cimbalok Often when I pick up a 1980s comedy VHS at the Salvation Army for $2, the first 10 minutes are great and it's all downhill and boring from there. Not this one. It was a pleasant surprise to watch this film twice and I expect to be watching it again and again.It concerns four criminals, each with his own specialty: explosives, cars, guns and safe-cracking; stuck in a Montana cow-town waiting for their leader who has summoned them to do a job. The four don't know or trust each other, so the movie keeps you guessing as to whether one or more of them will pull a double cross on the others. Their leader, unbeknownst to them, has been arrested, which is why he didn't meet them as promised.The leader, Frank Salazar, has been pursued by, and has escaped from, two moronic detectives whose bumbling, skewed priorities and lust for glory precipitate a lot of laughs. A shout-out also belongs to Fred Gwynne, who plays the explosives guy. He obviously has a heart condition and is seen intermittently popping pills and smoking cigarette after cigarette! As this film unfolds you get to know and actually like the characters, even though they are criminals and if you ever caught one in your back yard you'd kick his *$$. The movie has intelligent dialogue and two concrete assets that had me sold enough to decide I could watch it over and over: no tacked-on romance to ruin the pace and no real violence! For a movie with as many guns as this one, nobody gets shot or seriously hurt, except on account of their own idiocy. 9 out of 10.

pfeifferr I couldn't agree more with Nomad 7's and I A HVR's comments. A perfect laid back Sunday morning movie. The humor is subtle (exact opposite of "slapstick" as one misguided commenter noted).But what always ceases to amaze me is how often I find myself wanting to come back to this movie over and over. I originally copied this movie onto VHS about 12 years ago when it was premiered on one of those Pay Cable free weekend previews(HBO maybe?). Had never heard of it previously. Don't know why it wasn't marketed that well. ?? When DVD's were released en mass, it was one of the first movies I replaced. A great combination of cast and writing. Plus, the back drop of Montana wilderness doesn't hurt things either (beautiful).It's probably not the type of comedy for everyone, but what is? If Adam Sandler type stuff is up your alley, this probably won't be your cup of tea. This movie needs your full attention. The humor is mostly in the dialog.I believe my next viewing will probably be about my 12th. But I still know that when it gets to the scenes like the one where the hoods of the police cars start blowing off, I'm going to loose it (Ed O'Neill's face is PRICELESS!). Recommended 110%.

chvylvr80 I first saw this movie on cable as I'm sure most of you did. This movie isn't terribly funny but it is entertaining. The greatest advantage that this movie has is it's large and talented cast. Let's go over that cast for a minute.Fred Gwynne, Corbin Bernsen, Ruben Blades, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Ed O' Neill all put in great performances and don't take their characters too seriously. Although none of these actors is particularly hot at the moment, all are accomplished actors. It's also too bad that Fred Gwynne has passed away. This kind of light hearted heist film can die a quick death if it takes itself too seriously. Fortunately the movie keeps it real and doesn't try to be too serious.Bottom Line: I have this on VHS because I kept seeing it on TV and I finally broke down and bought it. Now if you like movies that you can watch, enjoy and then forget about, then this is the movie for you.

Coxer99 O'Neill gets the most laughs in this minimal laugh caper abouta bunch of professional criminals who try to pull off a huge bank heist, but they don't have their boss Bernsen, a car and most importantly a plan.