Still Crazy Like a Fox

No comments??? Okay, here's mine... While watching this, I thought, "Yuh know...some TV-movies are just as entertaining as those seen in theatres. And they cost a lot less." (I PRESUME that this was a TV-only flick; not in movie-houses. But even if seen in the latter, that would not have been ill-spent bucks.) Briefly, sixty-ish (???) detective Harry Fox is accompanying son Harry, Jr., and family, on a multi-purpose trip to England. Many events occur which Harry, Sr., wants to get to the bottom of. The film interestingly-enough shows how one thing leads to another, and, before it's over, we realize that Harry, Sr.'s, curiosity extends to international affairs. OK as a rental. Questionable as a purchase.

The Fox family is on vacation in London while Harrison has a work interview. Someone breaks into Harry's hotel room. He chases down the intruder but he turns out to be the widely respected William Church, The Duke of Trent. Nobody believes Harry. Harry is arrested but the Duke drops the charges. It's a conspiracy affecting the highest political level. The Duke's wife Nancy actually believes Harry. Harry receives the hotel room's previous occupant's dry cleaning but it's a setup. He follows the clues and finds the Duke's dead body. He gets arrested for the murder. He is denied bail but manages to escape.

It's a year after the TV show got cancelled. It's a last chance and they had a bit of fun. It's not the worst way to go out. It's two seasons and a movie. If they wanted renewing the show, they may be better off staying in San Francisco. It would remind the viewer of the show. Nevertheless, this is perfectly good. It has the family dynamics. Harry and son have lots of fun adventures including getting naked. It's able to strike a balance between the comedy and the action thriller. The show was cancelled too soon and this couldn't get it back on the air.

I love it when the Yanks pay homage to us. And they do in this. It's funny and entertaining all the way through. Poor old Graham Chapman from Python plays the usual stuffy English policeman but he's good. It was his last role sadly before he died. One thing I have to mention is as the story at the beginning of every episode of Crazy like a Fox explains that Senior Fox is the detective and that Junior Fox Harrison is a lawyer, a solicitor, a brief. Seriously thats the whole premise for the show so the person who wrote the gumf up above saying that they're two of USA'S finest private detectives is lying about watching it. Shame on you and someone needs to correct it. It's annoying as most of the plots are based on Harry getting into trouble and Harrison being forced to help. The film is great fun. Hilarious in parts when Harrison has to dress as a woman. He looks good to be fair, and all the little twists and turns and references to the Tube etc. A film most definitely worthy of a Duvet day or a rainy afternoon. Wonderful stuff.

Still Crazy Like A Fox has TV movie written all over it from the opening shot. Strangely this works in its favour as you never feel disappointed because you weren't expecting much. Monty Python fans will be interested to see a tragically miscast Graham Chapman as the police inspector. The sight of him trying to play tough cop when interrogating Warden (Harry Fox Sr) is the only thing in the film more ridiculous than the plot. Yet, despite the cliché overload, the film sneaks up on you and before you know it the hammy stereotyped acting and silly story start to be quite entertaining and two hours later you find that you've watched the whole film instead of getting up and doing something more useful. A guilty pleasure then.