Directed by: Jim Kouf
Starring: Fred Gwynne
Ruben Blades
Lou Diamond Phillips
William Russ
Corbin Bernsen
Ed O'Neill
Daniel Roebuck,
Hoyt Axton.
by Touchstone Pictures
Rating: R (language, anti-hero premise)
Length: 101 minutes
Released in 1989

This reviewer loves it when a cast ensemble is formed because of the chemistry among its players, and not to meet some minority or feminist social agenda. The cast assembled here hands in a collective performance to be proud of, and there's not a ham in the bunch.

To start the comedy rolling, Corbin Bernsen plays Frank Salezar, who summons four other crooks to a small, Montana town to rob a bank. As the four anti-heros convene, things start to go wrong.

First, Frank is picked up by two New Jersey cops, played in the perfect, big-city hyper mode by Ed O'Neill and Daniel Roebuck. When Frank escapes, the cops have to make the best of the 'snot-nose situation', by calling on the locals for help.

Meanwhile, the four guys Frank summoned have gathered in a house in the Montana woods.

Fred Gwynne is so good as Max Green, the cigarette smoking, wheezing explosive and alarms expert, that you wonder how he ever got typecast as Herman Munster.

Ruben Blades, who plays Carlos Barrios, the muscle of the group, provides belly-laugh humor with his mocking sarcasm, hot temper, determination, and Cuban accent.

Lou Diamond Phillips is Ray Forgy, the young one. "Young don't add up the same", but he's agile and knows his cars. Phillips holds his own among these veterans, considering he's the rookie actor of the group. William Russ is Nick Barkowski, an alcoholic safe cracker, whose jumpy quirks causes all the trouble. Russ does it so well, you'd want to swear off the booze.

While our four 'heroes' figure out and eventually plan the job Frank called them in on, the camera cuts back to Frank as he tries to head for the house in the Montana woods. How hard it is for a city boy in the woods!! The cops are looking for him, and he's blamed for everything the four are doing to prepare for the bank job.

The chemistry within this cast is a bold serving of perfection. The direction is wisely kept low key so that the stars are allowed to do what they do best, and the story can be told without confusion. With a twist for an ending, you'll watch the credits with a smile, for sure.

Fred Gwynne: Other movies--MY COUSIN VINNY/with Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei; FATAL ATTRACTION/with Glenn Close.
TV credits=CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU? with Al Lewis. This was the first situation comedy with cops. It ran from 1961-63.

Reuben Blades: Other movies--LIFE WITH MICKEY/with Michael J. Fox; PREDATOR/with Gary Busey.
Other credits=Blades is a songwriter and singer. He composed the music and sang in the animated feature OLIVER AND COMPANY.

Lou Diamond Phillips: Other movies--BATZ/with Leon; COURAGE UNDER FIRE/with Meg Ryan.

William Russ: Other movies--THE RIGHT STUFF/with Ed Harris; WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE/with Rutger Hauer

Trivia: After filming this movie on location in Montana, the late Hoyt Axton loved the area so much that he bought a ranch there after the movie company left.