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Movies / On DVD / Fletch
Fletch

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Fletch (1985)

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Reviews Counted:27

Fresh:20

Rotten:7

Average Rating:6.4/10

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Loosely based on the book by Gregory McDonald, director Michael Ritchie's FLETCH is a laugh-out-loud comedy that features a classic performance by Chevy Chase, who stars as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher,... Loosely based on the book by Gregory McDonald, director Michael Ritchie's FLETCH is a laugh-out-loud comedy that features a classic performance by Chevy Chase, who stars as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a crack investigative journalist who goes undercover for a story about possible connections between the L.A. police department and the local drug trade. He gets derailed when a Santa Monica businessman, Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson), mistakes him for a homeless man and offers him $50,000 to commit a murder. The man claims to have terminal bone cancer but can't commit suicide if he wants his family to collect on his insurance policy, so he wants Fletch to do his dirty work. Fletch pretends to accept the offer and finds that it leads him deeper into the heart of his own investigation. Working from a crackling script by Andrew Bergman, Chase relishes every line of dialogue written for his goofy, master-of-disguise character, making FLETCH one of the most influential and oft-quoted comedies of the 1980s. [More]

Starring: Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Tim Matheson

Starring: Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Tim Matheson, Kenneth Mars, Geena Davis, George Wendt, M. Emmet Walsh, George Wyner, Burton Gilliam, Tony Longo, Ralph Seymour, Bruce French, Alison La Placa

Director: Michael Ritchie

Director: Michael Ritchie

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Fletch

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This could be Bob Hope material c1942 and Chase does acquit himself well (though with cool reserve) in the gags-to-plot transitions. What dulls the enterprise is that Ritchie so keeps his distance from every character.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

far too silly

comment Comment
09/19/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

What truly holds Fletch together isn't the somewhat off-putting Chase--whose screen presence was always defined by a love-it-or-hate it smugness--but his time-tested collaborators: screenwriter Bergman...and director Michael Ritchie...[Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
06/15/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

It's not all about wacky disguises and goofy aliases. At its core, the film is a top notch mystery thriller.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
08/14/08
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
DVDTalk.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/14/08
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

A breezy, peppy frolic and a tour de force for Chase.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
12/08/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Fast-paced and witty, this is Chase's best solo venture to date, and will hold almost anyone's attention for its well-edited 98 minutes.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/08/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Michael Ritchie's 1985 mystery comedy has the pleasant, modest feel of a Fox B picture from the 30s.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
12/08/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

Twenty-two years later, I get all the jokes, but I remain only pleasantly amused, nothing more, nothing less

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
05/02/07
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Filmcritic.com

A quick, smart, slick piece of comedy filmmaking that features a once-great comedian at the very top of his game.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
04/24/07
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
DVDTalk.com

No review available.

comment Comment
07/04/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

One of Chase's best

comment Comment
03/10/05
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Whenever the move threatens to work, there's Chevy Chase with his monotone, deadpan cynicism, distancing himself from the material.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A snappy, inventive comedy with Chevy Chase.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/22/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

No review available.

comment Comment
03/26/04
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/29/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

One of the more quotable comedies of the 1980s

comment Comment
06/19/03
Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

A lightweight, breezy experience that, by never pretending to be anything more than what it is, disarms criticism.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
05/08/03
Brandon Judell
Brandon Judell
PopcornQ

Moments of humor that still have legs today. And many moments that don't.

comment Comment
03/28/03
Oz
Oz
Hollywood Bitchslap
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for Fletch

May 29, 2009: Chevy Chase Jumps in the Hot Tub, Considers More Fletch Opens in new window
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Chevy Chase has joined the cast of the John Cusack/Rob Corddry comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine" -- and is apparently considering starring in a... More...

June 26, 2007: Yet Another "Fletch" Possibility
Frankly I've lost track of how many actors and filmmakers have been attached to a new "Fletch" flick. But the latest possibility is pretty intriguing ... especially if... More...

June 12, 2007: Is "Fletch Won" Back On Again?
Last thing we heard about a new "Fletch" flick was that "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence would direct and (probably) Zach Braff would star. Well, forget all that. More...

January 29, 2007: Bill Lawrence Scared of "Fletch Won;" Recruiting Zach Braff
"Scrubs" creator and producer Bill Lawrence is planning to shoot his first feature film, "Fletch Won," during his hiatus this spring. He hopes to enlist Zach... More...

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