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Cops and Robbersons

  • 1994
  • PG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
7.8K
YOUR RATING
Chevy Chase and Jack Palance in Cops and Robbersons (1994)
Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tristar
Play trailer0:30
1 Video
18 Photos
ComedyCrimeThriller

A counterfeiter with a habit of "eliminating" the competition moves in next door to the Robbersons. Two cops move in with the Robbersons for a stakeout.A counterfeiter with a habit of "eliminating" the competition moves in next door to the Robbersons. Two cops move in with the Robbersons for a stakeout.A counterfeiter with a habit of "eliminating" the competition moves in next door to the Robbersons. Two cops move in with the Robbersons for a stakeout.

  • Director
    • Michael Ritchie
  • Writer
    • Bernie Somers
  • Stars
    • Chevy Chase
    • Jack Palance
    • Dianne Wiest
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.2/10
    7.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Michael Ritchie
    • Writer
      • Bernie Somers
    • Stars
      • Chevy Chase
      • Jack Palance
      • Dianne Wiest
    • 35User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Cops and Robbersons
    Trailer 0:30
    Cops and Robbersons

    Photos18

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    Top cast22

    Edit
    Chevy Chase
    Chevy Chase
    • Norman Robberson
    Jack Palance
    Jack Palance
    • Jake Stone
    Dianne Wiest
    Dianne Wiest
    • Helen Robberson
    Robert Davi
    Robert Davi
    • Horace Osborn
    David Barry Gray
    David Barry Gray
    • Tony Moore
    Jason James Richter
    Jason James Richter
    • Kevin Robberson
    Fay Masterson
    Fay Masterson
    • Cindy Robberson
    Miko Hughes
    Miko Hughes
    • Billy Robberson
    Richard Romanus
    Richard Romanus
    • Fred Lutz
    Sal Landi
    Sal Landi
    • Jerry Callahan
    Ronald L. Schwary
    Ronald L. Schwary
    • Producer
    Jack Kehler
    Jack Kehler
    • Caniff
    Amy Powell
    • Marva Prescott
    Dawn Landon
    • Video Clerk
    Jim Holmes
    Jim Holmes
    • Phil
    Charlie O'Donnell
    • Newscaster
    Patrick Patchen
    • Policeman
    Nelly Bly
    • Girl in Police Station
    • Director
      • Michael Ritchie
    • Writer
      • Bernie Somers
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews35

    5.27.8K
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    Featured reviews

    8lukem-52760

    FEELGOOD FUN COP COMEDY WITH THE COMIC GENIUS CHEVY CHASE. Chevy is a Childhood Hero of Mine.

    This is a fun family type comedy about a crazy family in the ordinary suburbs that has to have some cops stay at there house to Stakeout a bad guy who lives next door!!!

    Thats the basic storyline for this whacky Comedy, i always loved this film from way back in the 90s, when i had it on video & i was always a massive "Chevy Chase" fan as i grew up watching his movies, such as "Fletch" "Fletch Lives" "Spies like Us" "Caddyshack" & the "Vacation" films among others, Chase was always the king of comedy to me & still is in my opinion, Chase can always put a smile on my face & cheer me up so he means alot to me & here Chase is hilarious as family man "Norman Robberson" he's a nice average guy who loves old Cop shows & would love to be a Cop like in the movies, Chase is a warm joy to watch as usual & really is a fun family man, his Face makes me laugh so much even if he's being serious, a great actor & a comic genius!!! I wish Chase was my dad.

    We get another legend of cinema with "Jack Palance" as the old grumpy Tough Cop "Jake Stone" who has to stay at the "Robbersons" house with his young cop partner on a Stakeout!!!

    The rest of the cast is great with, one of my favourite B-movie actors ever, the Awesome Robert Davi who plays the "Bad guy" called "Osborn" who is staying next door to the Robbersons, Davi is fun at playing it completely straight & serious & we have Dianne Wiest as "Helen" who is very funny as mrs. Robberson & plays really well with Chevy Chase!!!

    I love the cast & love this feelgood comedy, it's pure 90s fun with lots of fun gags especially within the Robbersons own family, they have a little boy who believes he's a Vampire & that makes some hilarious scenes with the Cops using his room to spy on the bad guys lol, we have the oldest daughter who takes a liking to the younger Cop so there's abit of fun romance, the house is full of crazy fun antics & Jack Palance really has fun in his role as "Jake Stone" especially when he has to pretend he's their uncle Jake!!!

