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.
Fletch (1985)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Fletch
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]
It's not all about wacky disguises and goofy aliases. At its core, the film is a top notch mystery thriller.
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.
Michael Ritchie's 1985 mystery comedy has the pleasant, modest feel of a Fox B picture from the 30s.
Twenty-two years later, I get all the jokes, but I remain only pleasantly amused, nothing more, nothing less
A quick, smart, slick piece of comedy filmmaking that features a once-great comedian at the very top of his game.
Whenever the move threatens to work, there's Chevy Chase with his monotone, deadpan cynicism, distancing himself from the material.
A lightweight, breezy experience that, by never pretending to be anything more than what it is, disarms criticism.
Latest News for Fletch
May 29, 2009:
Chevy Chase Jumps in the Hot Tub, Considers More Fletch ![]()
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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