Stakeout | Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Stakeout

      R 1987 1 hr. 55 min. Mystery & Thriller Comedy List
      89% 27 Reviews Tomatometer 56% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score Police detectives Chris Lecce (Richard Dreyfuss) and Bill Reimers (Emilio Estevez) are on the hunt for escaped prisoner "Stick" Montgomery (Aidan Quinn). When the trail dries up, the pair are put on around-the-clock surveillance of the fugitive's former girlfriend, Maria (Madeleine Stowe). What starts as a boring assignment monitoring the woman with binoculars quickly turns into something more exciting when romance -- and Maria's gun-toting ex -- arrive on the scene. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 03 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      Stakeout

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent Stakeout on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Stakeout

      What to Know

      Critics Consensus

      Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez make for great company during this Stakeout, a bawdy procedural that mines great pleasure from the odd couple's comedic chemistry.

      Read Critics Reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (278) audience reviews
      X O A great film for the time. MS is gorgeous, not for how she looks, but how she works she's attracted. The thing I love is when she moans when RD kisses her. I'm watching this just for her doing that. I know she is acting, but she does a great job. Sometimes over the top, but she is great. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/21/23 Full Review Jack t Stakeout. This is one of those movies which I love watching. The thrills, the laughs and also the good fun. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/18/23 Full Review Troy J This a great buddy cop movie. Great chemistry with Esteves and Dreyfuss. And Dreyfuss and Stowe. More buddy than cop. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/14/23 Full Review Ghosthead83 Dreyfus and Estevez are one of the best and least talked about buddy cop duos. Dreyfus is absolutely hilarious. Its the perfect mix of comedy, action and romance. It may not be Lethal Weapon but it's a worthy substitute. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/06/22 Full Review jon c Director John Badham makes work a tad fun but dangerous starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, and Madeleine Stowe Police detectives Chris Lecce and Bill Reimers are on the hunt for escaped prisoner "Stick" Montgomery (Aidan Quinn) He just broke out of prison during a scuffle with his cousin When the trail dries up, the pair are put on around-the-clock surveillance of the fugitive's former girlfriend, Maria What starts as a boring assignment monitoring the woman with binoculars quickly turns into something more exciting when romance -- and Maria's gun-toting ex -- arrive on the scene Chris is starting to fall for Maria against his orders while Bill begs him to stick to the job assigned Can their relationship remain professional or get sidelined ? A majority of this is just on the two officers monitoring this woman Occasionally it cuts back to the escapees which is actually more interesting There's a really cool car chase in here towards the end that's very exciting And there's a final showdown that takes place at a lumberyard full of tension with everything surrounding everyone being highly dangerous The two officers have such bawdy chemistry especially when it comes to trying to one up their rivals at the precinct It's always one fun shenanigan after another Stowe is very likable here too with the romance angle being familiar but charming Plus this movie does value characters and their foibles over their firearms It's really Dreyfuss that carries much of the comedic energy The male friendships and professional relationship balance relatively well It would really have been nice if the filmmakers cut away from the stakeout more More momentum would've been welcomed but the film isn't bad Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Detectives Chris Lecce (Richard Dreyfuss) and Bill Reimers (Emilio Estevez) are assigned to the night shift on a stakeout of Latina waitress Maria McGuire (Madeleine Stowe). Maria's former boyfriend, Richard "Stick" Montgomery (Aidan Quinn), has escaped from prison following a staged brawl with his cellmate along with help from his cousin, Caylor Reese, who helped him escape in a truck. The FBI asks for cooperation from Lecce and Reimers in capturing Montgomery. They believe Montgomery may return to his old girlfriend, Maria. Meanwhile Lecce is going through a divorce from his wife. He comes home and finds out that she moved out and took his furniture, leaving him in despair. Montgomery telephones McGuire but the line gets cut off so the calls cannot be traced. He has a large amount of money that he secretly hid in an armchair prior to his incarceration. Lecce and Reimers spy on McGuire, hoping Montgomery will turn up at her door so they can arrest him. Lecce pretends to be a telephone lineman, in order to get close to McGuire. He also helps McGuire's brother Ray to get a job so he can stay out of trouble. Fate takes a turn for the worse as Lecce falls in love with Maria and the Seattle police suspect him as one of Montgomery's allies... Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus reads, "Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez make for great company during this Stakeout, a bawdy procedural that mines great pleasure from the odd couple's comedic chemistry." Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, praising its premise while finding that the humor and the human aspect were surrounded by violent thriller aspects that did not gel as well with the humor, although he highlighted Dreyfuss and his performance. I saw this John Badham film at the movies when it came out in 1987 and I guess back then this was a treat for the 15 year old me, but today "Stakeout" is really an average buddy cop action comedy despite the fact that it was ranked as the eighth-highest-grossing film in 1987. There´s chemistry between Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez, some ok comedy, nice to see the lovely Madeleine Stowe, but the rest is quite average in terms of storyline, dialogue, action sequences and direction. And it´s silly at times to be honest. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Discover

      Best Movies to Stream at Home

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      % % Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen % % Tiger % % Hip-Hop and The White House % % Tigers on the Rise 88% 84% Monkey Man TRAILER for Monkey Man 93% % Something You Said Last Night % % Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two % 92% La Cha Cha % % The Moon and Back % % Max Beyond Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Movie News & Guides

      View All Movie News & Guides

      This movie is featured in the following articles.

      12 Great Buddy Cop Pairings in Movies Christian Bale Saves a Trip to "Yuma"

      Photos

      View All Stakeout photos

      Stakeout

      Stakeout (1987) Stakeout (1987) Stakeout (1987) Stakeout (1987) Stakeout (1987) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (27) Critics Reviews
      Variety Staff Variety Slick, sure-footed entertainment, one part buddy comedy and one part police actioner stitched together with a dash of romance. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Derek Adams Time Out Between Lecce's illicit courtship and Reimers' consternation, there are some hearty laughs of a juvenile nature. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Walter Goodman New York Times The director uses the conventions of the action-comedy in so adroit a way that you may even forget the hundred other films you've seen lately about a couple of cops kidding around with each other in between battling the bad guys. May 21, 2003 Full Review Juan Carlos Coto South Florida Sun-Sentinel Dreyfuss' capability for comedy is what saves Stakeout He unequivocally steals every scene he is in, except for the action scenes, most of which are surprisingly bad. Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 19, 2021 Full Review Ángel Luis Inurria El Pais (Spain) The clever script has a mix of ingredients that include romance, male friendships, professional relationships, and chases. [Full Review in Spanish] Apr 22, 2020 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...an appealing premise that's employed to mostly stellar effect... Rated: 3/4 Apr 18, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Police detectives Chris Lecce (Richard Dreyfuss) and Bill Reimers (Emilio Estevez) are on the hunt for escaped prisoner "Stick" Montgomery (Aidan Quinn). When the trail dries up, the pair are put on around-the-clock surveillance of the fugitive's former girlfriend, Maria (Madeleine Stowe). What starts as a boring assignment monitoring the woman with binoculars quickly turns into something more exciting when romance -- and Maria's gun-toting ex -- arrive on the scene.
      Director
      John Badham
      Screenwriter
      Jim Kouf
      Production Co
      Touchstone Pictures
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Feb 9, 2016
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $65.4M
      Sound Mix
      Surround
      Most Popular at Home Now