Another Stakeout

source: Another Stakeout

My Age: 13 Chris Lecce, played by Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Reimers, played by Emilio Estevez, are back in the sequel to the better film, Stakeout. They are brought into another stakeout because of their good record by Gina Garrett, played by Rosie O'Donnell, from the District Attorney's office. They are staking out the O'Hara's, played by Dennis Farina and Marcia Strassman, who are good friends with a witness, Lu Delano, played by Cathy Moriarty, who they need to testify against a Mafia boss. Their cover is that Chris and Gina are husband and wife, and Bill is their son. Already, that creates a few laughs. The Mafia boss has also sent an assassin to murder the witness. Chris and Bill go great together in these films, like Riggs and Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon films. There is plenty of excitement in this film, and it has a nice blend of action, comedy and suspense. It is a pity that they didn't use the nice music score of the original, which makes the film lacking musically, which withdraws from the overall experience of watching the film. Acting is good from Dreyfuss and Estevez, but not so good from O'Donnell. It doesn't quite have that spark that the original had, and there was almost no romance, which was a strong thing and a good thing in the original. Overall, a fairly good film, but lacking in some areas. Australian Classification: M 15+: Low Level Violence Rating: 67 out of 100

Talk about having friends in high places and merciful ones at that because what other excuse is there to make a belated sequel to STAKEOUT ? " Belated " is the operative word here because if it was made two years after the original movie I could understand this because that's the only reason the Hollywood industry exists - To make money and let's not forget that whatever the shortcomings STAKEOUT made a lot of money at the box office . So it seems very strange that the studio waited six years before making a sequel to the original , stranger still that both buddy movies and sequels weren't in fashion in 1993 Despite the lack of imagination in producing ANOTHER STAKEOUT it's nowhere as terrible as it could have been . In between episodic comedy adventure scenes the original heroes ( Dreyfuss and Estevez ) are given a new assignment where they team up with a female DA and have to go through a charade of being a family in order to find a witness to a very important trial . I suppose that's the problem the plot is a one trick pony and the further the film goes on it becomes clearer that the pony wasn't too healthy to start with and on the subject of animal euphemisms did anyone notice the jokes involving all creatures great and small ? There's an octopus , a fish , a cat and dog ! It's not a bad film and will pass the time on a rainy afternoon but it does demonstrate how lazy studios are at producing movies

Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez retain their chemistry from Stakeout, but the script and casting sink this formula sequel. Rosie O' Donnell can't act well. Somehow Madonna and her made it work in A League of Their Own, but almost nothing else either has done is worth watching. She drags this movie down. The script relies too much on the dog and the unhappy triumvirate. The subplot of Maria and Chris getting married falls flat, because we know they will. Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer(Robocop), Dennis Farina(Out of Sight, Manhunter), Cathy Moriarty(Raging Bull), and Marcia Strassman(Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) are all wasted with only bad writing to comfort them. This movie might catch your attention when it plays and nothing else is on, but the original has everything good this has and a little more.

Reading others comments on Another Stakeout, I can't believe we watched the same film. It is one of our family's favorite movies. It's not deep or meaningful, but when you talk about sheer comedic genius while at the same time having a well-paced drama, with some of the best performances I've seen from these actors, well, we call this one a winner. While not quite The Fugitive, it has the same sense of story, suspicion and climax. Yes, the explosion is a bit over-the-top (viewed several times from different angles) but the bad guy is really bad, and the good guys really hilarious. Rosie O'Donnell gives, imho, a FABULOUS performance, and the dog is such a perfect touch! My favorite scene? "No, Archie...not the bunny Archie..." and then her warbled scream...perfection. I think those who said nasty things just don't appreciate some other aspect of her life, as it's certainly not her acting ability. The cops are wonderful, and the lines so funny you'd swear most of it is ad-lib. Take my advice if you're in the mood for something dramatic, but funny...this is it. When we get together during those rare times now when our entire family is together, it's the one film we can count on that everyone will like, and we've all seen it at least thirty times. Not for kids under about 13 without adult supervision, in my opinion.

