User reviews

In San Francisco, California, ex-convict Bernice "Bernie" Rhodenbarr (Whoopi Goldberg) now runs a used bookstore on Hight Street, but still makes the occasional burglary on the side because crooked cop Ray Kirschman (G. W. Bailey) is blackmailing her . She is coerced by the retired policeman who blackmails Bernice into paying him $20,000 - thus burgling . Paid to get a dentist's (Lesly Anne Warren) jewelry back from her ex's apartment, someone murders the ex and Bernice is the prime suspect. Then she investigates but things go wrong.

A second rate comedy about a second story woman. A simple and plain thriller/comedy about a cat burglar moves to right side of the law when she attempts to solve a murder case. Based on the novel "The burglar in the closet" written by Lawrence Block and weak storyline by producer Jeph Loeb and director Hugh Wilson himself . Whoopi's always a treat , but this movie's best forgotten , Goldberg's fans should watch "Jumpin' Jack Flash" again instead . Co-star Bobcat Goldthwait elevates the comedic level , though he repeats a similar role from Police Academy II . Nice performances from a fun cast , resulting to a be a particularly energetic but mediocre effort from Goldberg held back by a silly and predictable script. Whoopi is well accompanied by a good support cast with plenty of familar faces , such as : W. G. Bailey , Lesley Ann Warren, James Handy, Anne De Salvo , John Goodman , Nathan Davies , Elizabeth Ruscio , among others.

It displays an anti-climatic and misadjusted musical score by composer Sylvester Levay , in the Eighties style , and composed by means of synthesizer . As well as atmospheric and functional cinematography by prestigious cameraman William A. Fraker. The motion picture was regularly directed by Hugh Wilson , resulting to be some boring and tiring . Wilson usually gave himself a cameo in the films he directed. He worked in advertising in Atlanta before becoming a writer and associate producer on "The Tony Randall Show" (1976). Wilson was a notorious writer and producer working as cinema as TV , shooting all all kind of genres with penchant for comedy . Being known for "Blast from the Past" (1999), "Radio Cincinnati" (1978) , "Frank's place" , "Rustler's Rhapsody" , "Guarding Tess", "The first wives club" , "Blast from the past" , "Dudley Do-Right" and his big hit : "Police Academy" (1984) . Rating : 4.5/10 . Average , only for Whoopi Goldberg's hardcore enthusiasts.

The IMDb votes for BURGLAR are all over the place. Substantial segments of users graded it 6/10, 5/10, 4/10 and 3/10. A notable percentage also voted 7/10 and 1/10. Such divisions only reinforce what is obvious to anyone who's seen this Whoopi Goldberg vehicle -- it's an extremely uneven effort.

One of BURGLAR's biggest strengths is that it hits the ground running. Whoopi is great in the opening scenes, disguised as a fat-bottomed ol' lady ripping off a small piece of a rich man's riches. This sets the stage nicely for what promises to be a fast-paced blend of comedy, action, and snappy dialog. The film continues at a surprisingly entertaining level as our thieving hero, owing 25 G's to keep the lid on past misdeeds, agrees to snatch back some jewelry for a bitter ex-wife. Only things go terribly wrong when her target is murdered before she can make a clean getaway. Now she's the chief suspect and, just as O.J. once famously pledged, must find the real killer.

Unfortunately, it's at this point, when our expectations are highest, that BURGLAR begins to fall apart. The film grows progressively (and unnecessarily) lewd and at times downright dreary (particularly the out-of-place climax). Though there are a couple of laughs, much of the humor is so painfully unfunny you almost cringe. Performance wise, Whoopi is at the top of her game. But hard ass/cutie pie act -- punching men in the groin one minute and making wisecracks the next --never really works. Spastic comic Bobcat Goldthwait is as zany as ever as her best pal, but no one seemed to realize that his is an act meant to be taken in much smaller doses than this.

BURGLAR would have worked much better as a straight action thriller. Its insistence on trying to be humorous is what hurts it the most. Of course under no circumstances would this be a classic. But at the end of it all, you get the sense BURGLAR could have been more than it was.

I thought the movie was fun, I liked whoopi's character, she had a lot of style, a fun anti-heroine. Her friend was annoying at first but then he kind of grows on you with his part in the plot. The characters I felt had good chemistry, the acting was good. I enjoyed it until the end, they just didn't end it smoothly, left you assuming what the end result was, redo the last 5 minutes of the movie and it would gain a few stars. Also had a decent chase scene. I think it is rewatchable, a guilty pleasure.

