof movies as the Scary Movie series in recent years and the Naked Gun movies in the 90's. Stars Robert Hays, Julia Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen and Peter Graves with a special appearance by Lakers player Kareem Abdul Jabaar. Leslie Nielsen would move on to doing other such comic films, particularily at home with the Nake Gun series and Spy Hard.

The movie was a comic farewell to the 70's, a milieu which this movie holds on to visually- disco music, including a scene ripped off from Saturday Night Fever in which Robert Hays and Julia Hagerty dance while two women fight each other at a disco/bar. The comedy is non-stop and everything is a gag or joke, written into the script. Highlights include an elderly white lady who can speak Jibe or black street slang, Ted and Elaine in an African village as part of a peace corps mission. Ted is teaching the native men how to play basketball while Elaine demonstrates Tupperware to the village women. The movie is cartoonish, over-the-top, silly but lots of fun. Look also for the film's sequel, released in 1982.

One of the all-time great comedies!
Airplane! is most definitely one of the ten greatest comedies of all time, and it's held up well over the past 24 years or so. Normally, this type of parody/slapstick comedy bores me to tears, but I think it's the dry delivery in Airplane! that makes everything work. A classic performance from Leslie Nielsen doesn't hurt, either. Even though this movie spoofed some of the biggest movies of its time period, the fact that Airplane! is remembered just as fondly (if not "fondlier") is testament to how great this film is. Anyone that enjoys comedies must A)Watch this movie, B)Own this movie, and C)Repeat lines from this movie as often as possible. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

It hurts to say it, but . . .
. . . this is Bruce Lee's best film. Look, I hear the groans already, but consider the competition. Having watched all his films in order just recently, I was reminded how clunky and slow "Enter the Dragon" was. Apparently, there came a point in Bruce's approach to fight scenes where he would barely receive a punch, and instead just utterly dominate the opponent, no ebb and flow -- like his ultra brisk, almost anti-climactic demolition of Bob Wall in ETD.

Now, we all know "Game of Death" simply exists to use The Footage. And the 20-ish minutes of The Footage does appear at the end, and it's a very stylish, having-fun Bruce Lee -- not the sullen, monotone Bruce of ETD. The makers of the film went with a "Bruce double" for the rest of the film, often in shadow, wearing HUGE sunglasses, keeping his face turned away, etc. Every now and again, a snippet of actual Bruce gets edited in from an earlier movie, say, upon his walking into a room, or for a reaction shot. And some of these cut-away bits are pretty awkward -- few of them flow smoothly.

But having said all that, this film -- as a kung-fu film about a star named Billy Lo trying to break away from the syndicate -- is way, way above the average for this genre. For the trio of syndicate heavies, we get Mel Novak, Hugh O'Brian and Dean Jagger -- and these guys are FAR more compelling actors than you usually get for this type of flick. Some of the exchanges, with Dean Jagger especially, are deliciously sinister. The guy (actually, there may be two of them) playing the "Bruce double," while not looking a whole lot like Bruce (hence the sunglasses) and not exactly a riveting screen presence, has the fluidity of Bruce's kicks down pat -- which is no doubt why they hired him. Moreover, some of the fight scenes end with him getting beaten down and out, an effective dramatic element which the real Bruce had seemingly discarded. The real Bruce was doing movies which were becoming more and more of an "I-am-indestructible" exercise, only offering his steady obliteration of everyone else, even against noteworthy foes. But because we're dealing with a stand-in of sorts, HE can be beat down to a pulp. This at least lends a bit of dramatic flux.

And, of course, this film has The Footage, arguably Bruce's best work, and edited together pretty well from whatever they had on hand. BUT -- before we get to The Footage, the "Bruce double" has an absolutely fantastic fight with Bob Wall -- after Bob Wall has just gotten done having a very cool fight scene with Sammo Hung for "The Martial Arts Championship of the World," complete with a stadium of screaming fans! How much campy-goodness is THAT?! People who are simply bothered by the way the studio glommed onto The Footage in order to make a profitable flick are totally overlooking the much-better-than-average elements going on. The soundtrack is beyond classic -- the triumphant yet haunting horns announcing the titles somehow mesh so strongly with the realization of Bruce's untimely death -- it becomes the perfect music for his passing, as well as for the movie itself. And lest I forget, this DVD transfer is really crystal clear -- even some of the jarring "real Bruce" cutaways are made to almost work by the fact that the DVD looks so good.

