Stakeout (1987)

Second viewing; first viewed on February 19, 1988.

After a prisoner escapes, the police sets up a stakeout on his girlfriend's house. One of the cops assigned to that job falls in love with the aforementioned woman, entailing a series of complications.

Entertaining blend of comedy, romantic drama, and action thriller. It is quite well made, too, and the sequence at the paper mill is a real tour de force. The plot, however, does not make room for much thinking on the part of the viewer. It is all very mechanic, and part of the thrills is simply a straightforward consequence of a combination of the complex premise and the behavior of the male protagonist, who is both imprudent and absent-minded, to a degree that could be considered unrealistic. I guess one could file it under easy viewing, which usually means also easy forgetting.

Rating: 60 (down from 67)