Burglar is one of the movies on my top 50 funniest movie list. Unlike other reviews here, I rate it higher than Jumping Jack Flash. Perhaps its because this is a great movie for Bobcat's normally irritating character. Strange that there are no quotes for this movie! She and Bobcat have some truly great (although obscene) lines. Whoopie's scene in the closet while the soon-to-be-murdered character was screwing his ex-wife is hilarious. Bobcat has great scenes in the bar delivering a package, and later being interrogated John Goodman in the police station. The actors are all 2-dimensional but that only feeds the comedic aspects of the interaction of the stereotypes. The police-proofed apartment that Whoopie owns is a scream.

One of Whoopi Goldberg's many post-"Color Purple" blunders, a half-comic/half-serious rendering of Lawrence Block's series of stories about a cat burglar who witnesses a murder while robbing a house. Swinging wildly from farce to suspense, director Hugh Wilson's schizophrenic rhythm never finds an appropriate tone, and as such we never warm to Whoopi's character. Lowest point is her scene in the dentist chair, getting her teeth drilled in what may be an unofficial--yet totally unfunny--nod to "Marathon Man". It's always nice to see John Goodman helping out, but a little of Bob Goldthwait goes a very long way. *1/2 from ****

I recently saw this movie in a bargain bin at a store and became excited when I read the back cover. It appeared to have everything that I love in a film - comedy, action, Bob Goldthwait, and was made in my favorite era (the late 80's). I eagerly popped it in the DVD player when I got home and it starting off fairly promising with a suspenseful burglar scene and cool 80's soundtrack music. But then the plot just droops off into a depressingly boring cesspool of garbage. About 20 min into it you're left thinking "this isn't going to get any better is it?" The movie is hardly funny at all despite tricking you into thinking that with a large array of comedic actors in the cast. The film has more of a gritty cop drama type feel with a dark club-like nature. I like that, but this movie shouldn't be played out that way. So basically it's stuck in the middle without a genre. The main highlights of the film are its cool 80's pop/rock soundtrack, slight Miami Vice-like feel, and Bob Goldthwait in some scenes. Although, I'm a big fan of Goldthwait and this film doesn't showcase his hilariousness nearly as well as others. Whoopi Goldberg has a strange character that leaves you thinking "Huh?" in almost every scene. Her character isn't likable at all much less funny or anything else.

Terrible. This is not a funny movie, nor is it an action movie. This movie just reeks of mediocrity. This movie was an early sign of how terrible Whoopi Goldberg can truly be. Luckily, I'm pretty sure most people avoided this movie from the start.

I really enjoyed this movie, actually I've enjoyed it a number of viewings. I purchased the DVD. Why did Whoopie stop making movies that were so much fun. I enjoyed the books for which the movie is based, and prefer a woman to a man as a cat burglar. The cast is wonderful, especially Leslie Ann Warren, she is a total hoot. I won't spoil the ending but it was really cool. The atmosphere while they are bar-hopping is so realistic, having been a bar-hopper in my youth in San Francisco. Why isn't Hollywood making these little sleeper hits anymore. Now its all big budget busts, or small artsy fartsy movies. How about a well played mystery without the "Big" named pretty boys and girls as stars. More movies like this and perhaps the box office slump will not stop slumping...

The book the movie is based on -- Burglars Can't Be Choosers -- and the whole Bernie Rhodenbarr series by Lawrence Block are simply marvelous books - must reads! This movie does a great disservice to the book. The casting choices are odd, given that Bernie is a male character -- and is played by Whoopi Goldberg -- and Carolyn (Carl here) is female, played by Bobcat Goldwaith. This effort to be clever is really a smokescreen for a badly written adaptation. The book is delightful and a joy to read, the movie is heavy handed and dark, with none of the light charms of the original text. My advice to you is simple: In this case, avoid the movie, read the book!

In 1985 Whoopi Goldberg made her film debut in 'The Color Purple' and gave one of the best performances of all time. After the success of 'The Color Purple' it seemed like Hollywood wasn't really sure how to find the right fit for Goldbergs talents. In 1986 and 1987, she starred in three action comedies, 'Jumpin' Jack Flash,' 'Fatal Beauty,' and 'Burglar.' It seemed like Hollywood was trying to mold her into a female Eddie Murphy.