Yeah, this film really needs to be cut some slack. If people are going to call the 70's-clunky "Enter the Dragon" a timeless classic, then this one deserves much more recognition. Robert Clouse directed this one (1978) between "Enter the Dragon" (1973) and "The Big Brawl" (1980) -- so the timeline pedigree is solid as well.

A CLASSIC MOVIE THAT OFFERS A FINAL GLIMPSE OF A TRUE MASTER
IN THE LAST MOVIE OF BRUCE LEE'S LIFE, A RISING MARTIAL ARTS STAR NAMED BILLY LO GETS HARASSED BY THE MAFIA. BUT, WHEN THEY VICIOUSLY SHOOT HIM, HE FAKES HIS DEATH AND GOES ON A MISSION FOR REVENGE. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE REAL BRUCE LEE DIED HALFWAY THROUGH THE MAKING OF THIS FILM. BUT SIX YEARS LATER, ROBERT CLOUSE GATHERED UP ALL THE SURVIVING CAST MEMBERS AND WITH THE USE OF DOUBLES FILLING IN FOR LEE, THIS MOVIE WAS COMPLETED. A VERY GOOD MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE WITH SOME LEGENDARY FIGHTS. THE FIGHT BETWEEN BRUCE LEE AND KAREEM ABDUL JABAR IS A MUST SEE. FOOTAGE FROM BRUCE LEE'S ACTUAL FUNERAL WAS USED FOR ONE SCENE IN THIS MOVIE. NONETHLESS, BRUCE LEE FANS SHOULD ENJOY THIS FINAL LOOK AT A TRUE MASTER OF THE MARTIAL ARTS.

DO NOT BUY THIS FILM (READ THIS)
This film is an insult to everything Bruce Lee was. And they didn't even use all of the available fight footage. Instead, pick up "Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey". It contains all of the original fight footage Bruce shot, along with a VERY in depth documentary covering his whole life. If you are a Bruce Lee or kung fu fan, that dvd is a must-have. Not this one.

"Game Of Death" Review
While billed as the "final film of Bruce Lee", it is important to note that this movie just splices footage from other Lee films in with both shots of a Lee double and the only actual material that Bruce recorded for the film, which clocks in at just over 20 minutes. The way that the filmmakers try to pass off a poor double as the real Bruce reminds one of the infamous Bela Lugosi "Plan 9 From Outer Space" curtain call. While the first hour or so of the movie is laughably bad, one of the big anti-climatic fights involving Bruce and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is worth every dime you put in. The jaw-dropping battle uses well-placed fight choreography as opposed to today's fancy camera tricks to make for one of the best martial arts fight routines captured on film. For those who want to know, the plot of the film surrounds a martial arts film star who fakes his death and returns to seek revenge on the mob. In a twisted sense of irony, Bruce's character is shot on a movie set with a gun that is filled with real bullets instead of blanks, the very same accident that would claim his son, Brandon, on the set of "The Crow", nearly twenty years later.

Game of Excellence
Oh, this is a great one. This is the one in which Bruce Lee fights Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Oh man, that part is great. The whole movie is good, I think. And so is the music they play during the fighting.

There's this one cool part where Lee fights a motorcycle gang in a warehouse, and he hits a guy in the face with his bike! The end is excellent. Lee goes to this place and fights five martial arts masters in a row.

Also, in this movie, Lee uses nun chucks for at least ten minutes. It's so great. Lee died while shooting this movie, and most of it is a body double, but it's still very entertaining. His noises are great and so is his technique. No martial artist today can compare to Lee.

