Quick Change

Plot synopsis:
Grimm, dressed as a clown, robs a bank in midtown Manhattan. He ingeniously sets up a hostage situation and then slips away with an enormous sum of money ($1 million) and his accomplices: girlfriend Phyllis and best friend Loomis.
The heist itself is comparatively straightforward and easy, but the getaway turns into a nightmare. The relatively simple act of getting to the airport to catch a flight out of the country is complicated by the fact that fate, luck and all of New York City appears to be conspiring against their escape.
For starters, the trio is seeking the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to get the airport, but the signs were taken during construction work, resulting in the three robbers becoming lost in an unfamiliar part of the city. Then, a con-artist/thief robs the trio of everything they have (except the bank money, which they have taped under their clothes).
When changing into new clothes, they are almost gunned down by the stressed incoming tenant of Phyllis' apartment, as members of the fire department respond to a call by pushing their hydrant-blocking car out of the way only to make it roll into a ditch.
When the three crooks eventually manage to flag down a cab, the driver is hopelessly non-fluent in English. This leads Loomis to jumping out of the moving cab to grab another, but he runs into a newsstand and the driver leaves, thinking he's killed Loomis. An anal-retentive bus driver, a run-in with mobsters and Phyllis' increasing desperation to tell Grimm the news that she is pregnant with his child add further complications.
All the while, Rotzinger, a world-weary but relentless chief of the New York City Police Department, is doggedly attempting to nab the fleeing trio. A meeting on board an airliner at the airport occurs between the robbers and the chief, who gets the added prize of having a major crime-boss dropped in his lap with their assistance. Unfortunately the chief only realizes who they were after their plane has taken off.