Of the three, 'Burglar' is easily the best. Goldberg plays Bernice Rhodenbarr, a cat burglar and used book shop owner. When an ex-cop comes to her with a threat to hand in evidence that he withheld years ago that would incriminate her, she is forced to do a job for him. She agrees to steal a dentist's jewelery back from her ex-husband after a messy split. She carries out the crime but is interrupted and has to hide. When she comes out of hiding she finds the man dead and her bag of jewels gone. In order to clear herself she must find out who would want the man dead before the cops can get to her.

While 'Fatal Beauty' was too dark, and 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' was too scatter-shot, 'Burglar' manages to find a good balance between the comedy and the action. Most of the comedy comes from Goldberg, who plays the smart-ass, streetwise type very well. The rest of the laughs come from Bobcat Goldthwait, playing Goldberg's manic friend, and Lesley Ann Warren, playing the frazzled dentist. The rest of the cast plays it straight, not attempting to upstage the star, and it works well.

The film does have it's major flaws. Some sequences drag on too long, some of the comedy falls flat, and the movie is filled with clichéd twists and turns. But when the film works, it works, thanks completely to Goldberg.

This is a movie that doesn't make sense, but the viewer is not supposed to notice that. It is hoped, apparently, that Whoppi Goldberg's hip and nasty mouth and behavior are reason enough to watch. Not so.

Even smart asses need some kind of logic, and here we have Whoppi once again assuming that just being herself is sufficient. Again, not so. Plus, it is somewhat irritating to watch a "cat burglar" (didn't Cary Grant make this variety of thief chic?) sitting down, lighting up, and almost blowing the job. Come on, aren't there Union rules? Then, of course, she has to go into a comedy routine the second time around, with the same results.

As a "What's Up Doc" fan, I am profoundly offended that the hackneyed San Francisco chase scene was stuck in. If you're going to do it, do it right.

Bobcat Goldthwait is wonderful. The scene in the police interrogation room is one of the best comedy bits I've watched. Bobcat saves the movie. Use a remote and turn the sound up whenever he's on. If that could be done, I'd rate this movie a 5.

Whoopi Goldberg? AND Bobcat Goldthwait? In the same movie?! Well, it's official - my wife owes me $50 - she swore that they were the same person!

All kidding aside, folks, this movie is a gem and I'm not sure how I'd overlooked it in the past. I recently got laid off so I have been spending a lot of time around the house doing my wife's Cosmo quizzes and drinking Colt 45. Needless to say, I have a lot of free time to watch movies.

So the other day, I walked down to the local video store, and fished around the used VHS bin to see if I could get a steal. I pulled out this movie, thought the cover looked hilarious, and thought I'd give it a try. For only 99 cents (without tax), what could I have to lose?

Folks, I would have gladly paid TWICE that amount! This film is truly Goldberg's finest work (and trust me, I love The View! Did I mention that I was laid off?!), and her on-screen chemistry with Goldthwait (Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, Hot to Trot) is brilliant. John Goodman (The Babe) adds some extra laughs, making this film a well-rounded comedic masterpiece to be appreciated by all. Why this film is so often ignored, I have no idea. Do yourselves a favor and grab a copy. You won't be "robbed" of a fun experience!

I guess this is sorta of a guilty pleasure for me, i think its because i'm a big fan of Lawrence Block, in particular his character of Bernie Rhodennbarr, a character that's been in ten (and counting) books, sort of Block's answer to Donald Westlake's Dortmunder.

Who ever thought of casting Whoopi Goldberg was definitely thinking outside the box. A slight Jewisish man becomes a black woman, one of the more drastic book-to-film changes.

But its all pretty fun, like Whoopi's attempt at being Chevy Chase in "Fletch," with Lesley Ann Warren, Bobcat Goldthwait, even John Goodman in a small role. But i have a theory about adaptations, no matter how many changes or how bad it is, there's usually something or someone that's absolutely perfect, and for "Burglar" it's G.W. Bailey as Ray Kirschman, perfect casting.

All in all it's not as good as the book, but they hardly ever are. It's worth i look, maybe a rental or a cheap buy (I paid 3 bucks for mine)

Almost nothing about this film works unfortunately. It's kind of going for a fletch style comedy whodunnit kinda thing but it fails in just about every way.

