Armed and Dangerous (1986)

A fired cop and useless lawyer sign up as security guards and find they've joined a corrupt union.

Director:

Mark L. Lester

Writers:

Brian Grazer (story), Harold Ramis (story and screenplay)

Stars:

John Candy, Meg Ryan, Eugene Levy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Candy	...	Frank Dooley
Eugene Levy	...	Norman Kane
Robert Loggia	...	Michael Carlino
Kenneth McMillan	...	Captain Clarence O'Connell
Meg Ryan	...	Maggie Cavanaugh
Brion James	...	Anthony Lazarus
Jonathan Banks	...	Clyde Klepper
Don Stroud	...	Sergeant Rizzo
Larry Hankin	...	Kokolovitch
Steve Railsback	...	The Cowboy
Robert Burgos	...	Mel Nedler
Tony Burton	...	Cappy
Robert Gray	...	Butcher
Larry Flash Jenkins	...	Raisin
Stacy Keach Sr.	...	Judge

Storyline

Frank Dooley (John Candy) , a cop wrongly sacked for corruption, teams up with a useless defense lawyer named Herman Kane (Eugene Levy) in their new careers... as security guards. When the two are made fall guys for a robbery at a location they are guarding, the pair begin to investigate corruption within the company and their union. They soon make enemies of everyone, but can the unlikely duo save the day ?

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Plot Keywords:

security guard | ex cop | frame up | man dresses as a woman | union | 

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Taglines:

Undercover. Overdressed. And keeping you safe from the scum of the earth

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Armados y peligrosos

Filming Locations:

4954 Ambrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$15,945,534

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Delphi V Productions,Frostbacks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 83 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Point of Parliamentary procedure refers to when someone is mentioning a rules violation during a meeting to which a person has a right to do.

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Goofs

When Maggie turns around to speak to the recruits after her shooting demo at the firing range, she puts the revolver down on the brick wall to her left in the wide shot, immediately after in her close up, she still has the same revolver in her hand.

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Quotes

Judge: Mr. Kane, you are one of the worst lawyers I've ever known.
Norman Kane: Well, then I move for a mistrial.

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Connections

Referenced in Psych: Ferry Tale (2010)

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Soundtracks

THE WALLS CAME DOWN (FOR ROCK 'N' ROLL)
Written by Martin Page
Produced by Maurice White and Bill Meyers
Performed by Eve
Courtesy of Cadenza Entertainment, Inc. and Kalimba Productions

User Reviews

An instant classic, underrated.

While most reviews describe this movie as 'just an average comedy', even at this, Armed and Dangerous is a laugh and a half. It's charming, fast-paced, and furthermore, I adored Candy and Levy's interactions on-screen. One minute, they're ragging on each other, the next, they're the best of friends.

The movie also has, though almost impossible to find a copy of, an excellent soundtrack, including "Armed and Dangerous" by Atlantic Starr, and, of course, half a dozen or so other popular 80s hits. With that, the movie is also on DVD, and while it doesn't have much in the way of extras, it does include anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound.

Possibly the only complaint one could make we might all agree on was that it was just too short. At just under an hour and a half, as endearing as each minute is, the film does leave much to be desired.

All in all, Armed and Dangerous is a mid-80s classic well-worth watching. It's the perfect blend of action and comedy, and SCTV fans will find that it's no flop for either Candy or Levy; even as the script is considered by some to be lacking, both hide it well.