Armados y peligrosos

In a way, maybe it does weaken "Armed and Dangerous" just a little to have so much high action, but how can you not like a John Candy/Eugene Levy movie? In this case, they play security guards who discover all sorts of corruption. But mostly, it's an excuse to be silly. Low humor, sure, but still likable (especially the clothing-switching scene; I bet that they liked filming that!).

Anyway, it's one of many movies that shows what we lost when John Candy died. In other words, it's armed and dangerously funny. Also starring Robert Loggia (happy birthday, Robert!), Kenneth McMillan and Meg Ryan.

A 50 caliber...

Frank (John Candy) is a good policeman but he is framed for theft when he catches other officers pilfering electronics. He is kicked off the force in short order. Meanwhile, Norman (Eugene Levy) is an inept lawyer who messes up big time when he assigned to defend a Charles Manson type offender. The judge in the case orders Norman to find alternative work. With few options, Frank and Norman both enroll in a security guard officers training school, where they become fast friends and partners. This is, in part, because so many of their classmates are complete idiots, like the man who wonders if he should put his own name on the application line that says "name"! Frank and Norman's first assignment is to stand watch inside a factory but they soon realize that their company, Guard Dog Security, may have some criminals on the staff, ones that are stealing from the companies they are supposed to be guarding. Can Frank and Norman, with the help of the firm-owner's daughter, Maggie (Meg Ryan), expose the bad elements in the company, without getting fired or killed? This is a very funny film with abundant laughs. Yes, it may be considered a more "low-brow" vehicle, but it is still very mirthful and will cause any viewer to laugh themselves silly. Just watching the less-than-intelligent guards on the staff of the security firm makes for a fun, fun evening. Candy, Levy, and Ryan are terrific but, then, so are the relative unknowns who round out the rest of the cast. Sets, costumes, and production values are great, too. If you want to see a classic Candy film, this is a great choice, for it displays his marvelous and abundant talent, no doubt. But, anyone truly wishing to transport themselves to a world of laughter will find this one a very good choice.

I've got to love Mark Lester. There's no movie of here's I hate. Here, away from the norm of usual of action dramas, etc, out pops a comedy with some dramatic moments. Here, he succeeds again. AAD is funny, let me tell ya. Candy who's set up by bad guy cops, in a t.v heist, teams up with American Pie's Levy (one of the worst lawyers you'll ever meet) who's forced to resign. Their new careers have em' working as security guards for an Armaguard company, but soon smell something besides mounds of garbage (check out that scene) where corrupt union figures, and some other bad guys are robbing genuine employers off their doe. Candy and Levy make a great team and get up to some real shenanigans, while also getting to the core of this operation. Steve Railsback, is unforgettable as a wild out there oil tanker driver, the most accepting, when his rig goes up in flames. Too, this is the first flick I saw Ms Ryan in, who plays the daughter of the cranky boss running the business, forced into working with the bad guys. This film also has a lot to offer like shark catching, and is a teaching tool to cops who climb trees to rescue cats from them, although how Candy got up there is a big visual fault upon the director, while not showing him clinging onto any others on the start up. Too, what the hell's wrong with always angry Tiny Lister Junior, as the big pointy bald guy/security honcho Bruno. See him in 8 Million Ways To Die and work that out too. Although running for only a week in Adelaide cinemas, here's one comedy flick I really liked and still do up until this day. Judy 'Boobs' Landers as one of Candy's girls is another comedy asset. One of the better comedies of this ilk.

I used to watch this movie every time it came on TV when I was younger. This movie didn't get a lot of attention; and it's not as good as Planes Trains and Automobiles, but it still worth watching. The last 30 or 40 minutes is great. I like the part where John is riding in truck with the cowboy and John pulls out a huge handgun. The cowboy says" I've never seen a gun like that before". John says" It's a 50 caliber, only legal in 2 states and this isn't one of them". Another part to mention is John on the motorcycle. John is in this old style biker outfit and riding an old police motorcycle. The outfit is reminiscent of something out of Rebel Without a Cause. The old motorcycle was probably a old Harley police bike. For you gun fans out there, the gun John is using is probably the 50 caliber revolver made by Ruger. This pretty entertaining film. Enjoy.

This comedy at times was just your average mediocre comedy that presented nothing really new. Still at other times it really got a person laughing good as Candy and Levy were a pretty good comedy tandem. This one has Candy as a former police officer framed and kicked off the force and Levy as a very bad defense attorney. In fact, the scene where his ineptness is displayed is one of the best scenes in the movie as he must defend what looks like a Charles Manson type of criminal, a guy so bad the police found things in the place he lived made of human hair. Both men end up trying to find work as security guards in a company with a very fair and good union, well not really but this too makes for one of the funnier scenes in the movie. Well they end up sort of messing up on their first night on the job and get some really bad assignments after that as they have to guard a trash dump and a toxic waste dump, two places not really known as being places people wish to break into. Well they figure something is up and they start to unravel a conspiracy, which still makes for an okay film, but I almost wish they just continued to have misadventures as security guards. As I have said though there are a couple of good scenes even during the unfolding of the diabolical plot as a scene in a sex store as Candy keeps needing quarters to think is good and the whole thing with him and the trucker is rather good too. So all in all this is a good comedy featuring a rather good duo, to bad the only other movie I know they were in together was the bizarre Cannonball run sequel "Speed Zone".