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Fletch Lives
Universal // PG // September 2, 2003
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Chevy Chase became an overnight celebrity in the 1970s with his roles on "Saturday Night Live". He then parlayed that success into a string of memorable movie roles, including those in Caddyshack and the Vacation movies. But, for me, Chase's role in Fletch will always be his best, and I'm sure that there is a group out there who agrees with that assessment. Yet, the sequel, Fletch Lives, doesn't get the same amount of respect. With the reports that Kevin Smith is working on a new film featuring the Fletch character, this may be the time for more people to discover this clever follow-up to Fletch.
With Fletch Lives, investigative reporter Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) is up to his old tricks, risking his life to get a good story, annoying his editor (Richard Libertini), and avoiding his wife's lawyer (George Wyner). But, things change for Fletch when he learns that his Aunt Belle has passed away, and left her Louisiana plantation to him. Sensing a change from his dangerous life, Fletch quits his job and heads south.
However, once he reaches his new homestead, he's surprised to find that it's in shambles. He's even more surprised to find that someone wants to buy it, but realtor Becky Culpepper (Julianne Phillips) won't reveal the name of the buyer. As Fletch attempts to adjust to his new home, with the help of handyman Calculus (Cleavon Little), he begins to investigate the possible identity of the party who wants the plantation. Could it be local evangelist Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey)? Fletch's snooping also reveals the fact that someone is willing to kill him to get the land. The intrepid reporter must turn to his skills with sleuthing and disguises to get to the bottom of the case.
As noted above, fans of Fletch have been know to dislike Fletch Lives, and this is quite surprising, as the sequel is very similar to the first film. Maybe it's too similar, who knows? In Fletch Lives, Fletch is faced with a mystery in which he becomes directly involved. And, he must assume a number of different identities in order to complete his investigation. As in Fletch, the comedy stems from Chase's rapid-fire one-liners and the silliness which ensues when he dons a disguise, especially when he uses a pseudonym of a famous person, such as Billie Jean King, Victor Hugo, or Elmer "Fudd" Gantry. Yes, Chase is doing the same schtick he performed in the first film, but it still works here.
If there's a problem with Fletch Lives, it's the central plot and the cast of supporting characters. Tim Matheson and Joe Don Baker brought a great deal to Fletch, and there's no one here who can match them, although Cleavon Little is pretty good. The story surrounding the sale of Fletch's estate is somewhat interesting, but it can be difficult to understand why Fletch gets so deeply involved in the mystery. Ultimately, Fletch Lives is simply a series of comedic scenes linked together by a sub-par plot. But, those sequences contain some incredibly funny moments, cementing Fletch as Chase's best character.
Video
Fletch Lives is revived on DVD by Universal Home Video. The DVD features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and the film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1. The image here is sharp, but there is a noticeable amount of grain in most every shot, and there are some very minor defects from the source print. The colors are good, but some of the fleshtones are a bit too ruddy at times. There is some visible edge-enhancement, and a touch of compression artifacting. For a 15-year old movie, and a budget DVD, Fletch Lives looks OK, but the transfer is far from perfect.
Audio
The DVD contains a Dolby 2-channel surround audio track. This track provides clear dialogue and brings through Harold Faltermeyer's annoying score loud-and-clear. The stereo effects sound quite good and are very noticeable. But, the surround effects are very discrete, even the musical cues, and barely emit from the rear speakers.
Extras
The only extra on the DVD is the theatrical trailer for Fletch Lives, which is presented full-frame. The trailer offers a scene which isn't in the film, in which Fletch attempts to eat a sandwich while on a waterbed, and there is a still of this scene in the closing credits of the film. So, there were obviously scenes cut from the film and it's a shame that they weren't included on this DVD. It should also be mentioned that the Polaroid-laden cover-art for this DVD is terrible, and pales in comparison to the original 1-sheet for Fletch Lives, which featured a parody of a famous image from Gone with the Wind.
Fans of Chevy Chase's brand of "smart-ass" humor should find something to like in Fletch Lives. The plot isn't the greatest, but the movie contains some fantastic lines. It's been several years since Chase has made a watchable film, so it's great that his older works such as Fletch Lives have come to DVD.
