Four years after doing the original movie, Chevy Chase and Michael Ritchie get together to do the sequel to the 1985 comedy "Fletch," "Fletch Lives." This movie is still quite entertaining, even though it is not quite as good as the original. The acting is not as good, even though there are arguably better actors in this film.

This movie takes place in Louisiana, after Fletch (Chase) inherits a large plantation and mansion from his dead aunt. He quits his job at the paper and moves out to enjoy the good life. Once there, he finds the mansion is very rundown and is best described in the movie by Fletch himself when he says, "A little spackling and some napalm, and this place would make a great mausoleum."

He spends his first night with his late aunt's female lawyer Amanda Ray Ross, played by Patricia Kalember (A Far Off Place). Kalember has done a lot of small movies, but most recently, she played the dead wife to Mel Gibson in the movie "Signs." While spending the night, someone sneaks into the house and kills Mrs. Ross, leaving Fletch as the most likely suspect.

From here, Fletch lands himself in jail after being a smart ass to the sheriff and meets local attorney Ham Johnson, played by accomplished actor Hal Holbrook (The Firm). Johnson bails him out and helps him in the mystery sort of. Fletch is also helped by the butler--for lack of a better word--of his aunt, Calculus, played by Cleavon Little (Blazing Saddles).

This movie is not as good as the original, even though I feel Chase is just as funny. Maybe this is because there appears to be more memorable one liners in it. This movie and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" were both released in 1989 and are the last films Chase did which were any good, with the exception of "Memoirs of an Invisible Man."

I hope Chase gets some new roles in the future, because I think he is just too talented to be stuck doing movies like "Cops and Robbersons" and "Man of the House." "Fletch Lives" is pretty good, so go rent it if you haven't seen it and if nothing else new interests you. It just was released as a DVD.

Brian - the Naked Gun