I accidentally fell upon a showing of this comedy on a night show on TV, and was immediately drawn into the films parody music. I got a good feeling for what's worth to watch. But I had never heard about the movie before. And boy, was I right.
I looked this up on IMDb, after watching what I thought was a charming and hilarious movie, and was baffled about a score of 4,7. I understand this film didn't hit the right spots back in 1994, but I'll tell you: That was wrong then, and it's wrong now. If it felt was right to bash this back in 1994, this is still what should be considered as a gem now.
The film is a typical Chevy Case movie from the 80'ies and 90'ies. It's almost like the Fletch movies or the National Lampoon's best vacation movies. But then, it's also Fletch- director Michael Ritchie. What's worse; this is rated at Ritchie's worst movie. Well, it's so wrong! I laughed way more then I have in many recent movies.
Here Chase is doing a great job of a cops and robbers story, where Chase's strange family, called the Robbersons, is encountered by and awful lot of challenges, as he is when on his best. Jack Palance is great as the old "Dr. Jeckyll and Mister Hyde"-detective, and so is Robert Davi as the scaring and dangerous Osborn, which is staked out from Robbersons house, as their new neighbor. Diane Weist is lovely naive is the wife, and the kids are also great, with extra kudos to Miko Hughes as the youngest son with a Dracula-mania. He is so funny!
This film is stupidly funny. It's silly, and it gets sillier the longer into the film you get, In the good way. It's charming, with hitchcockian mystery music, it's well played, an it's funny without full of foul language, being harassing or embarrassing the wrong way, like many comedies do now.This is plain funny, with stupid persons, which is all quite lovable. In style of "Dumb and dumber" I recommend this for the whole family.