Chevy Chase became an overnight celebrity in the 1970s with his roles on "Saturday Night Live". He then parlayed that success into a string of memorable movie roles, including those in Caddyshack and the Vacation movies. But, for me, Chase's role in Fletch will always be his best, and I'm sure that there is a group out there who agrees with that assessment. Yet, the sequel, Fletch Lives, doesn't get the same amount of respect. With the reports that Kevin Smith is working on a new film featuring the Fletch character, this may be the time for more people to discover this clever follow-up to Fletch.
With Fletch Lives, investigative reporter Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) is up to his old tricks, risking his life to get a good story, annoying his editor (Richard Libertini), and avoiding his wife's lawyer (George Wyner). But, things change for Fletch when he learns that his Aunt Belle has passed away, and left her Louisiana plantation to him. Sensing a change from his dangerous life, Fletch quits his job and heads south.
However, once he reaches his new homestead, he's surprised to find that it's in shambles. He's even more surprised to find that someone wants to buy it, but realtor Becky Culpepper (Julianne Phillips) won't reveal the name of the buyer. As Fletch attempts to adjust to his new home, with the help of handyman Calculus (Cleavon Little), he begins to investigate the possible identity of the party who wants the plantation. Could it be local evangelist Jimmy Lee Farnsworth (R. Lee Ermey)? Fletch's snooping also reveals the fact that someone is willing to kill him to get the land. The intrepid reporter must turn to his skills with sleuthing and disguises to get to the bottom of the case.
As noted above, fans of Fletch have been know to dislike Fletch Lives, and this is quite surprising, as the sequel is very similar to the first film. Maybe it's too similar, who knows? In Fletch Lives, Fletch is faced with a mystery in which he becomes directly involved. And, he must assume a number of different identities in order to complete his investigation. As in Fletch, the comedy stems from Chase's rapid-fire one-liners and the silliness which ensues when he dons a disguise, especially when he uses a pseudonym of a famous person, such as Billie Jean King, Victor Hugo, or Elmer "Fudd" Gantry. Yes, Chase is doing the same schtick he performed in the first film, but it still works here.
If there's a problem with Fletch Lives, it's the central plot and the cast of supporting characters. Tim Matheson and Joe Don Baker brought a great deal to Fletch, and there's no one here who can match them, although Cleavon Little is pretty good. The story surrounding the sale of Fletch's estate is somewhat interesting, but it can be difficult to understand why Fletch gets so deeply involved in the mystery. Ultimately, Fletch Lives is simply a series of comedic scenes linked together by a sub-par plot. But, those sequences contain some incredibly funny moments, cementing Fletch as Chase's best character.
Video
Fletch Lives is revived on DVD by Universal Home Video. The DVD features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and the film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1. The image here is sharp, but there is a noticeable amount of grain in most every shot, and there are some very minor defects from the source print. The colors are good, but some of the fleshtones are a bit too ruddy at times. There is some visible edge-enhancement, and a touch of compression artifacting. For a 15-year old movie, and a budget DVD, Fletch Lives looks OK, but the transfer is far from perfect.
Audio
The DVD contains a Dolby 2-channel surround audio track. This track provides clear dialogue and brings through Harold Faltermeyer's annoying score loud-and-clear. The stereo effects sound quite good and are very noticeable. But, the surround effects are very discrete, even the musical cues, and barely emit from the rear speakers.
Extras
The only extra on the DVD is the theatrical trailer for Fletch Lives, which is presented full-frame. The trailer offers a scene which isn't in the film, in which Fletch attempts to eat a sandwich while on a waterbed, and there is a still of this scene in the closing credits of the film. So, there were obviously scenes cut from the film and it's a shame that they weren't included on this DVD. It should also be mentioned that the Polaroid-laden cover-art for this DVD is terrible, and pales in comparison to the original 1-sheet for Fletch Lives, which featured a parody of a famous image from Gone with the Wind.
Fans of Chevy Chase's brand of "smart-ass" humor should find something to like in Fletch Lives. The plot isn't the greatest, but the movie contains some fantastic lines. It's been several years since Chase has made a watchable film, so it's great that his older works such as Fletch Lives have come to DVD.
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