darrelltill

I saw this movie in the eighties and thought it was great. Even though it was a moderate hit, I suspect it lived in the shadow of Beverly Hills Cop from a year earlier. It has a lot in common with that movie - a comedian playing a wise-cracking character in a serious situation, a small investigation that turns into something much bigger, and a fantastic Harold Faltermeyer soundtrack. Anyway, I just watched it again in 2025, and overlooking a few quirks of 1980s movie making, this is still a great story. Based on a 1975 novel, it's a solid plot that requires your attention in the way that modern detective stuff made for the inattentive phone addicted generation doesn't. Chevy Chase may be playing his usual character, but adherence to the source material may have reigned his silliness in a little. The movie sequel, Fletch Lives, wasn't based on a novel from the series as far as I know, and was more of a vehicle for Chase's physical humour. If you only saw the sequel and weren't impressed, you should give this original a try.

Look, this is a weird film. Not everybody will enjoy it. I recommended it to the most eccentric person I know and he turned it off after half an hour. But what if this is your favourite movie and you just don't know it yet? If you're into sci-fi and don't mind quirkiness, you need to watch this.

The movie has a comic book vibe - it's written as if budget is no object and anything is possible. Buckaroo is a brain surgeon, particle physicist, rock star, test pilot, martial arts expert and hero. That's a lot to process. But the joy of this film is figuring it out. It assumes you're intelligent and will put it together.

Chances are, you've watched something influenced by this movie. You'll think that the jet car is ripped off from the Back To The Future car, until you realise this came out a year before. Just like that band which never made it to the mainstream yet influenced all your favourite bands, Buckaroo Banzai is a movie-maker's movie. So many creatives have cited this as an influence.

I saw it on VHS some time in 1988 and loved it. It was one of the first DVDs I bought. Every time I watch it, I see something new.