[.ca] Fletch: Lives

From Amazon.com:
Before his movie career completely tanked, Chevy Chase made one of the few films that gave him a chance to display his comic versatility: 1985's Fletch, the Michael Ritchie-directed comedy about an investigative reporter who specializes in going undercover on big stories. Lightning, however, didn't strike twice when Ritchie and Chase went back to Gregory MacDonald's novels for a second helping. This sequel features Chase once again as Fletch, super-reporter, who heads from L.A. to the South, where he supposedly has inherited an estate. Before long, he's become involved in a murder plot and is trying to stay out of the killer's sights himself. The material is considerably weaker, revealing Chase's shortcomings as an ad lib comic. --Marshall Fine

Hilarious Movie:
Director Michael Ritchie and Chevy Chase team up once again for FLETCH LIVES, with Chase reprising the role of Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, newspaper journalist and master of disguise. When his recently deceased aunt bequeaths her decrepit manor to him, Fletch travels down south to rural Louisiana. Initially, things go well, especially when he hooks up with a flirtatious southern belle. But when he wakes up the morning after, he's shocked to find that she has been murdered. In order to catch the killers and clear himself, the intrepid, chameleon-like Fletch must infiltrate the congregation of Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey), a greedy local preacher who wants to gain control of Fletch's land in order to build a Bible-themed amusement park. Written by Leon Capetanos, FLETCH LIVES crackles with the same blend of rapid-fire dialogue and visual jokes as the original, making it a solid sequel that works on its own terms. By thrusting the big city character into a shady small Southern community, Chase is given an entirely new field on which to play. It's this contrast--especially between himself and R. Lee Ermey--that provides the film with its loudest laughs.

Better Than the First:
Everything that made the first Fletch great--the rapid one liners, goody dsguises, and Fletch's detached, cynical view of life--are ramped up a notch here for even bigger laughs. Fletch Lives lampons the South intelligently, (wthout resorting to the usual stereotypes) and televangelism, but there a really no sacred cows spared here. Definitely a favorite of mine.

As good as the first Fletch:
Some people lump this movie in with Caddyshack Part 2 and Ghostbusters 2 as horrible sequels to classic movies- but I couldn't disagree more. I absolutely LOVE Fletch Lives, and I sometimes laugh just THINKING about some of the scenes. The "Bug-Busters" scene, the Klan rally, and the Claude Henry Smoot scenes are the best. DEFINATELY watch Fletch Lives, then watch it again. As with some of the better comedies it only gets better the second, third, and 4th times you see it.

A fun sitcom:
Director: Michael Ritchie Format: Color Studio: Universal Studios Video Release Date: May 4, 1999 Cast: Chevy Chase ... Irwin 'Fletch' Fletcher Hal Holbrook ... Ham Johnson Julianne Phillips ... Becky Culpepper R. Lee Ermey ... Jimmy Lee Farnsworth Richard Libertini ... Frank Randall 'Tex' Cobb ... Ben Dover Cleavon Little ... Calculus George Wyner ... Gillet Patricia Kalember ... Amanda Ray Ross Geoffrey Lewis ... KKK Leader Richard Belzer ... Phil Phil Hartman ... Bly Manager Titos Vandis ... Uncle Kakakis Don Hood ... Tom Barbour Dennis Burkley ... Joe Jack Noelle Beck ... Betty Dilworth William Traylor ... Mr. Underhill Barney D. Arceneaux ... Party Guest Roy Babich ... Klansman Mary Battilana ... Bly Assistant Don Brockett ... Sheriff Walter Charles ... Tony Robert M. Dawson ... Tour Guide Darren Dublin ... Ancient Copy Boy R. Bruce Elliott ... Info Technician Patrick Farrelly ... O'Reilly Grace Gaynor ... Mrs. Underhill Richmond Harrison ... T'boo Ted Catherine Hearne ... Lyda Perl Charlie Holliday ... Security Guard Christian Kauffmann ... Bruce Matthew Kimbrough ... Bly Guard Johnny Kline ... Usher Clarence M. Landry ... Damon Feather Marcella Lowery ... Selma Jordan Lund ... Deputy Sheriff Tom McCleister ... Klansman #2 Patricia G. McConnell ... Deputy's Wife Dick McGarvin ... Announcer Keith Mills ... Church Elder Michael P. Moran ... Morgue Attendant Louis M. Rapaport ... Walter Bob Buggem Constance Shulman ... Cindy Mae Robert Silver ... Kakakis Brother Ebbe Roe Smith ... Jim Bob R. David Smith ... Gordon Joe John Wylie ... Accountant Amusing film about an attempt by nefarious forces to buy ancestral land bequeathed to Fletch (Chevy Chase) by his late aunt. Chase is his usual hilarious self. The plot is a bit confused, but becomes clear as the story develops. The background scenery of the old south, with its ivy covered mansions, Spanish moss covered trees and swamp is reminiscent of Georgia around the Okefenokee swamp, but without the alligators and cottonmouth moccasins (although reference is made to the latter.) This is a fun film to spend an evening with. Some allusions to sexual miscopnduct in a jailhouse scene by Chase and Tex Cobb (Ben Dover), but nothing too raunchy. It will pass for an over 13 auduence, I think. Joseph (Joe) Pierre author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance and other books

... And A Franchise Dies:
An absolutely horribly film that should never have been made, FLETCH LIVES tries to capitalize on the comic genius of the masterful Chevy Chase ... but this story about little more than cookie-cutter real estate scams ends up being written on paper that would've better served the bottom lining of a bird cage. Even Chase's talents can't lift this dull bomb out of the stink pile. With all of the other options available from Fletch creator Gregory McDonald, how could this have happened to what could've been one of the greatest comedy franchises in cinema history? Be afraid. Be very afraid. Then, be aghast.