Welcome back for another installment of Review Stew! This week I was finally able to find an elusive Bill Murray blindspot of mine without having to rent it. Put on your clown makeup and grab your shoes and wig as we head into Manhattan for… Quick Change (1990).
Title: Quick Change
Directors: Howard Franklin and Bill Murray
Released: July 13, 1990 (United States)
Runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes
Available to stream on: Kanopy
Grimm (Bill Murray) is dressed in full clown costume and carrying balloons as he boards the subway and heads into Manhattan. Is he on his way to a children’s party? Maybe a corporate event?
Well, not quite. He’s on his way to rob a bank. When he arrives at the bank, he forces his way in after showing the guard that he is armed. Once inside, Grimm announces that he’s robbing the bank. The customers and employees couldn’t help but laugh, he is dressed as a clown after all.
They decide to take him seriously though as he fires off a couple of rounds and shows them that he’s wearing a vest full of dynamite. Grimm has one teller start to fill a bag then forces everyone into the vault. While this has all been going on, Grimm has been in contact with Chief Rotzinger (Jason Robards) of the NYPD.
During their conversations, Grimm has laid out some demands. He wants 1 city bus full of fuel, 2 helicopters, 1 Harley Davidson, and 1 monster truck. One hostage will be released for every item that is successfully delivered.
Grimm stays true to his word and begins to release hostages. Loomis (Randy Quaid) has been incredibly nervous this entire time to the point of vomiting. Everyone in the vault agrees that he should go, in fact he needs to go and be far away from them. Next up is Phyllis (Geena Davis) and a man who looks suspiciously like Grimm if he wasn’t wearing clown makeup.
That’s right, Grimm, Phyllis, and Loomis were in on the robbery together. Not only did they all manage to escape the bank, they made off with a million dollars as well.
Now all they have to do is make it out of New York City…
Well, if nothing else, at least I can say that I’ve seen Quick Change (1990).
That’s not to say that it was bad, it’s just very paint-by-numbers.
You’re able to see early on where things are going, you’re just not sure how exactly they’ll get there. Luckily, the saving grace of Quick Change (1990) is the cast as they make that journey from A-to-B an enjoyable one.
The banter between Murray and Robards was a highlight. In fact, this might be a sleeper for one of my favorite Bill Murray roles. Geena Davis is great in just about everything she’s in, whether it be a comedy or straight drama. And for what it’s worth, before he made it clear to the whole world just how crazy he is, there was a point in time where Randy Quaid was a reliable funny companion. In addition to the main cast, Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, and the late great Phil Hartman all have funny and memorable minor roles.
Is Quick Change (1990) one that I’d recommend you rush to see? No.
Though, if you haven’t seen it and have access to Kanopy, it’s worth at least one viewing.
So, if you have seen Quick Change (1990), now it’s your turn.
Leave me a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me know your thoughts on it!
As always, you can follow me over on Letterboxd to see everything else that I’ve been watching lately.