parmrh

I'll go against the crowd and point out that this much-reviled movie actually was quite prescient in premise. It anticipated a lot of History... and a lot of Human Error.

Mayhap it was too 'out there' for audiences in 1984,...and mayhap it has become an easy target for arm chair critics to despise out-of-hand without due consideration....

But after Afghanistan and Iraq... After the highly-publicized and critical defense industry design errors such as the Osprey and basics such as protective armor in Hummvees and personal protective gear for troops on the ground.... After the loss of life due to a 'so-what-if-it-works-take-the -$$$-and- we'll-fix -it-later-if-we-have to' attitude prevalent in the defense manufacturing industry....

Can anyone really throw rocks at the plot line of 'Best Defense'...?

Sure, it could have been executed better... Sure, Dudley Moore was still under the character-success-type-casting curse of '10'; having to be a perpetually the befuddled Randy-But-Inept Nice Guy in his every movie role....

Sure Eddie Murphy was ...well...stuck being 'Eddie Murphy'... (but you really can't take that away from him, y'know !)

I still maintain that in the cold, hard light of 2014... 'Best Defense' makes A Lot Of Sense....(sadly, so..SO... sorry to say)

As a fan of "Babylon 5" I could go at this from several angles; as some others have done, I could express disappointment at not seeing more of the characters and situations that made B-5 so intriguing expounded upon in this new entry...

I could focus upon the pleasure at re-visiting this Universe in any form, no matter what limitations...

Then again, I could go another direction....

Well, certainly I would like to see more characters revisited, more stories told, and more of...EVERYTHING. But, all of that takes TIME. Hopefully, this new entry will succeed financially, and create that time for more stories to be told in the future (and about this future) in this format.

Bottom Line: I believe that the best standpoint is to NOT focus upon what is NOT there and appreciate what IS.... while hoping for what MAY BE.

Whenever I see anyone comment upon this little film, they immediately begin by blasting it because it cannot compare with the classic; "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid."

I personally do not see that this prequel film was trying to meet or exceed 'The Original' but rather, provide a fun addition and a playful homage to it.

Stars Tom Berenger and William Katt do a credible job as young, fumbling and bumbling outlaws trying to hit their style and stride without getting killed in the process. No, they are not Paul Newman and Robert Redford, but they are not playing Butch and Sundance as seasoned vets at THE END of their criminal careers, either. Watching this, I have no trouble accepting it as a humorous glimpse at the formative beginning and early misadventures of The Legends; Butch and Sundance.

Other aspects in this film's favor are grand location scenery and some top notch supporting cast members, including the ever-enjoyable Jeff Corey reprising his role from the classic as Sheriff Ray Bledsoe (try not to notice that Sheriff Bledsoe is mysteriously older in this "Early Days" film ....But then, aren't we all?)

No, it is not a perfect movie--but then, it can be argued that The Original has it's flaws as well. (Director George Roy Hill expressed his own regrets on a few aspects of his creation that he was never completely happy with)

Bottom Line: If you can accept NOTHING but Redford & Newman, then stay away from this movie, because they are not in it ...

If however, you can just relax and enjoy the ride, then this is a fun little film.

My advice: Give "Butch And Sundance, The Early Days" a shot-- If it don't thrill you, at least it won't kill you !