Having just seen "Another Stakeout" for the first time since 1995, I decided to check out the online info about the locations that were used in the movie and, so far, haven't seen any credit given for the island off the BC coast where most of the filming was done. It was filmed on beautiful Bowen Island, a 15 minute ferry trip from Horseshoe Bay, just to the northwest of Vancouver. The initial scenes involving driving off the ferry were done in Snug Cove (they substituted the name 'Bainbridge Island'), and most of the exterior and interior shots were on the south side of the island in an area called Fairweather where, as you saw or will see in the film, the homes are gorgeous and perfectly suited for the plot (however meager you thought it to be). I've seen a number of comments about the filming having been done on an island in Puget Sound. A lot was shot in Seattle, but the majority was on Bowen Island - I should know - I was living there at the time. Just thought I'd set the record straight. (You can see the homes used for filming clearly on Google Earth, if you're interested.)

Back in 1987, Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez made a film together called "Stakeout" and their chemistry in that hit action/comedy/thriller was fresh and original. Six years later, they reunite for this inevitable sequel that winds up being tiring. Focusing too much on needless slapstick and not generating nearly the amount of energy that the original film did, the best thing to do with this sequel would be to skip it.

Another Stakeout is a fantastic movie. It's funny and the acting is quite good. Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez were great together-acting like partners. The house exploding at the beginning was more funny than realistic, it was so long that you could just about go and get a drink and still be back before the end of it. I have seen this film so many times and it is still hilarious every time. It is definitely worth watching on the telly or even hiring it from the video shop. The banter between Dreyfuss and Estevez makes the movie what it is, in other words brilliant. Look out for the conversation about Ren and Stimpy, the bit when Dreyfuss deliberately falls over and says to someone "Frank don't go, you can stay and help me eat", it is so funny. If you haven't seen this film it's you who's lost out. 10/10.

What a hidden treasure this movie is! Quite possibly the best sequel ever, though that MIGHT be a toss-up with Godfather 2. Richard Dreyfus is always a solid actor, but his work here really deserved an Oscar. Emelio Estevez might be best known for being Charlie Sheen's sane brother, but check out this movie and you'll be a life long Estevez fan, like I am. Of course, it goes without saying that this is the movie that made Rosie O'Donnell. Before this film, she was just a bit player. A stand-up comedienne. But this is where she made her mark. Even Donald Trump would agree that she's genius in this near-masterpiece of a movie.

I watched the original Stakeout many times when I was 12 years old. I was 13 by the time the sequel hit the cinemas. I saw it at the now demolished UCI Cinema at Kinnaird Park in early 1994. The fact that it was a PG compared to the R-rated original didn't bother me (I wouldn't have been able to see it otherwise). Chris and Bill are back, joined by then-closeted Rosie O'Donnell and her big dog. A mob witness may or may not visit old friends for protection on the beautiful Pacific-Northwestern Bainbridge Island. Our heroes are in the house opposite and their sit-and-wait chore is all the more difficult by their new third-wheel partner. The chemistry between Dreyfuss and Estevez is still perfect, and you really get the sense that these guys work together very well. Shame they don't have a lot to do. The only big fault with Another Stakeout is that all of the action happens at the very beginning and very end, leaving a massive chunk in the middle for bumbling and low-brow amusement. It works, but it feels very underwhelming when compared to the original. For a belated, throw-away sequel it has a surprising amount of continuity with the first film, normally you don't get that. Stylistically however, this is completely different. Where Stakeout was dark, gritty, and rugged Another Stakeout is glossy with high-key anamorphic Panavision photography. Since the rating was lowered I guess it made sense to change the look of the film. Another Stakeout languishes in a weird gray area. It's more than above average, but never really achieves any kind of greatness, and for that reason I have to rate it lower than the first. Touchstone licensed the rights for the film to Mill Creek for release on Blu Ray and it's a big step-up from the DVD in terms of AV quality, this time presenting it in the correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio in lovely 1080p. The end credits claim the film was merely in 'Dolby Stereo in Selected Theatres' and the DTS HD-MA 2.0 soundtrack works just fine. There are no extras whatsoever, and the production design of the Blu Ray and the package is really quite poor. But what do you expect for a budget title? At least it doesn't come in a horrible eco-case.