I have always enjoyed this 1985 classic comedy crime mystery gem starring Chevy Chase, and I have watched it several times over the years, and trust me, the movie never gets old. It is one of those movies that have that special ingredient to it that makes it possible to watch it again and again.
Writer Andrew Bergman came up with a very enjoyable and entertaining storyline that incorporated elements of the typical Chevy Chase comedy and elements of crime and thriller as well. And the result it just great. The storyline is pretty straight forward and easy to follow, but it never actually becomes too predictable, nor does the pacing of the movie ever slow down.
"Fletch" showcases a lot of Chevy Chase's talent and his ability to portray various characters, and there were plenty of characters in the movie, many of which just makes me laugh hard every time. But the movie also has the likes of Joe Don Baker, Geena Davis, Tim Matheson, M. Emmet Walsh and George Wendt on the cast list, so there are a good amount of familiar faces if you watched movies or TV during the 1980s.
There are lots of funny situations throughout the movie, and Chevy Chase delivers some hilarious characters that really compliment the situations and scenes quite well, as well as providing the correct type of comedy needed to spruce up each scene. Personally, I am always busted up with laughing when he tries to evade the angry Doberman dog, where he sits inside the car with a camera and the dog is on the hood of the vehicle barking like mad, and Fletch says "Smile, say flesh. Look, defenseless babies" and the dog stops to check.
The dialogue in the movie is also good, and it feels like Chevy Chase was allowed to just make up names for his characters as they filmed. The way he comes up with names on the fly is just hilarious, and results in some wonderfully absurd and funny names.
If you haven't seen "Fletch" and find yourself with the opportunity to do so. I can warmly and highly recommend that you so, because this is definitely the embodiment of Chevy Chase comedy.
My rating of this timeless comedy classic is a solid seven out of ten stars. It is well worth a watch, and most certainly well worth your time, money and effort.
