Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Diagonaldi Very well executed

Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Phil Hubbs The same year as the greatest buddy cop action flick of all time 'Lethal Weapon' and at times you can see a similarity to be honest. The opening credits definitely have a similar tone and font/colour to the Donner movies opening, but this movie is obviously more of a comedy than thriller. Who'd of thought you'd see Dreyfuss in a cop based action flick though huh, what's even more unusual is Dreyfuss is actually way more believable as the ass-kicking cop than baby- faced Estevez.So a dangerous criminal has broken out of jail and is coming after his ex-squeeze because she has a load of his money hidden away in her home (she doesn't know). The police are drafted in to stakeout the place (hence the movies title...huh huh) and watch over the woman whilst waiting for the crook so they can nick him. Its up to old man Dreyfuss and his younger partner Estevez to stake out this woman's home by night whilst two other cops (Lauria and Whitaker) stake it out by day. As you can imagine much pissing around and slapstick ensues as the main mustachioed duo of Dreyfuss and Estevez play pranks on the other two cops, snooping around the woman's house without permission and eventually interacting with her (without permission). As already said its surprising to see Dreyfuss being the cocky arrogant ladies man who basically gets Estevez into hot water with his unprofessional antics. You really really expect the wild card to be Estevez, instead he tends to sit on the sidelines being the uppity by the book cop in the duo. In fact this movie is mainly a vehicle for Dreyfuss truth be told, he's the man, he gets all the action and he gets the girl.This movie really took me back though, I remember seeing it on the shelves at my local videostore when I was a kid...hell I remember it coming out in the videostore. Its such a dated movie and so so very 80's (naturally), all the action is well shot and directed but its completely overblown in places, hyped up with a typical action movie score ad chock full of those typical action movie type sequences and closeups with witty quickfire quips. The only surprise the movie has going is the fact the bad guy doesn't die in a big way...he merely dies...oh spoiler warning...well not really its bloody obvious, this is an 80's action movie for heavens sake.The finale I'm talking of is quite an anti climax actually. The whole chase sequence is filled with guns firing, bullets pinging off metal just missing every bodies heads and both antagonist and protagonist are leaping around like gazelles on too much coffee. This all takes place in a logging factory with lots of big dangerous machines so you'd bet your bottom dollar the bad guy will get cut in half or squashed...or whatever. Well you'd think that but no! not in this action movie, nope it looks great, its tense but in the end it limps to a weak conclusion and of course soppy ending.I'm not saying the movie is poor...but I found it average, a poor man's watered down 'Lethal Weapon' really. Estevez and Dreyfuss are a good combination (oddly enough) and they do spark well off each other at times. The start of the movie is the most entertaining with the duo messing around and...ermm staking out. But as things progress and a love story blossoms it gets a little drab and cheesy, of course its predictable and really the main villain isn't that bad, or not bad enough. I know its not meant to be an overly violent action fest but its not overly funny either...just a standard cop flick with a standard wise-ass duo who like to break their bosses balls being rebellious (twas the thing back then).There isn't an abundance of action either to be honest, the odd car chase and gunfight routines. Being one of the earlier action movies in the genre it gets a pass as the concept is a little more original than other cop flicks and the duo are an unexpected quirky double team. Up against other big hitters like 'Lethal Weapon' '48 Hours' 'Beverly Hills Cop' etc...it can't quite compete but it holds its own just about. It does the job but it won't have you thinking about it much after the credits have rolled. Its a fast food action movie and its...well ya know...very 80's (get your Boglins out).6.5/10

