Autant en emporte Fletch!

This movie for me epitomizes the arrogance of Hollywood. The first Fletch movie was a hit, thanks in large part to the fact that it was a fairly faithful adaptation of the first book in the Fletch series by Gregory MacDonald. The book was a tightly woven, well-plotted mystery in which a smart character solved the crime by buffaloing less clued-in types. However, when time came to make a sequel, the studio decided that none of the other dozen or so Fletch novels would be suitable and Instead put together a generic comedy mystery with a plot right out of Scooby-Doo. This is dumbed down generic 80s action junk of the worst sort, partially saved by Chevy Chase's deadpan use of the trademark Fletch trick of disguising himself and impersonating people to get information. To be fair, Chase and the writers manage a few genuine laughs with this, so the gimmick still works, but it's in service of much inferior story, and this simply shouldn't be. A hit book series produces an original hit movie, so why mess with something that works? Simply put, Hollywood studios are staffed by people who think they know better but don't. A comedy-mystery, like any other hybrid, has to work effectively in both genres to be a success and the mystery plot line is just too weak to carry the film.

This movie for me was a special disappointment, as the Fletch series ended here, when Chase could easily have made a career out of starring as Fletch in adaptations of several books before Chase-as- Fletch wore out his welcome. It was a great fit of an actor to a role and should have gone on much longer.

When Gregory McDonald created the character I. M. Fletcher "Fletch", he must have had Chevy Chase in mind. Both "Fletch Lives" and "Fletch" are perfect vehicles for Chevy's brand of dry humor. Snappy dialogue and amusing disguises by Chase make these two Fletch movies, his best film work. If you like Chevy Chase you'll love "Fletch Lives and "Fletch".

Fletch Lives (1989)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Chevy Chase returns as Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher in this sequel to the 1985 flick. This time out Fletch inherits a Louisiana estate and on his first night there the woman who contacted him ends up dying. The reporter in Fletch comes and and he starts an investigation that leads him to a preacher (R. Lee Ermey) who might be hiding a few things. This movie seems to have been beaten to death when originally released and it's somewhat hard to find a positive review of it anywhere but I thought it was a lot better than its reputation. Sure, the movie isn't as smooth or as good as the first one but the most important thing is laughs and that's something I did quite a few times. The movie obviously cuts back on the various characters Chase plays as this is pretty much left to the final twenty-minutes but I didn't mind this too much. You could argue that the screenplay is lazy and just throwing him into a plot involving countless stereotypes but, again, I don't mind this because it made me laugh. The scenes with the KKK, the dumb cop with the termite in his ear and the raccoon hunt were full of stereotypes but they were all funny. Heck, we even get a spoof of SONG OF THE SOUTH. Chase isn't quite as great as in the original film but he's still good enough to keep everything moving and his various characters once again get plenty of laughs. Chase easily plays the role without any problems and even his narration can get some laughs. Ermey is good in his role as usual as is Hal Holbrook and Julianne Phillips. The one and only Randall 'Tex' Cobb does his usual tough character and gets some nice laughs. The film's actual mystery isn't all that interesting and the ending take a while to get to but I still feel this film manages to be a lot more entertaining than its rep would lead you to believe.

I liked the first movie a lot but hadn't heard much about this one, so I really had no idea what to expect. I was bracing myself for disappointment and was rewarded with a pretty fun movie. Even though the story isn't anywhere near as good, Fletch Lives is every bit as funny as the first movie. I've realized that Chevy Chase can make any movie work. If you're a Chevy Chase fan, this movie is worth checking out. My favorite part of these movies is actually the music, and Harold Faltermeyer does what might have been his last great synth score for this film. I just love that theme song. It really makes a huge difference to me, and in the end, it kinda made me sad that they didn't do more of these films. I'm a big fan of mystery/comedies, and the Fletch series is one that I think had a lot of potential that wasn't fully realized. Nevertheless, this one is enjoyable enough.

Fletch Lives (1989) is a movie I recently rewatched after DVR'ing it off Retroplex. The storyline follows our friend, Fletch, who recently inherits some land from his family in the south. Unfortunately for him the house is run down and the land appears useless; however, for some reason this strange church wants to acquire his land. As he digs into why he uncovers unbelievable "demons" in the town that have been swept under the church's carpet.

This movie is directed by Michael Ritchie (The Golden Child) and stars Chevy Chase (National Lampoon's Vacation), R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket), Hal Holbrook (Creepshow), Julianne Phillips (Skin Deep), Cleavon Little (Blazing Saddles) and Geoffrey Lewis (The Night of the Comet).

I'm going to be in the minority but I like this one way more than the original. This cast is magnificent and Ermey was hilarious as the preacher. Chevy Chase was in classic form in this movie starting with an awesome butt-pinch office scene and continuing into some great "sinning" scenes with him and Ermey. Ermey and Chase had great chemistry throughout this film. The southern jokes throughout the film was tremendous and had me cracking up from beginning to end.

Overall this is a gem that delivers classic 80s humor and is an absolute must see. I would score this a solid 7-7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.