An extremely well-paced and funny mistaken identity movie that got no credit. Belushi pulls off perfectly the exhuberant, boy-like fugitive who breaks out of prison for a couple days so he can see the World Series (wouldn't you)? The tickets he won on a radio show are to be picked up at LAX, where a bigger pick up awaits. While dodging a set of cops he spots Grodin's day planner atop a phone booth with the note of a reward to anyone who returns it. So he heads to Malibu looking for Grodin who has found himself in the slums of LA trying to get people to believe who he is. He's come to town to close a big advertising deal but loses his beloved orgonizer ("My life was in there!"). In the process he's mistreated by gang members, can't get anyone to believe him, has to resort to help from DeSolvo's mind-numbing nitwit, and ends up walking Pacific Coast Highway in the rain. Meanwhile Belushi takes it upon himself to enter Grodin's boss's Malibu mansion and even assume his job which includes a tennis date and dinner with a witchy female executive. Belushi even scores with the boss's daughter, leading to one of the film's funniest lines: "I slept with Walter's daughter?! How was I??" "You were great!" "I knew I could be great in bed!" It all culminates in an extended finale that goes from the World Series to prison. A lot of people point out the film's inplausibility, but as I always say, don't all films have a level of that? Just ignore it and enjoy the laughs. Though the film does feature the nicest set of prison inmates in history, maybe a little too far-fetched. And when Belushi gives a stolen car to his date, he's obviously unaware that cops are probably on the lookout for it (and he's supposed to be a car thief). He and Grodin also get along too well, but again, movie magic. All told this is a lot of fun and oddly enough was very reminiscent of Belushi's other work from 1990, "Mr. Destiny" (guy's life is altered with riches and adventure).
And a little sidenote about all the dumb brother comparisons by critics: Belushi is his own performer, judge his ability on that alone and stop comparing him to his sibling, please. At the point of this movie John had been dead nearly ten years and James had made his mark in great offerings like "About Last Night", "Red Heat" and "K-9". Be it comedy or drama, he can hold his own and needn't be put up against his brother's incomplete career.
And a little sidenote about all the dumb brother comparisons by critics: Belushi is his own performer, judge his ability on that alone and stop comparing him to his sibling, please. At the point of this movie John had been dead nearly ten years and James had made his mark in great offerings like "About Last Night", "Red Heat" and "K-9". Be it comedy or drama, he can hold his own and needn't be put up against his brother's incomplete career.