The jokes aren't funny or consistent - sometimes it's Whoopi style comedy and others it's bumbling cop stubs his toe and falls down the stairs type stuff. The acting is weak and phoned in. The script is lazy and boring. Bobcat is a waste and given literally nothing to do.

Nothing works. I don't know why they made this movie other than the capitalize on Whoopi's short lived fame and assuming anything with her in it would strike gold at the box office.

I liked this movie because the music is kind of spooky and dated.But the intense scenes are the best.great san francisco scenes and some great actors.James handy who usally plays a bad authority figure does the same thing here in this movie.I think this is 100 times better then jumping jack flash.

BURGLAR is a stupid outing for Whoopi, who plays a cat burglar who witnesses a murder and becomes wanted for it. Now she has to find the person responsible for the murder before it's too late. Everyone seems wasted in this film, and not even Goldberg is any help this time. At least her role in JUMPIN' JACK FLASH was interesting. She took the money and ran on this one, resulting in a film with poor acting and lack of direction. A near-total waste.

1 out of 5

The story line of "Burglar" starts off well. It shows Whoopi Goldberg, dressed as an elderly fat woman, ripping off a house. When it appears that she is caught, she becomes hysterical, leading the owner and his friend to think that she saw who did this.

She is next referred to a dentist, who wants her jewels back from her ex-husband. Trouble is that while Whoopi is in the house, the ex returns and is soon murdered.

It is at this point that the movie goes downhill rapidly. It is unclear how Whoopi tries to clear her name. In other words, you don't understand how she got the leads to pursue the real killer.

Lesley Ann Warren plays the dentist nicely. Unfortunately, her part disappears for most of this picture. Too bad that the writing didn't go away as well.

We do have somewhat of an exciting car chase with the resulting crackups, but this is too predictable. As always, beware of those crooked attorneys.

Two movies made roughly the same time. Both starring a woman with an androgynous name and androgynous clothing. Both with a mystery to solve. Both starring Whoopi Goldberg. The movies were Jumpin' Jack Flash and this one. What was the deal with Whoopi in '86 and '87?

In this movie she's a cat burglar that spends time doing everything but stealing while she's on the job. On one job she overhears a murder and is immediately the blame. Now she has to figure out who the real murderer is to clear her name.

I never was a big fan of Whoopi and this movie didn't change my mind. She had a distinct look and voice, she turned it into a successful entertainment career, kudos to her, but I think I'm done with her movies.

One wonders how Whoopi Goldberg, ever became a movie star, but then we're remembered about how good she was in The Color Purple. Burglar is interesting I guess in a strange or enigmatic sense, but one thing it isn't: funny, not even remotely. I can't even believe this was based on the Lawrence Block novels. The movie almost makes you forget you're watching a comedy. It takes itself too seriously for one thing, where they should of really concentrated on one genre. The film too, throws in a couple of added touches, as if to compensate for what laughs there are, in this dry comedy, and slightly dry film. Examples here, is not a badly shot car chase, down those dangerously steep S.F. streets, with too many close ups of cars, flying over ascents. It's hammy. It also, purposely throws in one still slanted street CU shot, you never see coming, featuring cops, Goodman and DeSalvo. You feel like you with them on that incline, a kind of cool shot but really a stupid one. I've never seen a movie do that before, but like I said, you feel this is compensating for it being a misfire, where we feel, too much is poured into this. The film actually starts off with promise in one nifty driven house robbery you could say, that nearly see our Granny disguised Whoopi, busted. The plot has crafty cat burglar/book shop owner Goldberg, set up and framed while knocking over a young stud's place, trying to retrieve some jewellery for an ex lover of the deceased. What I really liked in this movie, though was the surprisingly good performances from the supporting cast, especially G.W. Bailey, while Goodman again make you stand take notice of how good an actor he is, or was too, before I first saw him in Sea Of Love. Vyto Ruginis, was fun too, as a slick haired, bad dude thief, again acting in a film inspired by a Lawrence Block novel (he also acted in '86's', 8 Million Ways To Die, prefore). Bobcat Goldwaith is again annoying, yet likable, as Whoopi's friendless neighbor, save for Whoopi, where an interrogation scene got me more antagonized, than it did Goodman. As for Whoopi's performance, it's hard to tell if it's good or not with these 80's comedies. I felt I was just going through the motions with her. She wasn't really engaging, but she did have her moments. Small ones. Out of interest, or a Whoopi fan, Burglar is worth a view. It's not a bad film at all, but it was intended as a comedy, and on that note, it fails terribly.