johnnyboyz Stakeout is a goofy, concept ridden but funny, surprisingly taut and surprisingly effective comedy thriller made in the best of spirits and played by those within with the greatest of honesty. The film has a certain crisp charm to it, an undeniable and rather infectious energy born out of its utilisation of the stone-wall concept that it feeds off of and its charismatic, watchable affection for its characters. If we are engaged as much as we are come the final act, it will not be because a topsy-turvy; wildly unpredictable; roller-coaster ride of a narrative turning its nose up at generic convention has rolled us around to the point at which we now stand, rather - we spot where the film will go thirty minutes to the end, and instead are involved because we've genuinely come to feel for those involved and become engrossed in their respective plights as decent characterisation drives the predominant show and certain screwball situations make us chuckle.The film opens with an elaborate jailbreak; before the stakeout seemingly coming the breakout, a hardened criminal repelling down prison walls and leaping onto truck roofs before doing all sorts of complicated negating of lorry hydraulics in order to get past the entrance gate – his accomplice in crime doing the driving, but refraining from doing the simple thing and smuggling him out in one of his boxes before merely placing him in the hiding spot. No matter, the sequence goes to some lengths to establish a certain 'Stick' Montgomery (Quinn) as the sort of guy able to keep his cool in such a dangerous situation; a situation that involves all the elements and that equally demands a certain physical ability. Before getting out and successfully escaping, the dealing with a prison doctor, whom abused his role as the medical expert within the penitentiary, reveals a merciless side to the criminal when it comes to dealing with those whom wronged him in the past. Not a million miles away in this, the American city of Seattle, operate Chris Lecce (Dreyfuss) and his partner in-tow Bill Reimers (Estevez); two police officers whom specialise in undercover stings and operations and so-forth. The pairing is one of a shameless but fun buddy combination, the two actors doing their very best with some material which isn't necessarily of the greatest of ilks, and is certainly both somewhat more juvenile whilst additionally a lot less interesting than a rapport or persistent interplay between, say, that of Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in 1995's second Die Hard sequel, but operates to a pleasing degree on its level.As a pairing, both men share certain respective stages in life; Reimers is in a long term relationship with another woman, whereas Lecce has, conveniently for the film's eventual framework, recently seen his own marriage fall apart; Reimers is a guy whom, before the daily grind of chasing anonymous bad guys through shady parts of town, is more open minded and takes time to smell and appreciate his breakfast which is usually rather healthy, with Lecce often scoffing at such things before applying similar methods to the consumption of his morning meal of a decidedly unhealthy ilk. When working together, despite these characteristics of a binary sort, they are energetic; bounce off of one another in their policing techniques and are a team whom always appear to be there to help the other out – although, are not infallible, for that chasing of some token villains early on goes wrong and they get away.The crux of the film revolves around the staking out of a house belonging to that of a young woman named Maria McGuire (Stowe); the reasoning for two rotating teams of two members watching this woman's place is born out of the fact she is an ex-partner of the escapee from the opening, and there is a chance he will reacquaint himself with her resulting in a chance at recapturing him. Since Maria is of Latin American descent, some obligatory guitar music insinuating degrees of Hispanic allure usually accompanies her presence on the screen; what follows being a film whose crucible involves the situating of characters, and their consequent observing of the woman which itself are acts of objectification and spectatorship, going hand in hand with both the coming to understand of her plight and the being more aware of her issues and flaws as a human-being.The majority of this happens through Lecce, who's now single following his marital capitulation, and his transition from rather-a leering; bone-headed individual with the potential to move into woman-hating ways, into something else. Indeed, away from the portrait the film initially constructs of Maria as this thin; photogenic and obviously attractive "....because she's from THAT part of the world, and-they're-all-attractive-over-there", the breaking down of the character as somebody else or something else is done so through that of Lecce's perspective as he comes to understand her, feel for her and eventually love her for reasons other than stereotypical sultriness. The transition of this man is illustrated through his manoeuvring away from the attitudes of the other two cops that form the day-shift stakeout team, a pairing whom continue their crass, one dimensional views that are uglily encapsulated by the drawing of breasts on Maria's surveillance mugshot whilst maintaining a distant perspective. It is here in which the reason's that we enjoy director John Baham's Stakeout lie; a film that doesn't necessarily pull up trees, but is an affectionate and actually rather involving genre piece that comes with a solid Dreyfuss performance at the centre as well as numerous bouts of amusing comedy that we take to - the likes of which if we cannot embrace, then something inside of us must have died a death a fair while ago.

