Taking Care of Business

When I first watched this movie, I laughed and laughed and laughed! I was dying! Yes, it's a silly comedy that mostly depends on slapstick, but it works. The plot becomes more implausible by the minute, but with a film as fast-paced and funny as this, you tend to overlook all those flaws. Unless...it's your second viewing.

Some comedies are incredibly funny on the first viewing, and are almost as--if not just as--funny on all the following viewings. You even start to laugh at jokes you didn't get the first time around. And there are comedies that are incredibly funny on the first viewing, but the laughs decrease on all the following viewings. Unfortunately, "Taking Care of Business" is an example of the latter. And as the laughs decrease, I felt more obligated to observe the plot. Though it succeeds in delivering big-time laughs, "TCOB" is a shallow farce that doesn't know when to quit.

James Belushi is the main saving grace. Comic talent and energy obviously runs in the family (his brother, the late John Belushi) and he's doing a terrific job at carrying on the Belushi name. His starring roles in little-known films haven't given him the opportunity to show off his knack for comedy, but every once in a while he steals the show, one of which was his supporting role in the underrated romantic comedy "Return to Me." Jim's an underrated talent, who has an amazing comic energy--without being obnoxious--and I hope to see him in more and more comedies. Charles Grodin is amusingly deadpan. Then again, portraying his stuck-up character wasn't much of a stretch. But towards the film's conclusion, he shows off his more outrageous side and he's quite good. That blonde chick who plays Belushi's love interest is an absolute knockout! I didn't get her name, but I hope to see her more often.

Despite its flaws, I can't completely downgrade a film that made me laugh hysterically the first time. Sure, you won't like it as much the second time, but who said you have to watch it a second time? Just watch it once and indulge! Plus, it has that great title song!

My score: 7 (out of 10)

This movie was one of the funniest James Belushi films. He is ideal as a convict who wins tickets to the Cubs' World Series game, has to break out of jail to attend, get his fellow inmates to cover for him, and break back in before the warden knows what has happened. In between, he finds uptight executive Charles Grodin's little black book and assumes Grodin's life, turning it upside down and being a better "him" while he poses as Grodin.

Belushi and Grodin are magnificent in the leads, and the film is overall very funny. See it if you get the chance; you will not regret it! I happened to love it myself.

*** out of ****

I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it, although the script is not brilliant the cast made a great effort and made it very convincing, James Belushi plays nice guy convict Jimmy Dworfski as he plans to escape prison for the weekend to see the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, getting his fellow in-mates to cover it up. While out he finds business executive Spencer Barnes (Charles Grodin) filofax and takes over his life. Belushi & Grodin are great together in this feel good comedy, as a lover of Baseball I was drawn to this even more, but if you're not you'll still find it just as enjoyable. This is the best James Belushi film I've seen!

"Taking Care of Business" is a sort of "Trading Places" knock-off with Belushi playing an irrepressible and always upbeat con who escapes from prison to attend the World Series and stumbles into the identity of a lost workaholic exec (Grodin) after finding his Filofax personal organizer. A rather ordinary but lively B-movie romp, "TCoB" makes a fun watch for guys in need of a little decompression after a hard day's work. (C+)

This is a nice, light comedy that floats along to the end so fast that you do not even notice it.

Grodin turns in another winning performance as the up-tight advertising executive that has his life taken over by an escaped convict, Belushi, who only escaped to watch the big baseball match which he has won tickets for, when he finds his Filofax at the airport.

What follows is some wonderful scenes as Belushi lives it up in the lap of luxury and does Grodin's job for him as he tries desperately to catch up with him.

Belushi is best as he tries to break back into jail so he can be legally released less than twelve hours later. Throughout this movie Belushi proves what a star he could have if he had arrived on the scene independent of everyone else, and without being over-shadowed by his self-destructive big brother.

Nevertheless, a very basic, but still highly enjoyable comedy.