Fletch Lives

Fletch (Chevy Chase) is a reporter for a Los Angeles newspaper, but he acts more like a detective. When an obscure relative leaves him a Louisiana mansion in his will, Fletch is naturally curious.

The movie gained a mixed to negative reception, and I can understand why. While there is a certain level of fun with any classic Chevy Chase film, this one has almost none of what made the first one great. Much lighter on the antics, and much heavier on trying to play up southern stereotypes for cheap laughs.

Hal Holbrook and R. Lee Ermey make for some good supporting cast members, but they just are not enough to save this one. Entertaining, yes, but not the sequel it should have been.

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.

What a sad world it is when people can sit back and gripe about "Fletch Lives". Tsk, tsk, tsk! First of all, how can anyone pick up a video with this sort of picture of Chevy Chase on the front and expect it to not be stupid--in the best possible sense! Indeed, I admit, the movie is stupid, but that is wholly what I love about it. Sure, if you want a more realistic mystery story, watch the first one. But for purely enjoying Chevy Chase's ridiculous antics, this one surpasses it. Though I can't imagine any other actor who could have pulled this script off and made it anything worthwhile! I generally end up watching this movie at least every few months and have yet to grow tired of it. And yet I have only recently added the first movie to my private collection.

Chevy Chase is one of the best out-and-out comedy actors available in my opinion. And you can't expect him to be serious in a movie that was intended to be anything but.

I think the best part about Chevy Chase as Fletch, is that he lives out those crazy ideas we sometimes get (such as convincing someone of invisible squealing bugs, simply telling someone their house is on fire, and marching into a corporation like you own the place), and he gets away with it when most of us don't dare in the first place. Perhaps the people who can't enjoy him simply don't get the same temptations, and therefore can't see why he appeals to those of us who have to repress the desire to introduce yourself as a famous sixteenth-century astrologer.

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.

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".