reader4
Why all the low votes? This movie is hilarious! It's sort of Ghostbusters (1984) meets Ghost (1990), although much funnier than either of those, with even a little bit of Airplane! (1980), believe it or not, thrown in at the end. In spite of all this, Second Sight manages to be wildly original.An ex-cop, a psychic researcher from Harvard and his pet-like subject have formed a detective agency, using the psychic to help them unravel crimes. They take on a case for $300 helping a nun toward whom the ex-cop has great animosity find out who rear-ended her car.Sound crazy? It is! Thrown into the bargain, just about every way you can think of exploiting a clairvoyant is spoofed, from horse racing and the lottery to dating. "Tell me! Is she a Scorpio?" John Laroquette plays the ex-cop in what is perhaps his breakthrough role. He is good here just like he is in everything I've ever seen him in. I think maybe this is where they got the idea for his McBride character.Even though John Laroquette gets top billing, the movie really belongs to Bronson Pinchot. He manages to be completely over-the-top without being annoying in the way Jim Carey often is. In many respects he is like a two-year-old running out of control, getting into everything, innocently exploring everything he comes in contact with. Including the opposite sex.And, also like a two-year-old, I don't see how anyone could not ultimately find him endearing. Even John Laroquette, who is demonstrably tortured by him all the way through, warms to him in the last few minutes.Stuart Pankin is very strong as the second banana, the Harvard PhD that is the only one who can control Pinchot. Every moment he has on screen is superbly played, and his catch phrase of "very rare!" in describing whatever latest psi phenomenon Pinchot is manifesting is a masterpiece of comedic writing and delivery.The movie is excellently directed by Joel Zwick, in his only venture out of the small screen before My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). The pacing is great, never a dull moment. Not overdone, not quite madcap, yet there is something in every scene and at every turn to make you laugh. Sight gags, silly situations, some slapstick. But mostly you'll laugh from the dialog.The best thing about the movie is the writing, which is surprisingly high quality for a movie of this sort. Only the Airplane and Naked Gun series rival it in taking stupidity to intelligent heights. The thoughtful wittiness of the dialog hits you on the funny bone again and again.Don't get me wrong. The movie is no Wilde or Coward play, no Woody Allen movie, not even Monty Python. It's definitely stupid humor. But it's delightful, intelligent, clever and entertaining stupid humor.The special effects are also great, better than I would have expected from a movie of this type. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that Pinchot does a lot of levitation and zapping of one kind or another during the film.Don't believe the low ratings on this one. If you like clever dialog along the lines of Airplane and Naked Gun, and ridiculous supernatural stuff like Ghostbusters, I guarantee you'll get a lot of laughs out of Second Sight.
metalrox_2000
I first saw this film as a 12 year old kid, and I like it to this day. It's a simple movie, gets the needed laughs, and tries to keep the lost art of slapstick. This plenty of zingers abound in the movie, and it's pretty entertaining. The frozen bullet, the plane are damn good special effects for the time (1988). Yeah, there's plot holes, but almost every movie has those. Yeah, the story is rather implausible. But it's still entertaining. The producers knew they weren't remaking Gone with the Wind, and that's fine with me. Films about about entertainment, bottom line. And that's exactly what this one does, entertains. Now if only current film directors could learn that.
Amy Adler
Wills (John Larroquette) and Bobby (Bronson Pinchot) are two parts of a ghostbusters type detective agency. The third member, Dr. Preston, is there to keep Bobby under control. That's because Bobby not only channels a man from beyond named Murray, he can also predict future events. Wills is often disgusted with Bobby, for Bob is a bit uncouth and beyond weird. When a Catholic cardinal and pretty church lady are kidnapped, it is up to these three to find them. Helping them along is Sister Elizabeth (Bess Armstrong) who just happens to be Murray's ex-girlfriend! What fun! Will the quartet be able to find the missing folks in time? This is not a large budget film and the script is wandering at times. Nevertheless, viewers could do worse than spend some time with the movie. The cast is great, with Pinchot a standout as the unorthodox Bobby. Armstrong and Larroquette are also quite funny. Who would not love a scene in a car where Bobby, intrigued by the cigarette lighter, ends up playing hot potato with the other two detectives? Now, that's inspired. If you love silly nonsense, and who doesn't, rent this for a night or catch it on late night television. You will be able to make the world's problems disappear, as you chuckle your way into oblivion.
Elswet
As a "B" movie, this production is quite entertaining. It was a Johnn Laroquette, Bronson Pinchot movie from the late 80's based around a psychic (Pinchot), the psychic's "handler," and the lawyer who represents them (Laroquette). They are a crime solving team who end up in some very funny situations.The effects were corny but entertaining, the story line/plot is very cohesive, and the sub-plot is intelligent and interesting; something I didn't expect from a low budget production like this.If you liked "Vibes," "Witch Hunt," or "Ghostbusters 1 and 2," you will enjoy this movie very much.Rent it, settle down on a weekend night with a bowl of popcorn and amuse your sense of humor.It gets a 6.8/10 from...the Fiend :.