Fletch

Directed by Michael Ritchie, Fletch follows investigative reporter Irwin M. Fletcher (Chevy Chase) as he attempts to solve a mystery involving a supposedly dying millionaire (Tim Matheson’s Alan Stanwyk). Filmmaker Ritchie, working from Andrew Bergman’s screenplay, delivers a freewheeling, lighthearted comedy that benefits substantially from Chase’s far-from-subtle yet mostly engaging turn as the goofy title character, and it’s clear, certainly, that the actor’s charismatic efforts are matched by an eclectic roster of such affable periphery players as Geena Davis, Richard Libertini, George Wendt, and M. Emmet Walsh. The agreeable atmosphere is perpetuated by an ongoing emphasis on amusing, sporadically hilarious jokes and gags, including a laugh-out-loud sequence wherein Fletch reluctantly agrees to assist with an autopsy, while the predominantly compelling bent of Fletch’s investigation paves the way for a briskly-paced and relatively propulsive midsection. And although there are a few lulls here and there, particularly as the aforementioned investigation becomes just a little too convoluted for its own good, Fletch ultimately comes off as a perfectly watchable endeavor that would hardly be worth mentioning were it not for Chase’s pervasively winning work.

*** out of ****