    Cops & Robbersons is just a good time movie, it's a silly fun family comedy with a two legends of cinema together with "Chase & Palance" it's no masterpiece but it doesn't have to be!!! It's a comedy CLASSIC though to me & is a very underrated comedy in my opinion!!! But i love it.
    7OJT

    This is such a hilarious movie and an overlooked gem

    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.
    6ksf-2

    chevy chase fans will dig this one

    Chevy chase and jack "i'll take any role for the money" palance. When counterfeiters move into the hood, cops jake and tony (palance, gray) move in with the robberson family (chevy chase, diane wiest) to keep an eye on the crooks next door. Unless norm goofs it all up with his stumbling and bumbling. The stuff that made chase's career. It's all very okay. Pretty silly stuff. Really drags in the middle. They kind of ran out of material. Keep an eye out for the cook in the diner..... that's telly savalas' brother. Emmet walsh plays captain corbett. Walsh was hilarious in "what's up doc?". Story by bernie somers. Directed by michael ritchie, who is quoted as saying " i have no interest in directing. I'd be a bad director." and then directed 38 films. One of those was the awesome "fletch", also starring chevy chase!
    7Gretta-2

    DysFUNctional family Robberson arrests stake-out.

    This is a truly funny film that the whole family can watch, and enjoy. Amazing! Mom cooks enough food for a White House reception, the kids are mostly normal except the youngest, who is channeling Bela Lugosi as Dracula, and Dad can't get a bagel without cream cheese on it. The cops are standard film cops except that Jack Palance is even more overpowering than usual. His best line (you have to be there) is "Never throw a cat at me again." He never yells, although he has plentiful provocation. This is refreshing; we laughed through the whole movie.
    5lost-in-limbo

    Family stakeout.

    Chevy Chase's family comedy "Cops and Robbersons" might have been made during the period where his box-office success was in a rapid decline (as this was somewhat a flop and the previous two before it), but I've always have a soft spot for this professional looking, but farcical comedy outing and that was mainly for the amusingly dry performance of Jack Palance as a weathered detective.

    Norman Robberson is a mild-mannered accountant who spends his free time watching TV cop shows. Soon enough he's living that life, when detective Jack Stone and his partner use his house as a stakeout to watch his neighbour that's a dangerous counterfeiter. Stone then finds himself caught up with the family and Norman's cop show obsession could just endanger the whole operation.

    As much as I enjoy watching a Chevy Chase film, it does pale in comparison to his early work but watching it again it surprised me how well it actually stood up. While not overly funny, it kept me watching. Teaming up again with Michael Ritchie the director of his smash 1985 hit "Fletch", Ritchie and Chase might not have the luxury of that smart script, but "Cops and Robbersons" is still sprightly written with the odd witty remark and amusing depictions of middle class suburbia. It's a typical formula, but it raises some inspired shenanigans if growing a little repetitive with its choices. Thinking about it, there was probably just not enough humour there or effectively brought across. It's madcap, accidental gags relying more so on the psychical and visuals with comical interactions between the dysfunctional characters. Ritchie's direction is straight-up, competently tidy with a slick streamline to it and having confidence in his timing.

    The cast balances out quite nicely. Chase gives his usual quick-on-the-feet performance, while alongside him Palance superbly grits his teeth. Dianne West is equally good with a level-head turn and Robert Davi suitably goes with a mock serious approach in a pigeon hold villain role. There's decent support by David Barry Gray, Jason James Richter, Fay Masterson, Miko Hughes and Richard Romanus.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During the end credits, a picture of Jake (Jack Palance) doing a one-armed push-up with one of the Robberson's kids was flashed. This was a reference to what Palance did after he accepted his Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for "City Slickers (1991)."
    • Goofs
      During the first few moments of the film, Robberson is typing at his desk wearing an ear set. Seconds later it's gone.
    • Quotes

      Lt. Jake Stone: You arrested a waiter?

      Norman Robberson: Jake, he was rude.

      Lt. Jake Stone: Norman, you can't arrest people for being rude. If you could, all of New York City would be on Death Row.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Red Rock West/Clifford/Threesome/Silent Tongue/The Blue Kite (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Mockingbird Hill
      Written by Vaughn Horton

      Performed by Patti Page

      Courtesy of Columbia Records

      By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

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    FAQ16

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Фараони та Робберсони
    • Filming locations
      • Hawthorne Grill - 13763 S. Hawthorne Boulevard, Hawthorne, California, USA(Restaurant scenes.)
    • Production companies
      • TriStar Pictures
      • Channel Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $11,391,093
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,724,254
      • Apr 17, 1994
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,391,093
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 33m(93 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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