Movie:
Cops & Robbersons, originally released theatrically in 1994, was directed by Michael Ritchie. The film stars Chevy Chase (Norman), Jack Palance (Jake), Diane Wiest (Helen), Robert Davi (Horace Osborn), David Barry Gray (Tony), Jason James Richter (Kevin), Fay Masterson (Cindy), and Miko Hughes (Billy).

The Robbersons (Norman, Helen, Cindy, Kevin, and Billy) are your typical white middle class suburban family who just happen to be going through some problems. The cops (Jake and Tony) also have some problems – a counterfeiter named Osborn has recently started to eliminate his competition. Determined to track him down and arrest his superiors, they discover that Osborn has rented a home in Pleasant Valley, which is located next door to the Robbersons. Jake and Tony approach Norman with this information and ask him for his help. Norman, whose lifelong dream was to work in law-enforcement, accepts almost immediately. The cops then set up a stakeout at the Robberson household. But with the family problems and Norman's bumbling, can the cops catch their man?

It had been awhile since I had seen Cops & Robbersons, and to be honest, I was eagerly awaiting the chance to review it so I could see it again. Chevy Chase, though he is seldom in anything anymore, is still one of my favorite comedic actors. But while the film still has quite a few funny moments, the picture is rather forgettable. Chase and Palance both play very similar characters to those that they've mastered over the years – for Chase, it's the bumbling husband of the Vacation series and for Palance, it's the grizzled tough guy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it all just feels too familiar. For me, the highlight of the film is seeing Billy dressed up as the vampire and trying to suck Jake's blood. That scene is easily one of the funniest moments in the film.

Picture:
Cops & Robbersons is presented in both 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and, on the opposite side of the DVD, 1.33:1 full frame. I noticed some shimmering in the film, though it was mostly confined to several scenes in which Jake is wearing a particular sport jacket. I didn't notice any print defects, such as marks, lines, and scratches, either. Colors throughout are well saturated and vibrant, flesh tones are accurate, and blacks are quite good.

Sound:
Cops & Robbersons is presented in Dolby 2.0 Surround in English, French and Spanish, and Dolby 2.0 Mono in Portuguese. Surrounds are fairly limited throughout the picture, only slightly coming alive during the explosion near the beginning and the film's climax. Dialogue is center-channel based with little to no directionality. Dialogue is crisp and clean throughout, with no distortion that I detected. Optional subtitles are also available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Thai, and Korean.

Extras:
Extras include filmographies for Chase, Palance, Wiest, and Ritchie, along with trailers for this film, Big Daddy, Loser, and So I Married an Axe Murderer.

Summary:
Cops & Robbersons is a fairly funny movie that makes a decent rental for fans of comedy films or the actors involved. Columbia Tristar hasn't really provided much in the way of extras, but the low MSRP of $19.99 certainly reflects that, and fans of the film should consider picking it up. Rent it.