Duas Ovelhas Negras

Most buddy cop films are just that, a pair of mismatched boys in blue in pursuit of an evil bad guy. "Freebie and the Bean" has a bad guy, however he is neither important or particularly bad. What is important about this movie is not the story itself, it is all about James Caan and Alan Arkin's deadpan humor while crashing police cars . There certainly have been longer police chases. There certainly have been more crashed vehicles. There never has and never will be a more hilarious chase than in "Freebie and the Bean". The chemistry between Caan and Arkin seems so natural, that it can't all have ben scripted. So forget plot inconsistencies and take a ride with the best buddy cop film ever. Highly recommended. - MERK

This is the biggest WTF ever. The way I would describe it is a movie you don't want to see, that you are dragged into, and realize that is exactly who the film was made for. It starts as one thing and then it feels like they gave up and just made it up as they went. Like imagine The Naked Gun but as a serious movie.

With San Francisco locales and Laslo Kovacs lensing this all becomes an outright surreal fever dream. I am also reminded of Richard Lester films, how he thinks in comic vignettes but isn't necessarily a comic director. Like, when violence happens it's brutal, suddenly it's like Dick Tracy. The characters yell at each other start to finish but they don't hate each other, it's just how they communicate. The director is doing a madcap comedy, Kovacs is filming for an oscar, the writers are doing like a Neil Simon Dragnet, and the actors think they're making the French Connection.

People should study this movie if they get into filmmaking or screenwriting, it will change how you see movies, because every element is disparate, they're all making a different movie in their heads, but it works. You imagine them writing it off, saying they just made a flop, pointing fingers, but then it came out perfectly. It isn't doing those Pauline Kael big zeitgeist things, it is almost sending them up which is endearing. Its modest ambition may take points off compared to its class, but who cares, it is certainly a classic to me. I only take a half point off because you have two choices, give it an F or give it an A minus.

Although it's story is a letdown, Caan and Arkin' make a great teaming of "throw the book out the window cops", I'm prepared to forgive this. They're two of the most unruly cops I've ever seen. They're methods of questioning are mostly exorcised by physical violence and threats of intimidation. They total three squad cars in three days, would you believe, one of the cars going off a speed ramp and crashing through a wall of a elderly couples home is a classic. The couple, sitting up in bed, sharing milk and cookies, just have stunned looks. These cops are tailing this old codger, who's involved in racketeering, where there's a good chance he's gonna be hijacked. This leads us to wonder why our dynamic duo are so wasting their time on this clown. They even trawl threw a boot of garbage, fishing out a list, they present to their superior, who tells them "They're not fit to guard the fish at the aquarium". This movie works, thanks to Caan, and especially Arkin, who I loved in this. One interrogation scene, involving a gay guy in a bath, was funny too, wanting the two to rough him up, where Caan says "Let's get out of here before this freak starts drinking the bathwater". Valerie (Rhoda) Harper lends great support as Arkin's wife, while Loretta "Hot lips Hoolahan" Swit pops up as the old codger's mistress. I love this movie every time I watch it. It one of those rare buddy cop movie's where, the cops are so out of line, it's not funny. Sometimes they are like kids, causing an ambulance to topple over at it's end, or chasing each other through a playground while on surveillance of that joker. Don't miss this opportunity view.

A mainstay on cable in the 70's, Freebie and the Bean is by no means "great" but it certainly is thoroughly entertaining to anyone who doesn't let political correctness stand in their way.

This is no doubt a film that can offend; the two cops (especially Caan) use muscle whenever they can; a crossdresser is treated horribly and insulted; there's some racial humor. But hey, this was made in 1974 when people simply weren't as uptight as they are now.

It's a goofy movie, it has goofy music, goofy comedy and a goofy script. The goofiness, violence and non-political correctness of this flick make for an odd mix, but it's an entertaining mix. Cann and Arkin are great in their roles, and show geniune affection and friendship for each other as they try to keep a criminal alive to break a case.

Car chase fans especially like this movie, and there are some classic chases here! The highlight chase shows the duo chasing after a blue car with some truly amazing stuntwork.

All in all if you aren't the easily offended type, and like some goofy comedy mixed with action, it's worth a spin, if only to see how movies were made when not under a watchdog's microscope.

Before Riggs and Murtaugh, or even Starsky & Hutch, there's Freebie and The Bean, most in-your face buddy team of the police force. Maybe they are the laughing stock of the police force. These team make Dirty Harry want to change his ways of handling crime. These guys put the P.B. in Police Brutality! But in a funny way! Other than attacking the perpetrators they attack each other. Freebie(James Caan) is a hot-head and practical joker, while Bean(Alan Arkin) is calm in some ways just as the same as Freebie. Ford really put themselves in high gear with their vehicles, and the famous white LTD, took a lot of punishment through the movie. My favorite scenes is where the car leaped off the bridge, and made a window in someone's apartment. Calling a tow truck? HA! You better call a crane instead. While most cops work out their differences, Freebie and the Bean handle their way, they go at each others throats! This movie is funny, scary, and adventurous all together, with the choice of stars, everything was pulled off great. And how. What a comedy! While you have a chance. 4 out of 5 stars.