Ok, big statement here but i really think this is one of the funniest films ever made. Some may scoff and mention the likes of Charlie Chaplin & Buster Keating or such classics as It Happened One Night & Some Like It Hot. But I'm going to stick to my guns on this one. It's a perfect comedy. It delivers the big belly laughs and gives you characters that you make an emotional connection with and truly care about come the end credits.
It's a buddy comedy but differs from the norm in that the central pairing are on either side of the law. Robert De Niro plays Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter trying to bring Jonathan Mardukas, a mob accountant played by Charles Grodin, cross country. All the while trying to avoid rival unscrupulous bounty hunters and Mafia goons out to kill Mardukas as they believe he embezzled mob boss Jimmy Serrano played by the great Dennis Farina.
Its basically Planes, Trains And Auto mobiles with added gunplay and profanity and its every bit as good as that sounds. Walsh is a hard ass who slowly comes to like his charge, Murdukas is a criminal with a heart of gold who brings out Walsh's humanity and Farina is a permanently angry Mafia cliché who wants to stick pencils in peoples hearts.
De Niro is on flying form here. He plays up to his bad bastard image but then subverts it into something hilarious. You can actually see him transforming on screen. Charles Grodin is brilliant too. Hilarious and annoying in equal measure. Dennis Farina makes the most of a thankless part. He's plays the part of a violent gangster but makes sure his threats are sprinkled with a bit of fun so as not to ruin the mood of the film. There's also some great support from Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton ("HEY MARVIN!!") & Joe Pantaliono.
The film doesn't do anything new but what it does it does well. The interplay between the leads is a joy. The dialogue is sparkling. Profane but hilarious. Some films use the F word as a punchline but not this. It never feels gratuitous. The action scenes are shoddy but it all adds
to the charm.
Hopefully this review will explain why i like this film so much. As mentioned earlier its so well written and acted you really do care about the characters. That's so refreshing in this day and age when most comedy characters are crude caricatures. Just vehicles for a punchline. Look at The Hangover for example. Yes it's funny but can you honestly say you care about any of the leads? I thought so.
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