Watch out, though. After seeing this movie, I had a strong urge to fight people, and I did not control it. I went out and gave my neighbors a beating. They were doing some lawn work, so I hit one with a rake and used him to impale his son. ... Read more

Description

Get ready for laughs with SLAM DUNK ERNEST, the hilariously high-scoring comedy jam-packed with outrageous fun! In his latest crowd-pleasing escapade, we find lovably zany Ernest P. Worrell (Emmy Award-winner Jim Varney) struggling to make the cut on his buddies' fast-running city league team.But when the Basketball Angel (NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) steps in to lend him a pair of magic shoes, Ernest goes from benchwarmer to king of the court in a thrilling game against the NBA's Charlotte Hornets! Don't miss this wild and wacky comedy adventure -- it'll keep you entertained from the opening tip-off to the final-second countdown! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

BAD compared to his earlier movies
Slam Dunk Ernest isn't that good, it's a total disapointment compared the Ernest Saves Christmas and Ernest Goes to Jail (my favorite Ernest movie). But it does have some funny parts but the bad parts are when Ernest's girlfriend doesn't turn out the way she seems and when the basketball players are mean to Ernest. Only recommended to diehard Ernest fans.

Morality play
This is the most moralistic of Ernest's films. In this film, Ernest is a night janitor at a shopping mall, who wants to join the basketball team that his fellow janitors play on. Naturally, given Ernest's uncommon ineptitude, the other fellows don't want him anywhere near the court, never mind letting him join the team. But a heavenly basketball angel (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) drops by with some shoes that give Ernest the edge. Success quickly goes to Ernest's head. He finally gets his girl, but she doesn't quite turn out to be the sweetheart that he had in mind. To save the day this time, Ernest has to make up his mind about what is really important in life.

This movie focuses relentlessly on how decisions affect the lives of the characters. Each of the main characters, Ernest, his girl friend, his buddy on the team, and the buddy's five-year-old son are forced to face the consequences of the decisions that they make. There aren't many super-hilarious scenes in this movie, but I still find it great to have around the house. My 85 year-old grandmother loves it because of its religious themes as well as the lack of sex, violence, or bad language. And my 4 year-old niece loves it, too.

The pits
I'm a bona-fide Ernest fan. But if I had seen this movie first, I probably would never have seen another Ernest movie. It's just not funny. Jim Varney's talents are wasted, and nobody else in this movie had any talent to begin with.

For those looking for great Ernest, check out "Ernest Rides Again", "Ernest Goes to Camp" or "Ernest Goes to Jail."

The worst Ernest movie.
I found the magic sneeakers plot very stupid. I'm sorry Jim (may you rest in peace), but this one was one I looked forward too and it was a let down. But I'l still watch it, just because it's an Ernest movie. Sorry Mr./Mrs. barb@favorites.com, but in case you haven't heard, Jim Varney died earlier this year. I know it's sad, I'm still mourning over it. Maybe the people who made the Ernest movies will come to their senses and rerelease the Ernest movies in his memory. Or maybe he finished Ernest the Pirate before he died and release that.

