cmorley50 It was my first starring role in a major motion picture. Richard Rush, the director, was a doll and held my hand every step of the way knowing I was a newbie. He is responsible for really molding my performance, which is what made this 'buddy' movie stand out. Alan Arkin is a genius. He can speak backwards. James Caan was an arrogant asshole. I myself hung out with Alan's son, Matthew, who was about 12 at the time. He was a 30-year-old man inside a twelve-year-old. And I was a ten-year-old inside a 21-year-old body so it worked. Matthew was so bright and so funny and never asked me stupid questions. We had a great time together. What a pair we must have made!

TSMChicago I have been laughing myself silly at this movie since I first saw it on Christmas Day, 1974.Funny, violent, loud and much like a traffic accident in that you can't look away. Freebie and the Bean is like a truly tasteless joke; you know it is probably wrong and still you laugh so hard.Two lovably inept cops manage to keep from being suspended while they attempt to protect a local mobster from out of town hit men. Richard Rush's comedy chase film contains the wildest car crashes this side of The Blues Brothers.With a healthy dose of sexist, racist and scatological humor, you just need to chill out and enjoy the jokes and one liners. James Caan and Alan Arkin assume the usual buddy cop roles and run wild. Relax, it's just a movie made at a time when we weren't so paranoid about poking fun at our differences.Best scenes? The car chase that ends up on the third floor, the bowling alley shootout in the men's room and the mano a mano (sort of) confrontation in the ladies' room at the Super Bowl.The banter between Freebie and Bean is priceless, including a terrific exchange where we don't know if they're discussing a wife's infidelity or the dog stools in the yard. Great script by Robert Kaufman (Love at First Bite) and story by the incredible Floyd Mutrux (American Hot Wax, The Hollywood Knights). Warner Home Video, a company that does listen to movie fans, promised us this DVD release for years, and now they have delivered. If you haven't seen this comedy classic in widescreen, you will be impressed!

Kirby Palm Thoroughly enjoyable to watch, Alan Arkin and James Caan make a great comedy duo. Plus, perhaps the only time you'll ever see a car crash through a third-story window.Here's a spoiler -- and what lifts this movie above most others in the genre: After an hour and a half of silly shenanigans, you suddenly discover that there was a serious plot going on. One is tempted to start the film over from the beginning because you clearly weren't paying enough attention.The one downside of the film, IMHO, is the ending, where one guy that's supposedly seriously hurt is suddenly OK and being silly again. That didn't work for me.

gsskimsing One of the worst of the '70's cop movies exploiting the successes of Dirty Harry, French Connection and Bullitt. Probably a role model for the commercial formulaic productions of Bruckheimer, in which a meaningless, contrived plot is disguised by interminable car chases and a loud abrasive soundtrack. One of the chases was probably staged to show off James Caan's motorbiking skills, which were admittedly quite impressive. What little chemistry there was between Alan Arkin and James Caan was swamped by gross overacting, meaningless banter and over-the-top yelling. The filmmakers couldn't decide whether to make a comedy or a police action drama, and failed miserably on both counts. One to be avoided.