Spikeopath Det. Chris Lecce (Richard Dreyfuss) and Det. Bill Reimers (Emilio Estevez]) get assigned to stakeout the home of Maria McGuire (Madeleine Stowe) in the hope that her recently escaped from prison ex (Aidan Quinn) shows up. The ex showing up is the least of their problems for Chris is starting to fall for Maria, and that spells trouble for everyone.There's something about 80s action comedies that just doesn't travel well. Where once film's like Beverly Hills Cop and this John Badham directed piece were massively popular, now they seem to receive negativity from a majority of the new wave of film watchers. I don't have the answer myself, perhaps it's just one of those decades that doesn't date well? Even if that saying is beyond my own comprehension for any decade.What ever, Stakeout is a fun and entertaining picture, yes it's a routine plot {a kind of fun Rear Window}, but the chemistry between Estevez and an on fire Dreyfuss lifts it far above being a bog standard buddy movie. Jim Kouf's screenplay has some sharp moments of comedy, notably the play off between our two main protagonists and another cop pairing played by Forest Whitaker & Dan Lauria. While Badham competently constructs the action sequences that are a staple for this kind of movie. Quinn does a nice line in psycho villainy, while Stowe is sexy and vulnerable to great effect. It's a credit to both Stowe and Dreyfuss that their coupling, in spite of the age and social differences, is believable and tender.Nothing new here of course, but the good story is told well and acted with great comic gusto. An equally enjoyable sequel (Another Stakeout) followed in 1993. 7/10

hnt_dnl I've always loved STAKEOUT, from the first time I saw it in the late 80s up until now. It never loses it's appeal with me. On the surface, it's a pretty standard 80s buddy cop action tale. But what translates to the screen is much more than that. Laughter is a hard thing to make a moviegoer do and this film succeeds in virtually every moment that is meant to be funny in making me laugh. I give STAKEOUT great credit for that. It's also a darn good action flick, when it has action and that is mostly in the beginning and at the end. In between, there's a lot of humor, of the slapstick, witty, and adult kind.Set in Seattle, STAKEOUT stars Richard Dreyfuss as Det. Chris Lecce and Emilio Estevez as Det. Bill Reimers. Chris and Bill are tasked to stakeout the home of Maria Vasquez (played by Madeleine Stowe in one of the most naturally alluring and sexy performances that you'll ever see on screen). Stowe's Maria is a true bonus for this film b/c she is much more than window dressing; she is a full blooded (and bodied!) woman. The detectives have to stakeout her home b/c her former boyfriend is an escaped convict who may pay her a visit, so the Feds want the cops there to notify them just in case.The convict is Richard 'Stick' Montgomery (played by Aidan Quinn in truly scary performance). Stick and his buddy who helped him escape are on their to Seattle to pay Maria a visit to get something that 'belongs' to Stick.Now, back to the cops: Dreyfus and Estevez have terrific chemistry and really make the most of their roles, but this is Dreyfus' show all the way! Dreyfus gives a great, physical comic performance here, a real gem of a role trapped in a standard cop buddy flick. I mean, I can't state it enough: Dreyfus is really memorable! Really, it's the top-flight performances that elevates STAKEOUT above most cop buddy flicks. Everyone really makes the most of what they are given to work with, and then Dreyfus takes it all a step further. The film is an easy mix of humor, action, and even suspense. The climactic ending is one of the more suspenseful things you'll see in any movie. It is all so well done that at times you forget that you are watching just a buddy cop film. There are also really good supporting performances from Dan Lauria and Forrest Whitaker as the other cop pair that alternate stakeout duties with Chris and Bill.Well directed by John Badham, STAKEOUT is definitely a film worth seeing!