Ernst Rules!!!!!!
My daughter is probly Jim Varneys biggest fan. She dressed up in a wedding dress at the age of 2 yrs old and was waiting for Ernst to get out of Jail so he could marry her. She is now 11 yrs old and she just found her Dad dead last year, it is my desire to find out Jim Varney's address so that she could write her dream man and maybe get her dream come true-a letter from the man of her life. She is true blue to him. Has all of his movies memorized. Please someone help me find Jim Varney's address, please!!!!! My e-mail is barb@favorites.com Please make my baby's dream come true her birthday is Oct 6th and I would like to supprise her by then! Thanks ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan gives his self-mocking humor full flourish in CityHunter, adapted from a Japanese comic book. But that doesn't meanthere isn't a solid dose of action--after a brilliantly cartoonishopening, the movie settles into a half-comedy, half-thriller variation onDie Hard, in which Eurotrash terrorists have hijacked a plush oceancruise liner and super-detective Ryu Saeba (Chan) has to stop them, aidedby his lovely, love-lorn assistant (Joey Wong, A Chinese GhostStory, Green Snake) and a beautiful undercover secret agent(Chingmy Yau, Naked Killer). Though City Hunter is short onbreathtaking stunts, there's plenty of well-choreographed hand-to-handcombat. Jackie Chan's lecherous, self-absorbed character (accompanied by aparade of girls into skimpy or skin-tight outfits) come across like agleeful parody of James Bond (slightly marred by a bit of homophobia). Allin all, a high energy romp. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gross-out comedy reached its peak (or nadir, if you will) when this celebration of juvenile crudeness was released in the summer of 1998. There's Something About Mary was a surprise box-office smash at the same time, and it's a much funnier and (dare we say it?) more intelligently conceived comedy, but there's something to be said for a couple of dudes who blissfully embrace bad taste and improper decorum. As they proved with their popular cartoon series South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are shameless purveyors of scatological humor, and no bodily function escapes their baser instinct for gutter-level guffaws. Here they play a couple of guys who are fed up with the hyper-commercialism of professional sports, so they invent "baseketball"--a hybrid of baseball and basketball--and soon find themselves in the middle of a booming national craze. As baseketball leagues thrive, so does the movie's appetite for puerile shock-jokes and disgusting gags. There are some great throwaway lines and a lot of funny cameos by the likes of Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Jenny McCarthy, Robert Stack, Reggie Jackson, and others, but let's face it--a little of this stuff goes a long, long way. If you laugh a lot, you may be suffering (as Parker and Stone clearly do) from an acute case of arrested development. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (161)

I love it, but it's not for everyone.
I love this movie! I live in Australia and it went sraight to video over here, probably beacause it made very little money at the box office in America. But don't let either of these facts put you off. The only thing that should put you off this movie is if it's just not for you, which is pretty likey in today's political-correctness-obsessed society. But if you're willing to remind yourself that it's just a joke, and that they mean nothing by it, you may actually have a good time.
Personally, I thought it was great. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the guys who created South Park, star as a pair of lifelong friends, and losers, who create a game which is a cross between baseball and basketball (hence the name BASEketball). They're not serious about it, and are just doing it for fun, but when a famous billionaire decides to sponser them to go pro, they become overnight superstars. From here on in, the whole thing becomes downright silly, one of the main reasons that I like it so much. It also becomes full of sight gags and gross-out humour, and this won't appeal to some people. It's not the type of gross-out used in Austin Powers or American Pie - it has just a little more bite than that, and will definitely cause offense somewhere on the planet at the best of times. But it's all in good fun, and so silly that it doesn't get nasty, and there's never any doubt that it's all make-believe.
The two leads are just great - really funny, with natural chemistry, because they are best friends in real life. Also worth a mention is Dian Bachar, who you might remember as the postman from Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place. He plays Kenny "Squeak" Scolari, best described in South Park analogies -the Stan to a pair of Cartmans. He is mainly used as a vehichle for the movie's cheapest slapstick gags, but he's also a believable character, and there were a couple of points where I really felt sorry for the poor little guy! The only performance that disappointed me was Yasmine Bleeth, but at the time I didn't know she had been on Baywatch, otherwise I would have expected bad acting (sorry Baywatch fans!). Her character Jenna has some pretty good lines, but they should have got someone who could deliver them well. Fortunately, all of the other performances were much better.
Anyway, you're probably sick of hearing what I have to say by now, so I hope I've inspired you to watch this movie. Like I said, you might like it, you might not, but I'd advise you to give it a try anyway.
Oh, and a message for any other girls out there who are reading this: Trey Parker is really cute. Not that that has anything to do with the actual movie, but I just thought I should express my opinion.
Thanks for reading my review. Party on! :)

