Fletch lives (1989)


Genre: comedy

Starring: Chevy Chase, Hal Holbrook, Julianne Phillips, Randal "Tex" Cobb, Richard Libertini, Cleavon Little, Patricia Kalember

Directed by: Michael Ritchie

WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT?
An investage reporter from LA quits his job when he learns that his aunt left him a plantation in Louisiana in her will. Hovewer, as soon as he gets there, he realizes that it's not what he's expected... and that local swamps hide more secrets and crime too.


WORTH WATCHING?

I'm not sure. Honestly, being a fan of the first movie in the Fletch series, I didn't like the strange mix of crime and humor that is shown in this installment.

The original Fletch didn't even try to hide that it was a bit of a self-parody at time. But here I'd say they've managed to jump a shark.

The way our hero keeps his jokes a minute after an innocent woman is brutally murdered is NOT funny at all, and it ruins the rest of the movie, because of such actions.
Well, there is of course plenty of movies when certain characters turn death into humor and live normal lives right after that.
But it should be different with this particular case.
The woman was not some scumbag and was quite important to the story, and to the hero as well, and it was quite a shock that she was actually killed off... and the way she was done was a shocker too.
So they could show some respect.
But they didn't.
A woman dies and Chevy acts like if it was completely normal, like if it was nothing.
Hell, I didn't even think that the story itself had any need to kill her, it wasn't necessary, though it's explained why she "had" to die.
But an act of death is one thing, and a total lack respect to that is another, and it's disgusting.

Therefore most of the gags that happen after that don't really work for me, as they could if only this death was cut from the script.


The story of WHY do people want to take away Chevy's property is interesting enough and makes a lot of room for potential action and humor.

And it's even that our hero goes on his investigation, because he wants revenge or something. He's just curious, and that's all.
But this kind of curiosity should happen if a deceased was some completely stranger, and not a love interest.

Seriously. I don't get that.


But even without that hideous murder motive I don't think it would the movie much better and stand any close to the original's standards.

The story itself lacks what made the first Fletch so special.
It's totally different and nothing close to the "I'll pay you to kill me" plotline that got our attention completely few years earlier.
It's not convincing, it's weird at many times, it even starts in a stupid unlogical way with Chevy dressed as a maid!

He is funny and he is still Fletch, but that's all that makes this movie connected to the first installment.

It lacks that idea, energy, curiosity that made the original Fletch so special... even though it had the same director!

So, NO. I woulnd't really recommend watching it. It ruins the series and it would be better if they've never made it.

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