This strangely forgotten 90s buddy comedy is pretty fun, and actually pretty original as well. It's most notable for being an early screen appearance of both Samuel L. Jackson and Nicolas Cage, who as you probably guessed are the best things about the movie.
A stupid couple sees Samuel L. Jackson in the new house he bought and mistake him for a burglar, so they call the police. Once the cops realize their mistake, they decide to frame a criminal rather than admit their mess up, so they convince Nicolas Cage to play the burglar, leading to a wild, confiding night in which the pair must deal with dimwitted cops, weird neighbors, and racial prejudices.
The movie gets a little preachy with its anti-racism message, though it is a product of the 90s, so it gets more of a pass than more modern anti-racism films that outspokenly oppose something that's not even really a problem today. I have the controversial opinion that racism is not even existent today, and the best way to combat racism is to ignore it. The more you scream racism, the more attention you give it. So that was a bit of an issue for me with this film, it's emphasis on racial issues, but it ended up being better than I thought.
The comedy bits were pretty funny, and rather than a laugh-a-minute, it's more consistently mildly funny throughout.
I've seen this described as an action comedy, which I guess is true, but it BARELY scrapes by in the action department. There's a cool scene early one where a cop fires at Jackson on a porch, and there's also a fight between Cage and Jackson, and a brief chase in a cornfield. This is definitely a comedy, so don't look to this film to fill your action needs.
A forgotten 90s comedy, this is a fun little movie that has some solid performances from its two stars.
A stupid couple sees Samuel L. Jackson in the new house he bought and mistake him for a burglar, so they call the police. Once the cops realize their mistake, they decide to frame a criminal rather than admit their mess up, so they convince Nicolas Cage to play the burglar, leading to a wild, confiding night in which the pair must deal with dimwitted cops, weird neighbors, and racial prejudices.
The movie gets a little preachy with its anti-racism message, though it is a product of the 90s, so it gets more of a pass than more modern anti-racism films that outspokenly oppose something that's not even really a problem today. I have the controversial opinion that racism is not even existent today, and the best way to combat racism is to ignore it. The more you scream racism, the more attention you give it. So that was a bit of an issue for me with this film, it's emphasis on racial issues, but it ended up being better than I thought.
The comedy bits were pretty funny, and rather than a laugh-a-minute, it's more consistently mildly funny throughout.
I've seen this described as an action comedy, which I guess is true, but it BARELY scrapes by in the action department. There's a cool scene early one where a cop fires at Jackson on a porch, and there's also a fight between Cage and Jackson, and a brief chase in a cornfield. This is definitely a comedy, so don't look to this film to fill your action needs.
A forgotten 90s comedy, this is a fun little movie that has some solid performances from its two stars.