It's this new game we learned...in the hood!
BASEketball is a surprisingly clever comedy that works on many different levels. While it parodies feel-good sports movies it also posts a savage social commentary on the commercialization of American sports and American life in general. The movie stars South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, however it wasn't written by them, so fans of South Park and Orgazmo may find the movie a little tame. However, with David Zucker (of "Airplane!" fame) at the helm, the movie skips along merrily, with plenty of sight gags, running jokes, and one-liners. I also think it's prudish to call this a "gross-out" comedy - there's nothing on a par with the "frank and beans" scene in "...Mary" for the squeamish to avoid. Instead most of the humor revolves around the male bonding displayed by Trey, Matt and diminutive co-star Dian Bachar. The rituals of teasing, name-calling and hazing have rarely been portrayed as lovingly on screen before...
Numerous guest star appearances begin to drag toward the end of the film, but the acute social satire never lets up, and in the end the movie has a saccharine, feel-good flavor. In fact, the only reason this picked up an idiotic R rating must've been the habitual usage of the f-word. Otherwise there's no sex, no nudity, no violence and frankly the language wouldn't really shock an 8 yr old these days. But these are the censored times we live in...
Anyway, BASEketball is great, it zips along merrily, you have to pay close attention to get some of the more subtle gags and the pace slacks toward the end, but all in all I think you'll watch it enough to warrant buying over renting.

An underrated treasure
Disgusting? Check. Juvenile? Check. Sadistic? Check. BASEketball is all these things, but it is also so much more, thanks to the Zucker (Airplane, Top Secret!, Naked Gun) touch.

Though it stars Matt Stone and Trey Parker, BASEketball doesn't really resemble South Park so much as Zucker's other straight-faced screwball comedies, and it's obvious these two fit into that rubric perfectly. It is not merely that Matt Stone puts a sex toy in his mouth, it is the zeal with which he attacks it that makes the scene a gut-buster. Zucker supposedly cast the duo before South Park became such a phenomenon, and it's a gamble that paid off artistically.

Not everyone's gonna like this movie. Some won't get it, a few more might be really turned off by a guy-on-guy kiss near the movie's climax, and the rest just won't find it funny for whatever reason. For everyone else, there's no shame in howling with laughter.

Humor Only a Prepubescent Boy Could Love...
Okay, so I'm not a prepubescent boy. I'm a nearly thirty-year-old woman who was made to watch this ridiculous film quite against her will... And, damn it if I nearly peed my pants with laughter!

However, I do not recommend this to anyone who dislikes bathroom humor on principle. Though each joke is well-executed, each corny, melodramatic quip delivered with deliberately dewy-eyed sincerity, it is unapologetically juvenile, raunchy, and pretends to have no amount of redeeming value. But even its lack of values came as a surprise to me, for I can't help but give it more credit than it seems to give itself for having very strong underlying themes of maintaining integrity (believe it or not), and of course, friendship.

Bottom line - if you're looking for good clean fun, this is not for you; but if you're feeling a little off-color, goofy and in the mood for a guilty pleasure, this is a film that, at the least, will make you laugh in spite of yourself.

"Steve....Perry!"
This is one of my favourite movies of all time, no doubt! Matt and Trey have been my heroes since I was ten years old (I was a very demented 10 year old). It's hilarious and strongly reccomended to anyone fond of...well, laughing! And if you like watching BASEketball, try and get together with some friends and play it. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

"I'm afraid I'm goona have to pull rank on you here..."
Fletch is my personal favorite comedy and without a doubt, one of the funniest movies ever made. Chevy Chase is perfectly cast as Irwin Fletcher, a wise cracking newspaper reporter working undercover on a beach to expose a drug running operation. At the same time, he is mistaken for a junkie by shady millionare Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) who asks Fletch to murder him. Fletch agrees but launches an investigation into finding out why this man wants to be killed. This isn't lowbrow humor, it's quick witted and very fast. Fletch requires a few viewings before one is able to grab all the jokes, but it's well worth it. I've seen this movie about 30 times and each and every time I watch, it remains as funny as the first time I saw it. If you've liked Chevy Chase in Caddyshack or National Lampoon's Vacation, than you'll love him here. The dialogue is witty and extremely quotable. Chase's Fletch often disguises himself as he investigates the two mysteries, his cheap disguises and alias' (Ted Nugent, Don Corleone, Dr. Rosenpenis) are hysterical, Chase is a master of deadpan wisecracks, this movie is a perfect showcase for his talent.Aside from the brilliance of Fletch as a comedy, Fletch functions perfectly as a well made mystery movie. I disagree with one reviewer who praised the movie as a comedy but said it wasn't a very good movie. Fletch is a very good movie and aside from Chevy Chase, there are many other reasons for the success of this classic. Screenwriter Andrew Bergman has written one of the trickiest scripts in Hollywood history, it manages to be flat out hilarious, and captivating in the same light. Whenever I watch this film with a new viewer, they are always surprised as to how much the storyline grabbed them. Another plus with this movie is Harold Faltermeyer's superb synthesizer score. It's similar to his earlier Beverly Hills Cop score, maybe even better, it helps set the tone of this movie perfectly. Last but not least, we have the direction, all under the sure hand of Michael Ritchie. He keeps things moving and maintains a comedic tone which occasionally borders on seriousness to help the story progress. Balancing tones isn't easy, in this film it's done so well, it's hardly even noticable.Fletch is all around, an excellent film, but before everything else, it's a VERY funny film. A true cult classic. For audiences whom have seen Beverly Hills Cop, think along those lines, I always thought it would be amusing to see what would happen if Chase's Fletch met with Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley of the Cop films. If you've seen those than you have a good idea of what to expect with Fletch, a film loaded with belly laughs as long as you're willing to pick up on them.

