Random Movie: Armed and Dangerous

Hey folks. What's going on? Decided I needed some comedy to review for a change. A bit of John Candy. So some organized mob, gunfires and maybe even some drag. This is Armed and Dangerous.

Divine never looked so saucy

Officer Dooley (The late and great John Candy of SCTV, Who's Harry Crumb?, Uncle Buck, Home Alone, Nothing But Trouble, Only the Lonely, Delirious and Once Upon a Crime) a decent guy gets caught with a stolen TV courtesy of his fellow boys in blue pinning the theft on him. Right Dooley. Next you'll tell me the Rodney King verdict was unjust. But instead of going to jail, they take his badge and end his career. At the same time, nervous defense lawyer Norman Kane (Eugene Levy of SCTV, Club Paradise, Splash, Father of the Bride, Stay Tuned, Maniac Mansion, Multiplicity, Waiting for Guffman, Almost Heroes and Holy Man) is at his wit's end defending murderers, psychos and tweakers. He desperately needs a career change. No sooner are these two roped into the exciting wondrous world of guard duty, the pharmaceutical company they are guarding is robbed.

Whaddua mean I have less sex appeal than Steve Guttenberg?

Funny how the robbers sound exactly like two thugs from the Union. Wonder if there could ever be corruption in a union job. Nah. Their boss, Captain O' Connell (Kenneth McMillan of Salem's Lot, Partners, The Clairvoyant, Blue Skies Again, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Dune, Runaway Train and Cat's Eye) reams their asses, slaps them with a hundred dollar fine because the whole fiasco was explained...a little piss poorly. With heated tempers, crucial evidence to how the robbery went down was ignored.

With their butts on the line and their jobs looking bleak what with guarding a dump and a toxic landfill, the guys decide to check out the robberies themselves.

With a collective of talent in this film it is really hard to dislike it. Helmed by director Mark L. Lester (Firestarter, Commando, Class of 1984, Class of 1999, Showdown in Little Toyko and The Dragons of Camelot) and screenplay by the late and great Harold Ramis (Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, Back to School, Groundhog Day and Analyze This) this film is not politically correct, there will be ethnic slurs and sexist content of bimbo women. Hmm I might be putting folks off. Okay...starting anew. There is slapstick, drag humor and more gun play than an Eastwood movie. This is really that stint in comedy where they wanted some action to go with the humor. A rash of theft makes Dooley believe that there is more going on and the very company he is working for is directly involved with it. Maybe not most of the guards but some of the higher ups. 

Man, that orgy got out of hand, right?

With the union being so tight lipped about why they need close to $4 million a year to keep them in the black and yet no actual explanation to what this $15 a week in 1986 timeline that is a fair chunk of change. By inflation status, think $50 a week. Now that has your attention. Besides, most union charge by the month not weekly so already something is off. Plus half of their staff look like gunsels.

With their accountant rep trying to wash the dough (ill gotten gains from illegal sales plus making only 80 cents on the dollar in laundering) the big boys decide he is a loose end and are gonna take him for "a little drive".

At this point the crooked cops must also be on the unions' dollar as Dooley and Kane are being chased by syndicate, bent cops and hell, why not the fire department now.

With Kane's mental stress levels and Dooley's dishonorable discharge from the police, they are plump pigeons ripe for the blame.

Can the boys get themselves out of this jam? Will Meg Ryan a.k.a. Maggie have feelings for Kane? Will Brion James play YET another loopy?

With some decent crane shots, dolly track and some substantial car crash stunts, this is as action as possible. Hell the Texan in the big rig smashing down the L.A. Freeway to Born to Be Wild is enough excitement as it is.

Goodfellas?  Geddoutta here!