Whoopie Goldberg is Bernie, a fast-talking ex-convict. She's not yet been able to give up the robbery work, despite constant reminders at the climax of each heist how she's "getting too old for this." And she would give it up were it not for Ray Kirschman (G.W. Bailey--he was Captain Harris in Police Academy), a detective who is hounding Bernie for $25,000 and a mink coat for his wife to keep from turning over evidence that could put her back behind bars. However, due to their friendly relationship, though Bernie is very calculating around Ray, it's hard to believe he would be a guy that would be blackmailing her. And halfway through the movie, they're hardly at odds with each other at all.

Bailey lets Bernie onto a high stakes heist. Dr. Cynthia Sheldrake (Leslie Anne Warren) is a dentist. Her patients are mostly illegal immigrants, so they pay in cash. With the cash, she and her husband bought some pretty expensive jewels, totaling somewhere around a hundred thousand or more. When they split up, Sheldrake's husband kept the jewels at his place and she wants them back. That's where Bernie comes into the picture. One last heist to make enough money to square with Bailey and in the end, get out of the business for good. It seems easy enough. That is, until Sheldrake's husband is murdered while Bernie was hiding out in the closet. And now, she's the prime suspect. But Bernie, a smart cookie that she is, isn't about to go down without a fight. And, she seems to be the only really intent on serving the murder and prove her innocence. And it isn't going to be easy.

Burglar isn't a whole lot of comedy as much as it is a murder mystery. Of course, with Whoopie Goldberg in the lead, you can expect a load of funny antics as Bernie sweet talks her way through the story with the help of her slurring spastic friend, Carl (Bobcat Goldwaith) who has some pretty funny moments himself, especially during the interrogation scene with John Goodman. Also, there's a pretty good chase scene as the cops chase Bernie through the wild hilly asphalt of San Fransico, with some of the chase done with camera views from the bumpers. But the movie, like I said before, is largely a murder mystery.

Unfortunately, the audience may start losing interest towards the end, as Bernie seems to have her end of the mystery solved. The movie puts on the brakes once she reports her findings to the wife Sheldrake and everyone drags their feet around deciding what to do then. By then, any suspense of Bernie's snooping around, is turned into a totally dull bit of scenes followed by a pretty lame conclusion. So, I'd say the movie was decent at least up to the end.

I'm a huge fan of Whoopi and have seen all of her 80's action/comedy films and while this isn't as bad as Fatal Beauty. This is still pretty appalling. Its problem lies in the very grim,limp script and the character she plays is not all that likable or interesting; nowhere near as endearing as Terry Doolittle from Jumpin' Jack Flash. Last but not least, this just isn't funny, no matter how hard Goldberg tries, this grim comedy falls flat in every possible area. Jumpin' Jack Flash is still the best of her early big screen comedies. See it if you must but take my advice, avoid Fatal Beauty at all cost, it's shocking!

I believe most of the people who claim they did not like this movie, were over thinking it. This is a funny, well done movie. It mixes a lot of great work, especially from "Bobcat", my favorite is his delivery in the Mayday bar, this movie is so 80's. Maybe it rubs some wrong, but if you were an adult in the late 1980's, this movie would be a real treat. Unfortunately many of the jokes are for Americans and our culture; I can understand it not working for other English speakers, such as Canadians, etc. A lot of slang, and *#@! ^& etc. I almost forgot the most offensive part of the movie for those politically correct tobacco Nazis. Almost everyone including Whoopi is shown smoking, and smoking and enjoying it!!! That's right kids it was a widely practiced social interaction between people especially the opposite sex. Just look at it as a time travel back to the 1980's, sex, drugs and rock and road were still alive and well, big hair, and all the rest. You either love it or hate it.

Whoopi made three action comedies in the late 80's: Fatal Beauty, Jumping Jack Flash and this one. None of them are deathless cinema or comparable to her later stuff, but they are all better than their reviews would generally indicate. They usually get 1* reviews -- I would give them 2 to 2 1/2 (out of 5*), especially if you are a fan of Ms Goldberg. All three of these films are worthy of a couple of $ for a rental or sticking with through a late night rerun. With all three, it does take a first rate cast to bring some rather tired material to life, but there are a lot worse films getting a lot better reviews--check 'em out for yourself!