My Favorite Comedy of ALL TIME!!!
GET THIS MOVIE!!! I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! Chevy Chase made a few bad movies when he got started but this ISN'T one of them. As an undercover investigative reporter, Irwin M. Fletcher looks into the local drug traffic, only to get caught up in insurance fraud, police corruption, embezzlement and another man's suit.

He's Baba au Rum - Holistic Teamster, Magic "Fletch" Christian - Los Angeles Lakers, Ted Nugent - Beach Bum, Igor Stravinsky - Real Estate Developer, Harry S. Truman - Insurance Agent, G. Gordon Liddy - Ajax Supervisor, and a host of of others.

Look for Larry "Flash" Jenkins ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), Joe Don Baker, Tim Matheson, and the beautiful Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. Plus Geena Davis, George Wendt ("Cheers"), Richard Libertini ("The In-Laws") and Tony Longo ("Eraser"). M. Emmett Wash is the rubber-gloved doctor who examines his patients VERY thoroughly. And there's William Sanderson of TV's "Newhart". And finally Burton Gilliam of "Blazing Saddles". Whew!!!

Chase's one-liners and trickery are so subtle that it probably confounds most professional movie critics. They're always tuned to either the person he's playing or the role he's fulfilling. The autopsy scene is not to be forgotten, but you may have to turn up the volume for the full effect (sorry about that!).

Learn the one-liners here and you'll have an automatic response for most everday situations. Excellent soundtrack as well.

The F in Fletch is also for Funny
Chevy Chase stars as I.M Fletcher in the 1985 screen adaptation of Gregory McDonald's mystery series Fletch. Fletch is an undercover journalist investigating drug trafficking and the L.A.P.D, when he's approached by a stranger who asks to be killed for money. As the movie progresses, Fletch discovers that there's a connection between the man and the drugs, and the entire ordeal is very funny.

The film relies entirely on the comedic styles of Chevy Chase, as it's he that brings the sarcastic and witty Fletch to life. Through out the film, Fletch incorporates a variety of poor disguises and often introduces himself as different people, such as when he's a drug addict named Ted Nugent. Another highlight is when Fletch fanaticizes about himself playing professional basketball while wearing a giant Afro-wig.

The synthesizer sound track is not as memorable as Beverly Hills Cop's, "Axel F", but it complements the film nicely. Cinematography and directing are usually not aspects focused on in comedies, but in Fletch the two are as high quality as the writing. Fletch is rated PG and relies on clever humor and sight gags rather than raunchy jokes, which makes the comedy smart and inoffensive, unlike recent comedies such as National Lampoons' Van Wilder.

The most important aspect of comedy is the jokes, and the ones in Fletch are great, but its Chase's delivery that makes them fantastic. Whether its Fletch's one-liners, such as distracting a Doberman Pincher with, "Look, defenseless babies!" or instances such as when he claims to be real estate developer Harry S. Truman, the whole movie is outstanding. From start to finish, Chase delivers a performance that's sure to bring a smile to one's face and fill the room with laughter.

