Road Trippin' ... "The Last Laugh"

The Last Laugh (2019) 

TV-MA

Starring Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, Andie MacDowell

Written and Directed by Greg Pritikin

The Story:

Moving to a retirement community, talent manager Al Hart (Chase) laments having to give up his career. As fate would have it, his very first client, comedian Buddy Green (Dreyfuss) is at the community, and the two rekindle their friendship. 50 years earlier, Buddy turned down his shot on the Ed Sullivan Show. Al's got a great idea: put Buddy back in the game as they take a road trip across America to get on The Tonight Show!

It's a buddy comedy/road trip for the geriatric set!

Dreyfuss and Chase are both in fine form in the film.

Chevy, in particular, looks to be in the best shape he's been in recent years. He actually gets to play the straight man, as such, in the duo. So much of the mugging for the camera he's been asked to do over his career is not there in this film.

Dreyfuss instead gets to play the funny man, but as his comic notes, he doesn't have an act so much as he has a lifetime of jokes.

With Netflix releasing movies seemingly every day, there's going to be a lot that slip under the radar as they can only promote so many films on their home page when you log on.

This is a good thing.

Direct competition to the networks, broadcast and cable, and to Hollywood with their big budget attempts, it's going to make everyone up their game.

That makes the audience the true winners here.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Commit a Crime..."Another Stakeout"

His first dead wife?!

The Story:

Six years have passed and detectives Bill (Richard Dreyfuss) and Chris (Emilio Estevez) are still at it.  This time, the duo has to partner with an Assistant D.A. (Rosie O'Donnell) as they watch a vacationing couple in the event that a witness that has fled from Federal Protection might show up seeking refuge.  Naturally, the first rule of the stakeout is to not come in contact with the people being watched.  Five minutes after their arrival, the gig is up, and a comedy of errors ensues.

Okay, the first movie was good.

I think I might have to give the edge to the second one for being just a little bit better.

Or at least, fundamentally, different.

Whereas the first movie played up the action with bits of humor, this time they go for the funny, and add some action in where it fits.  That nearly all of the principles, cast and director (John Badham) returned and made such a great movie is a testament to all involved.  Since most movies simply try and retread the success of their first outing, this movie practically changed up everything, aside from the need for a stakeout.

That said, there are some hysterical lines, or lines delivered and reacted to by some great actors, among those, the always great Dennis Farina as one of the people being watched.  The dinner party remains a high point for all involved in the movie.  Hilarious dialogue and reactions throughout.

:)

Dreyfuss and Estevez pick up as if there had never been six years missing in their partnership, and they play off each other so well.  Couple them with O'Donnell who neither one wants to be partnered with, and it's a great dynamic that unfolds throughout. 

Couple that with Chris trying to not lose Maria (Madeleine Stowe) during the course of the operation, and it's fun watching them all have to react to a situation that none of them want to be in.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it, and it has been forgotten about over the last decade, but for a 20 year old movie, it still holds up, and it's still very funny.

They're Watching You..."Stakeout"

The rhythm is gonna get ya...

The Story:

Bill (Richard Dreyfuss) and Chris (Emilio Estevez) are police detectives assigned to the night shift on a stakeout.  Maria (Madeleine Stowe) is the former girlfriend of an escaped robber (Aidan Quinn) who may be in contact with her to get his hands back on the loot that she's been unwittingly hiding for him.  All is going according to plan, until a chance meeting off duty leads to romantic complications between Maria and Bill.  Will they catch the bad guy

Here's a fun 80s movie that has held up well over the last 26 years...

And it may have been 25 years or so since you last saw it.

The movie enjoys several fun dynamics as the movie embraces the comedic aspects of the film.  There is the ongoing gags between Chris and Bill and their dayshift counterparts as they make life miserable for one another.

Dreyfuss plays the romantic leading man, for one of the few times in his career.  His storyline is believable and he seems to be having a blast with it.  When he realizes that he's on tape, and subject to the very stakeout he is participating in, the tension gets raised a few notches as his feelings for Maria and his need to do his job cross paths and he has some difficult choices to make.

So if you're in the mood for a good time, revisit this one that you may not have seen in the last quarter century.

Man... do I feel old now!

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I do own it, and I don't wait for silver anniversaries to rewatch the film... but I should revisit it more frequently than I do.