Hey_Sweden

Beginning in classic 'Sledge Hammer!' style, this is overall not quite as hilarious as the previous three episodes, but it still has some great moments. Sledge is targeted by John Kogan (Jack Thibeau, "Escape from Alcatraz"), a crooked cop who's just escaped from prison. Kogan has vowed to kill Sledge, but there's one big problem: Kogan is even deadlier with a gun (and a quicker draw) than our hero.

The flat-out funniest sequence has Sledge attempting to deal with a sleazy informant (Dennis Fimple, "House of 1,000 Corpses"), and having to make multiple calls - all while the informant is only a couple of pay-phones away.

Rasche, as usual, is lots of fun to watch, especially when Trunk refuses to suspend Sledge, and Sledge works hard to get out of filing duty. And Thibeau is a worthy adversary for Rasche, overacting his role in a priceless manner. His crime spree - "coming soon to a city near you!" - is related in montage, and is a hoot.

A young Jonathan Brandis ('SeaQuest DSV') plays Sledge as a kid.

Seven out of 10.

Albert Finney ("Millers' Crossing") plays Eddie Ginley, an announcer & bingo caller bored with his life. A man with a real affinity for Bogart, he longs for both a shot at comedy stardom and some sort of private-eye career. His first case as a private-eye is an amusingly convoluted affair involving various sordid characters.

"Gumshoe" is a lightweight but amusing tongue-in-cheek take on vintage film noir stories, set in the seedy parts of Liverpool & London circa 1971. Absolutely nobody takes the material seriously, whether it's the characters on screen or the filmmakers. There's very little danger, and the villains are simply not that threatening. But Finney & his superior, mostly British supporting cast make the most of the material.

Finney himself is fun; also appearing are Billie Whitelaw ("The Omen"), Frank Finlay ("The Four Musketeers"), Janice Rule ("3 Women"), Carolyn Seymour ("The Ruling Class"), Fulton Mackay ("Local Hero"), George Silver ("The Meaning of Life"), Wendy Richard ('Are You Being Served?'), and Maureen Lipman ("Educating Rita").

This marked the first full-length theatrical feature for the celebrated filmmaker Stephen Frears ("Dangerous Liaisons", "The Grifters"), and was scored by none other than Andrew Lloyd Webber. The major asset of the film is the rapid-fire banter between the characters (effortlessly delivered by Finney & co.), courtesy of screenwriter Neville Smith, who also appears on screen as Arthur.

Overall, a fun (if unmemorable) comedic ode to the works of Hammett & Chandler.

Seven out of 10.