Gaining attention as a cast member in the debut season of Saturday Night Live back in 1975 through 1976, Chevy Chase would go on to become one of the most prominent leading men in Comedy during the 1980s.
Taking his first big role co-starring alongside Goldie Hawn in the 1978 Romantic Comedy Foul Play, Chase was on his way to big things in the years to follow. Etched into popular culture with his role as Clark Griswold in the hit Vacation film series, which began in 1983 with National Lampoon’s Vacation and continuing through the decades into 2015’s Vacation, some would argue in spite of this character’s popularity, it is still not Chase’s best work. Granted, he does a fantastic job in bringing Clark Griswold to life, there are still plenty of other films he has excelled in through the years.
Taking a brief trip down memory lane, you also had 1980’s Caddyshack, where he played Ty Webb, 1986’s ¡Three Amigos!, where he was Dusty Bottoms, 1988’s Funny Farm, when he was Andy Farmer, but also 1985’s Fletch, plus its sequel 1989’s Fletch Lives, where he assumed the role of Irwin ‘Fletch’ Fletcher.
Looking at the Fletch films in particular a bit closer, some may even argue the persona of Fletch is Chase’s best character ever. A debate worth having, 1985’s Fletch is one of those films which did extremely well at the box office and for years at local video stores, but somehow the mainstream world has forgotten over time. Perhaps just a product of the short-term memory endemic in American culture, fortunately there is still a more refined audience who appreciate Fletch as a Comedy classic. After all, what is not to love about Chevy Chase doing what he does best; and that is creating characters with a very dry, yet poignant sense of humor. You may even say Fletch is the perfect playground for his unique brand of Comedy.
Studying this further, his initial development of Irwin ‘Fletch’ Fletcher as an investigative journalist is spot on. In a way… it is even in the same arena as what Eddie Murphy did with Axel Foley in each of the Beverly Hills Cop films. In fact, drawing these two film series even closer together, the standout leading theme songs (“Axel F” from Beverly Hills Cop and “Fletch Theme” from Fletch) were indeed composed by the same individual, Harold Faltermeyer. Something that really sets the mood, the humor of both Fletch and Fletch Lives is underscored by a serious element that leads it to be very much more of a hybrid between Comedy and Thriller.
Unmistakably distinctive, it is important to also mention that Chase seems so natural as Fletch. With his witty lines, matched with a cool and collected presentation, he runs rings around everyone as he tries to get to the bottom of very suspicious situations. With this being his main character, Chases’ sub-Fletch personas are also equally as hilarious and memorable too. Each an aspect that is more pronounced throughout Fletch’s plot more so than Fletch Lives, this also not to say the sequel is not effective and enjoyable.
Both a blast to sit down and watch with a bowl of popcorn, fans of clever Comedies should be excited to learn that both Fletch and Fletch Lives are now available in a newly transferred high-definition presentation. Released as standalone Blu-rays simultaneously on April 16, 2024 through Kino Lorber, it marks the first time ever that each is being offered from a 2K Scan from their 35mm Interpositive.
Not in 4K, but in 2K, it is still a substantially notable upgrade from earlier DVD and Blu-rays releases. That said, the imagery is brighter and sharper, while the colors are also a bit deeper. Beyond this shiny new transfer, each Blu-ray includes supplemental content from prior other DVD/Blu-ray Fletch and Fletch Lives releases, such as the making of featurettes. Complemented by the original film artworks, as well as nice slipcovers, while there may not be an exorbitant number of bells and whistles attached to these releases, they are still the best offers yet to hit the market of each film. That is why Cryptic Rock recommends both releases as a chance to rediscover the fun that is Fletch and Fletch Lives, giving these new Blu-rays 4.5 out of 5 stars each.
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