2 Paws Up!!!
I watched this with my master today, and boy did he laugh a lot. I like when he laughs because that means he is happy and then he pets me more. The movie had a lot of action, and a lot of humor too! I was a little scared of the Doberman guarding the realtor's office. Those dogs mean business, let me tell you!!! They could easily tear a dog like me in half, so I keep my distance. But yeah, great movie!!!

Retch
The movie is just plain bad, not horrendously so. Chevy Chase has less talent then Anna Kournikova. What plummets this to One Star is that it somehow has gained cult status. Maybe the government is putting doping agents in our water, for whatever reason hundreds or more think this is legendary cinema. They are wrong and I am right. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Jackie Chan at his best
i've seen many anime in my childhood. city hunter is very popular in japan and i managed to watch a few episodes in korea. i always wandered what would it be like if an anime show was converted to a movie starring real people. to my luck, city hunter starred the legendary dragon (Jackie Chan). he's not japanese and a little old but that doesn't matter. this movie is full of anime style physical and verbal humor. i can't remember a moment i wasn't laughing. and also the action sequences are awesome. jackie chan is awesome on skateboard (wheels on meals). fight scenes are cool too using his trademark agility and stunning techniques (but no jumping off walls in this movie). jackie chan used a stunt double about 3 times but only for simple things (i don't know why). i can't describe how well the action and comedy are, you just have to see the moive, it's really that good. if you like anime and you like jackie chan, then this movie is perfect for you.

Too absurd even by the Chan standard
Even a bad Jackie Chan movie turns out to be better than most of the action/comedies available, but City Hunter is an exception.

The action is hard to follow, and the humor too childish. By example, while fighting at the game room, he turns into characthers of the "Street fighter" video game, turning even into Chun Li (with make up, dress and everything) and making some of the moves as in the videogame.

It is uncomfortable to enjoy the movie when it turns so stupid. There is a good scene in which Chan, fighting inside a movie theatre, imitates the movements of Bruce Lee on the screen. But thhat scene alone is not worth the experience of "City Hunter"

this is a must see for the anime fans
This is a completely different kind of jackie chan movie. I did not see the anime of city hunter but from what i saw in the movie i bet they tried hard to keep to the series with the kind of antics the people in the movie do. I am writing this review without finishing watching the movie, but so far the movie is excellent. The voice is not Jackie Chan's though. Its some one else just like what they did with Gorgeous.

ONE THING I MUST WARN YOU ALL THOUGH IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE COVER SAYS WIDESCREEN THE MOVIE IS FULL SCREEN.

I bought this movie in best buy for 9.99 and was hoping for the widescreen like it says on the box. this is not a two sided dvd where one side is wide and the other normal. The DVD itself does not say if it is widescreen or full screen. it just say the movie name on it.

I hope this is a screw up on the part of 20th Century Fox where some dum guy mixed a full screen DVD in the widescreen box, but if it isn't then they SUCK real bad. STOP FALSE ADVERTISING to make movie off of Jackie Chan's name. But i didn't find a full screen dvd for sale even online. This is the only reason i give the DVD a 3 out of 5.

Worst. Jackie. Ever.
I have probably seen a dozen Jackie Chan movies and loved them all, City Hunter was the first movie of his to dissapoint me. The stunts are almost nonexistant and pretty lame when they do appear. The fight scenes are also dissapointing.

The worst part of the movie would have to be the rap video sequence. It was the most god awful thing that I have seen in my life.

The best part of the movie was when Jackie and his opponents are fighting in a video arcade and they all get transformed into different street fighter 2 characters. That part is actually really cool and if you are an old school fan of street fighter I would recommend renting this DVD just to see that. Other than that this is a movie to pass on.

STICK WITH HK IMPORTS "ALWAYS"
Why American production make HK movies look so cheap? First of all, they cut off so much scene, second of all ruin it by making look act so dumb by English Dubb. ALWAYS stick with ORIGINAL LICENSED HK RELEASE. Be careful with cheap imports, boots, and bulls though. ... Read more