the leading man is my tpye

Good start, but then it gets ruined

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

When I was young, my sister would take me to the movies every weekend. Sometimes we would see something horrible like Ghoulies or sometimes we would see something wonderful like Die Hard. The thing is, she always let me pick the film. And she never said "no." One Saturday night in the summer of 1987, we drove 40 minutes away, all the way up to Rockaway just to see the movie "Stakeout." I remember the place was packed. Every seat had a patron, every armrest an elbow. I had my Twizzlers and my large Sprite (with no ice). The lights were lowered and the film began to roll. And for an hour and forty- five minutes or so, I was more entertained in a movie theater than I had ever been before. Stakeout is an action comedy in the best sense of the genre. It belongs right up there with Beverly Hills Cop and Lethal Weapon. Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez are a pair of undercover detectives who are assigned to work with the FBI in staking out the apartment of an escape convict's ex-girlfriend. The job itself is a piece of cake. It only gets complicated when newly single Dreyfuss finds himself falling in love with the girl he's suppose to be watching. And the hits just keep on coming after that. To give away any more info would be to deprive one of the many twists and turns in screenwriter Jim Kouf's wonderful script. The dialogue crackles and action sparks. John Badham's direction is flawless. Just think of all the action comedies that didn't work for one reason or another. I should state, for the record, many critics (like Roger Ebert) thought the violence that opens and closes the film was much too harsh considering the tone the rest of the movie sets...I, however, disagree. I believe you need that harsh violence at the beginning of the film so that you really worry for Dreyfuss and company. We like them a lot and the danger that is approaching must be excessive in order for us to truly be invested in the outcome.I've turned a lot of people on to Stakeout. Many of them falling in love with it much like I did almost 30 years ago. It is funny, it is action packed. It is a classic.

"Buddy Cop" movies were all the rage in the 80s, and 'Stakeout' is filled to bursting with the genre's clichés. But the fresh titular premise and charming performances by, and great chemistry between, stars Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez help to lift it above the fay and make it feel fresh. Oh, and then there's Madeline Stowe. My God, Madeline Stowe. She is just... wow. But, she also gives a really nice performance here, and she and Dreyfuss make for a strangely good screen couple.'Stakeout' is a breezy, fun and subtly clever action/comedy (emphasis on the "comedy"). It's not groundbreaking, but it is solid entertainment for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

In an exciting opening, psycho scary-looking Aidan Quinn (as Richard "Stick" Montgomery) escapes from prison, with help from his model-perfect cousin Ian Tracey (as Caylor Reese). It's an incredibly lucky break - but so effectively done, you leave your brain at the door and enjoy the movie. The case is super-hot, so the FBI calls in Seattle, Washington's finest. Feds figure Mr. Quinn will try to see ex-girlfriend Madeleine Stowe (as Maria McGuire), so they assign detective Richard Dreyfuss (as Chris Lecce) and his young partner Emilio Estevez (as Bill Reimers) to "Stakeout" her home...Watching Ms. McGuire from across the street turns out to have fringe benefits; she's an arousing woman. In order to "tap" her calls, Mr. Dreyfuss poses as a telephone repair man. The two are mutually attracted...Everything works well to make this am entertaining film. Director John Badham puts James Kouf's story together expertly. Dreyfuss bounces off of everyone and everything well; his 1987 "box office" standing took an immediate rise. Action sequences are tightly edited and the cast carries us through. One jarring note in the otherwise fun thrill-ride is the unnecessarily brutal opening; specifically, Quinn's brutality sets an unfunny tone which could have been better paced if his tendency to murder began with his service station heist. We know he's bad. The stunt workers should have received bonus checks.******** Stakeout (8/5/87) John Badham ~ Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Aidan Quinn, Madeleine Stowe

Spoilers! Don't continue reading if you don't want spoilers.We're supposed to believe that the old, skanky, and very unattractive Richard Dreyfus gets the beautiful, young woman? This, after lying to her, spying on her, breaking and entering into her apartment, peeping at her taking a shower, and grabbing her violently by the sweater and shaking her to "show her how much he 'loves' her." Uh, yeah, this is what women want, yup. (That was sarcastic, in case it's not clear.)Also, cat lovers beware, there is cat abuse in this movie. And it's seen as a hilarious joke. It's not funny at all to those of us who care about cats.The whole movie is so unbelievable that it's laughable.