Cops & Robbersons (1994)

When the police discover that a mob hit-man has moved next door to the titular family, they want to finally capture him for a major crime. They set up shop in the Robbersons' home. Hard-nosed, drizzled, long in the tooth, and any other cliché you can use to call an older cop, Jake Stone is assigned to the stakeout. But now it's a question of whether Jake can last long enough to capture the bad guys, as the Robbersons are not your typical nuclear family.This marks the phase in Chases career where he looked like he just couldn't be bothered with the films he was making anymore, and here, it really shows. His character is obsessed with TV cop shows, so it's a dream come true when the real police set up shop in his home.But you'd think he couldn't care less, as Chase just maunders through one unfunny set piece to the next, situations that should induce laughs, induce groans, and the fact that all the characters are just stereotypical cookie cutter characters from any old movie, doesn't help the cause.Palance hates everyone at the beginning, riffing on his City Slickers Curly, but guess what? After a few days with the family, he begins to know the true meaning of family and becomes a lot never to everyone.His partner ends up with the daughter, and Dianne Wiest comes all gung-ho in the final stand off.Davi is your typical criminal, devoid of any common sense, bearing in mind he works for the mob, but accepts the fact that someone is freely roaming the house.It's a shame, because Chase was a very hands on actor when he was at the top of his game, but he's been playing the same character for the last twenty years in his movies, bored husband, who gets an opportunity to do something different, and looks equally as bored.He should take a long Vacation.....

"Cops and Robbersons" is a pleasant enough comedy with Chase playing a Clark Griswold-type character. I found the movie funny and charming. But the movie doesn't seem to take its story very seriously. For example, Chevy Chase goes next door to "use the bathroom". Of course, he's really there to snoop. This, of course, I expected. In a movie about a stakeout, especially in a comedy, I expected a lot more to happen. Chase goes through the guy's wallet (why exactly, I do not know), ruins his mattress (again, I do not know), then merely gets caught. But this guy (Osborn) doesn't seem particularly suspicious. Then chase tries to roll his cigarette, which apparently, is supposed to be funnier than it is. Is this the best the filmmakers could come up with? And I though Jack Palance was wasted in a thankless role as a cop who mostly smokes, and makes small talk. And it's never explained why we don't see much of his partner. As for the ending, it doesn't quite take off, probably because it takes Chase forever to come crashing in. But still, I enjoyed the movie because it is entertaining.*** out of ****

The name of Dianne Wiest, the actress who won Oscars for her work in Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Bullets Over Broadway," does not appear on the cover of the video release of "Cops and Robbersons." Perhaps she isn't thought of as a big enough draw with audiences, and her name isn't expected to impact video sales. Then again, the talented actress may have seen the finished film and demanded that her name not be prominently featured in the advertising. If the latter scenario is correct, the question one must ask is why didn't Chevy Chase and Jack Palance follow suit and request that their names be taken off this execrable film?A look at their film credits in the actors' respective listings in Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia provides an answer: Both actors are simply immune to embarrassment. Chase has been in a veritable parade of stinkers, and Palance, despite appearances in classics like "Panic in the Streets" and "Shane" has an even trashier list of films to his credit. Made in Spain drek like "The Mongols" would be bad enough for the humblest actor, but titles like "Cocaine Cowboys," an Andy Warhol production, would make a litter-box smell pleasant, yet there it is in the Jack Palance filmography."Cops and Robbersons" has what seems like a surefire comic premise. A tough, veteran detective and his young partner move in with a suburban family to stakeout the next door neighbor. The fact that the family is headed by a fan of TV police shows only adds to the fun since the bumbling couch potato's excitement at being at the center of the action will lead to side splitting complications. Right?Forget it. "Cops and Robbersons" is yet another loser to which Chase and Palance have attached their names. There's an amusing moment now and then but, for the most part, one dead scene follows another and, before long, one can only scratch his head and wonder how this film got made. Chase and Palance are completely wasted, as are Wiest and Robert Davi. As for the direction, one has to ask another question: Whatever happened to Michael Ritchie? There was a time when he directed the brilliant beauty pageant satire, "Smile," and agreeable comedies like "The Bad News Bears" and "The Survivors." More recently, he's been reduced to drek like "The Couch Trip," "The Golden Child," and the two "Fletch" movies with Chase. With "Cops and Robbersons," Ritchie proves that, even when you've hit rock bottom, you can still sink a little lower.

Chevy Chase and Jack Palance are both great actors and with Diane Wiest playing as a wanna-be good mother this movie is great.The way that Palance acts around Chase is great. This is on my must see list