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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Universal Pictures
Salesrank: 33535
Released: August 19, 1998 |
| Our Price: $14.49 |
| Used Price: $4.07 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Gregory McDonald's lightweight mystery novel about an undercover newspaper reporter cracking a police drug ring is transformed by screenwriter Andrew Bergman (Blazing Saddles, and writer/director of The Freshman and Honeymoon in Vegas) into a fairly sarcastic and occasionally very funny Chevy Chase vehicle. Enjoyment of the film pivots on whether you find Chase's flippant, smart-ass brand of verbal humor funny, or merely egocentric. If you don't like Chase, there's really no one else worth watching (Geena Davis is sadly underused). Chase seems born to play I.M. "Fletch" Fletcher, a disillusioned investigative reporter whose cynicism and detached view on life mirrors the actor's understated approach to comedy. Fletcher offers Chase the opportunity to adopt numerous personas, as his job requires numerous (bad) physical disguises, and much of film's humor centers on the ridiculous idea that any of these phony accents or bad hairpieces could fool anyone. These not-so-clever disguises are put to use when Fletch becomes involved in the film's smart but continually self-mocking two-part mystery. As well as trying to gather drug-smuggling evidence against the LAPD for a long-overdue newspaper story, a rich and apparently terminally ill stranger also offers Fletch a large payoff to kill him. While the film does a fairly good job juggling both of these plots, not to mention tossing in a love interest as well, it's subservient, for better or worse, to Chase's memorable one-liners and disguises. Followed by two forgettable sequels that lack both the original's wit and Chase's attention span. --Dave McCoy
Fletch Reviews:
A Fletch Collection DVD short review 
2008-08-21 - Got The Fletch Collection in the mail from Amazon yesterday (8/20/08). Fletch is the same exact disc that is found in the "Jane Doe" edition and Fletch Lives is the same blue disc as in the previous dvd release, that is still available for purchase. The set is almost identical to the "Jane Doe" edition in the sense that there's a slip cover and a single dvd case with a "flipper". There is no digi-pak here folks. The only special features are the same ones on the "Jane Doe" edition. Fletch is in 5.1 Dolby and Fletch Lives only has 2.0 Dolby. Both are in 1.85:1 anamorphic.
Great buy if you don't own either or if you want to upgrade to save a slight bit of space.
High-point of Chevy Chase's career "its all ballbearings these days",
2008-07-02 - This movie has more one-liners than a cheap singles bar!
Dr. Joseph Dolan: You know, it's a shame about Ed.
Fletch: Oh, it was. Yeah, it was really a shame. To go so suddenly like that.
Dr. Joseph Dolan: He was dying for years.
Fletch: Sure, but... the end was very... very sudden.
Dr. Joseph Dolan: He was in intensive care for eight weeks.
Fletch: Yeah, but I mean the very end, when he actually died. That was extremely sudden.
And so Chevy Chase, reporter managers to bungle his way through many different undercover guises in the way to getting his story... and you will enjoy the ride, because it is funny, and dry and off the wall.
Incidentally I don't know why Chevy Chase seemed to get less funny as he got older. Same thing that happened to Steve Martin.
Excellent Chase 
2008-04-20 - HD DVD version has best picture and sound I have seen for this film. Picture 4.5 stars, Sound 4.0 stars. Movie 4.0 stars. As much fun as "Who's Harry Crumb." One of Chase's best films. Chase holds his characterization throughout the film and has an excellent supporting cast. Make some popcorn, sit back and enjoy this one for what it is - entertaining shtick with a script.
Fletch
2008-03-26 - Irwin Fletcher "Fletch" is a newspaper reporter writing as Jane Joe that does what it takes to get the story. Many of his stories require him to go undercover, as his current assignment does. He is on a trail to expose those involved in a drug smuggling ring, but has learned some of the players are even part of the police department. While sniffing out leads, he is lead in another direction when a wealthy man approaches him mistaking Fletch for a transient. He tells Fletch that he is suffering from a terminal illness, and would like to hire Fletch to kill him. Since life insurance policies don't pay out in cases of suicide, he wants to make sure his wife is well provided for in the future. Fletch being the curious guy he is decides to investigate the millionaire's claim. When he discovers that his dying millionaire is not dying, but is in fact hiding a secret life as well as a second wife, the "chase" is on!
This is one of Chevy Chase's finest performances! He takes his comedic genius up a step for this film. The disguises, mannerisms, and funny dialogue showcase him perfectly. No one can slide those one-liners in like he can.
Fletch 
2008-01-28 - I think this is one of Chevy Chase's better films. I don't like his movies where it is just one personal disaster after another. He is a hero in this movie, not bad.
