Customer Reviews

Freebie and the Bean

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Great and forgotten buddy-cop/action/ comedy movie which is a forerunner for other movies like Lethal Weapon, Running Scared, etc. Good comedic chemistry between James Caan and Alan Arkin in the title roles of two undercover cops trying to nail a mob king pin Red Meyers (Jack Kruschen) and at the same time trying to protect him from a reported "mob hit". Their banter of partners who annoy, but still very much care for each other is done well and seems ad-libbed.The film is an action/comedy, but there are serious moments to add to the film's slight absurdity. This includes a sub-plot in which Alan Arkin is trying to figure out if his wife (Valerie Harper) is cheating on him. Valerie Harper gives an outstanding but brief performance as Arkin's no-nonsense and faithful wife. There is a hilarious motorcycle chase scene through the streets of San Francisco, an incredible stunt of crashing a car off an elevated highway into an apartment building, and a climactic confrontation at the Superbowl game at Candlestick Park. Overall... Very Entertaining! On network TV the movie is edited beyond recognition, but the video has all the scenes restored. Too bad it is not on DVD. Look for Loretta Swit (TV's MASH) in small cameo as the gangster's mistress.

This is truly one of the greats....Arkin and Caan are a couple of cops and get into all kinds of misadventures. The comedy is fast and furious, and believe you me this is the original Lethal Weapon!!!


So if youre a fan of action movies and/or Lethal Weapon movies and want to know where it all started, check it out. Its a gas!!!

Check this out:

Arkin plays a Mexican-American cop nicknamed "Bean" (I can see now why this movie didn't receive more promotion) who is smart about police work, but so dumb that he can't figure out that his wife is having an affair. Bean believes that phalic-shaped vibrators are for facial massage only, "because that's what the ads say," he remarks offhandedly to Freebie, played by Caan.

Caan plays Freebie, a white cop who, besides being terrifically cynical, is a two-bit con artist to boot. Together, the two make a sort of fantasy partnership, incorporating some slapstick along with some dry humor along the way.

The characters aside, the minute details of the screenplay are the cogs that make this movie work: Caan's spoken fanfare, "Taaa Daaa!", when the pair's car hits the ground after sailing over a moving railroad flatcar. The way the two can't seem to get in sync during an interview with the city's police commissioner. The nonchalance displayed by everyone when the two sail into the apartment of an older couple from a highway overpass.

I saw this at a local theatre after it was released, which was over 25 years ago. In terms of humor, it's much more sophisticated than current films with similar themes that hammer home slapstick gags without any sense of subtlety.

In terms of being an action flick, it's not quite up to that genre, especially when compaired to "The French Connection", "The Seven Ups", or "Dirty Harry", which were all films of that era.

Parts of the screenplay are somewhat weak, and don't exactly contribute to the overall story. However, it is a very funny film that has held up very well over time.

This is without the best buddy cop movie ever made. Arkin and Caan make a fantastic team. The only real problem is that it thinks that it is an action comedy wheras it is actually a drama with action and humerous parts. One of the best crime movies of the 70s. Despite it's age it still manages not to be dated. Although it isn't totally PC it reflects how people were and still are. Gay people are still called fags, Caan's racist remarks to Arkin are just between two friends and don't have a real meaning. Some of it is incoherent but this, along with the other flaws are nothing compared to the superb acting talent and script. Arkin and Caan complement each other perfectly and there are nicely acted supporting roles especially from Bean's wife played by Valerie Harper.

Overall a must see film which is worth viewing after viewing. Top stuff!

Movie was great entertainment. These characters were not be posed as role models for anyone. The ethnic slurs and gay references are not offensive, but are consistent with the type of crude humor that infuses this action spoof. This is the only attempt by CAAN to do humor that is successful across the board. Alan ARKIN is at his best. For a fan of the 70's genre of humor this is a keeper.

