Armed and Dangerous

This was a nice surprise. I figured it would be stupid and not all that funny. Wrong. It WAS funny. Yes, it's a harmless "no-brainer" type of movie but it was fun and had likable lead characters, people you could easily root for to make good. In this, it was a pair of security guards: "Frank Dooley" (John Candy) and "Norman Kane" (Eugene Levy).

Every comedy has its stupid moments, this included, but the good outweighs the stupid. What also makes this above-average is that it is not just a comedy. There is action and suspense in here and the combination works. Believe me, this film is not all laughs.

I watch this and makes me sad that Candy is no longer with us. He was a great entertainer.

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".

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.

While most reviews describe this movie as 'just an average comedy', even at this, Armed and Dangerous is a laugh and a half. It's charming, fast-paced, and furthermore, I adored Candy and Levy's interactions on-screen. One minute, they're ragging on each other, the next, they're the best of friends.

The movie also has, though almost impossible to find a copy of, an excellent soundtrack, including "Armed and Dangerous" by Atlantic Starr, and, of course, half a dozen or so other popular 80s hits. With that, the movie is also on DVD, and while it doesn't have much in the way of extras, it does include anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound.

Possibly the only complaint one could make we might all agree on was that it was just too short. At just under an hour and a half, as endearing as each minute is, the film does leave much to be desired.

All in all, Armed and Dangerous is a mid-80s classic well-worth watching. It's the perfect blend of action and comedy, and SCTV fans will find that it's no flop for either Candy or Levy; even as the script is considered by some to be lacking, both hide it well.

I saw this movie for the first time last month, and im still laughing about it!! This movie has some of the funniest parts ever in it. This movie isnt as funny as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, but it's pretty darn close!! If you liked Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, you should definately check this one out.