Well I like this movie. I have fond memories of seeing this as a young man at a drive in theatre in Australia and loving the excellent car chase action.... from a time before CGI and modern ever present 'shakey camera techniques'. The action has the realistic style of Bullitt, The Seven Ups, The French Connection, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry,.... although this one is an ACTION COMEDY (think Lethal Weapon I guess). The film is locked in the '70's with a lot of racial slurs and swipes at gay people (well before political correctness took over). This dates the film pretty badly and some of the attitudes of the characters will certainly grate with a modern audience. However, it's a fun movie with a great chemistry between the two lead characters. There's something about the look and feel of these gritty old cop shows from the '70's that you just can't get these days.

The problem is that Warner's only sell this movie through their direct market WB Archive Online shop (for $19:00 US$). They will not ship outside the USA (which doesn't help me in Australia) so the rest of the world is stuck with paying double the price from resellers such as here at Amazon.

I'd love to add this dvd to my collection but thus far I'm resisting being ripped off here and hoping Warner Brothers will stop shooting themselves in the foot and let the rest of the world buy their products too. Perhaps Amazon could find a way to stock this film for regular sale themselves..... but this reseller price is way too high.

Scenes from this movie pop into my head seeming at random for the rest of my life. I saw it 25 years ago, and still love it. The restroom scene with the dropping bullets is just one scene that stays with you! Loved it. Gotta get the VHS and will watch for the DVD version.

This movie is dying to get on DVD WIDESCREEN.A TRUE CLASSSIC and one of the best action comedy movies I have ever seen.The very many CAR CHASES in this movie out do ones like "Bullit" & "French Connection" BY FAR! Top notch stunt driving. This is the movie Richard Donnor stole to make "lethal Weapon". James Cann plays the crazy over the top (not overly serious suicidal though) rough cop, and Alan Arkin plays his more relaxed partner. The acting and chemistry between these two great actors is simply outstanding and comical. My ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE MOVIE IS: that whoever put this on VHS Video should be ashamed of himself. It is in standard VHS FULL SCREEN FORMAT that is the absolute worst transfer I have ever witnessed to VHS. Not the picture (the color, ect. is ok), the full screen zoom is the problem and that it's NON Pan & Scan, and throught the entire movie the viewer is treated to senceswhere nothing is in view and zoom up close ups of everything of nothing. WIDESCREEN version is BADLY NEEDED for this movie to be shown correctly or atleast a professional pan & scan copy for vhs.I CAN'T WAIT UNTILL THIS MOVIE IS PUT ON DVD IN IT"S WIDECREEN GLORY and I can view it the way it was when I seen it in the movie theatre when it was first released. Even when on very rare occassion they show it on tv, it is still this bad VHS full screen version that in my opinion is not worht even watching because you DO NOT see much of what is going on and with all the action and stunts the viewer really misses a great movie. See it on this VHS ortelevision and it's like watching a bad movie. See it the way it was intended and anybody (guys anyways) should think this is one of the best cop-action-comedy movies ever made.I'll give this VHS 1 star. Just because IT IS A OUTSTANDING MOVIE.The rest of this VHS COPY stinks.

I remember seeing this flick back in the mid 70s as a kid - I don't know how I got into the theater, but it blew my mind: a funny, non-PC buddy cop comedy/action romp that basically was ripped off later for LETHAL WEAPON - and you have to see the infamous shoot 'em out in the men's bathroom to believe it: have you ever seen a UFC-style chop-socky transvestite assasin that's a dead ringer for Bowie? You will here! Worth the price of admission alone!

Short and simple! A True Classic! A shame it has not been released on DVD yet. Great Characters, Lots of over-the-top Action, Stunt-man's Timeless Masterpiece. Starsky & Hutch, Running Scared, Lethal Weapon (all Buddy-buddy cop movies) have taken from. Although its humor will most likely offend virtually every one in some way, the blend of action & comedy never-the-less works. 4 Stars for a great Stunt Team. Oh, and NO CGI!!! ;-)