Tags: cult, humor

Review:
You know with Murray you are going to get outrageous humor and satire.Anyway, the bulk of the film concerns what happens after the trio - Murray, Randy Quaid and Geena Davis - after they successfully escape the holdup.
Maybe that's partially why I enjoyed the film so much, as it makes me feel a little bit like a pirate who's discovered lost treasure, or like an explorer who's conquered uncharted territory.It may not be Bill Murray's best, but it's pretty good.
I've always been a fan, and try to forgive certain transgressions like "Larger Than Life" or "The Man Who Knew Too Little" which are the kinds of films I avoid completely for fear that it will taint my high regard for Mr. Murray.
It gets the job done and sets up the bits and not in a low-brow kind of way.I'd be interested to hear what New York residents think of this film, as its story revolves around three people who just want to escape New York forever and find that robbing a bank is easier than making it to the airport.So if you consider yourself a member of the Bill Murray fan club, check this one out and you'll probably enjoy it.
He's got plenty of support from some talented comedic actors including Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Phil Hartman, Jason Robards and of course Randy Quaid and Geena Davis..
If you want good, solid comedy that you can laugh with, rather than at, "Quick Change" is the film for you.
Funny remake starring Bill Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid as down-on-their-luck thieves who rob a bank and then have a hard time getting out of NYC.
Bill Murray stars as a bank robber with a unique plan - he'll rob the bank dressed as a clown, but carry out the money taped to his body - and those of his two accomplices - "hostages" who have been released as a sign of good faith as certain potential getaway vehicles (2 helicopters, a motorcycle, a city bus, and a monster truck) are provided.
The scenes with the taxi driver and the mobster are very hilarious and Geena Davis confirmed her special comic talent, while Randy Quaid is very funny in the role of the good-dumb.
Take Dog Day Afternoon, blend it in with Scorsese's After Hours, and don't forget that it's really about Bill Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid as non-professional criminals who pull off a goof of a bank robbery and intend to escape to the airport, and you might get an idea of what Quick Change is about.
He has that great self-effacing attitude, dead-pan but very aware, and it comes through brilliantly as he balances between comedy and drama in the opening scenes (drama, as in a crying Randy Quaid and talk-back Geena David, who happen to actually be Murray's character's partners in crime).Quick Change is a dark comedy in a very rich form; it takes its aim not just at bank robbers and the cops who go after them (specifically the hard-nosed detective, here casted perfectly with Jason Robards), but also New York in the late 80s, its see-saw of really hazardous grounds among Queens and Brooklyn and the "plans" for urban renewal.
It is parody, but it's never spoken outright or made directly like in Hot Shots or Naked Gun. It's Bill Murray doing smart comedy that relies on wits and edge, so that even as the screenplay makes fun of the tropes of heist movies it doesn't lose its own voice.And, thankfully as well, Davis and Quaid are totally game for the production, and if I may say so Davis is a good here and convincing as a reluctant 'squeeze' of Murray's bank robber (who, by the way, feels "complete" now that he's pulled of the job) as she was in Thelma and Louise.
And there is something unique to the film by having Murray co-direct it; one can feel his stamp more than anyone, and it's good thing since he knows how to take the story forward while not losing sight of moments of great observation- of character and landscape- and of the plot itself, which comes to a great big twist when they finally make it to the airport.
Bill Murray is in top sarcastic form here and yes I am a huge Murray fan (you will be too after this movie) and just as a quick note if you like this movie even a tenth as much as i do you too will love certain other Murray films such as Groundhog Day (which was also one of the movies i have seen countless times.)  Before the end of this love letter let me just say it really is great.
Bill Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid are the notorious bank robbers that can't seem to get out of New York City with their loot.
Geena Davis and Randy Quaid complete the trio, and Jason Robards (one of the greatest actors of all time) brings the film together.
Grimm is one of a trio of thieves who rob a New York City bank and there are enough laughs here to please fans of comedy.The beginning of the film is priceless as Grimm-dressed as a clown-engineers a bank robbery.
Priceless.There are a few good scenes after and I really enjoyed the ending-watch it and you'll see what I mean.Not as good as a lot of Bill Murray movies but okay for fans of light comedy..
Bill Murray is hysterical in this perfect little black comedy about a bank-robber trying to flee New York City.
What makes the film work, at least for me, is that we never know much about Murray's character (or Geena Davis or Randy Quaid), and that it takes place over a single summer day in Manhattan.
This little-known 1990 movie stars Bill Murray who's also wearing another hat as director (as Grimm, the harried NYer,) Geena Davis (as Phyllis Potter) and Randy Quaid (Loomis.) Rounding out the cast in some very comical roles are Jason Robards (as Rotzinger) and Richard Joseph Paul (as Lt. Jameson.) Murray plays a city worker who hatches an ingenious plan to rob a New York City bank while dressed as a clown (the heist's central gimmick has been copied several times in other films, most notably by Spike Lee).
The robbery itself goes off without a hitch in the film's first fifteen minutes, leaving Murray and accomplices Geena Davis and Randy Quaid to make their escape from the city while flustered cop Jason Robards tries to catch them.Of course, things go horribly wrong for the robbers after that as they run afoul of every New York City tourist horror story imaginable: gangsters and street punks, cabbies who don't speak English, snippy shop keepers, and rude bus drivers, all of which combine to threaten the timing of the getaway.
A lot of this is familiar territory, and this part of the film does drag from time to time (despite a 90-minute overall running time), but the comic talents of Murray and Randy Quaid keep things lively.
Three bank robbers pull off a seemingly perfect heist but their getaway is a comedy of errors as the trio struggles to make it out of New York City through one obstacle after another.
Bill Murray is Grimm, a pretty smart guy who hasn't really done anything with his life and who hates living in New York so he decides to rob a bank of 1 MILLION DOLLARS!(apparently a huge sum in the 80′s though it seems insignificant now) and solve both problems.As can be seen in the poster he dresses as a clown to pull the heist, rightfully assuming that no-one would see past his makeup and outfit when describing the events.
After successfully completing the robbery with minimal effort a slip up puts the cops on the trail, lead by Jason Robards as the head cop desperate for a big collar, and Grimm his girlfriend Phyllis and doofus mate Loomis spend the rest of the film trying to escape New York.What the film does so well is realise what it is and stay within the limitations of the genre.
In fact most of the humour comes from Bill Murray's throwaway comments and some of the 30 second dealings with random New Yorkers, most notably the Hispanic bicycle jousters and the militant bus driver.Geena Davis (inexplicably considered a sex symbol by some) as Phyllis, the girlfriend with a secret, and Randy Quaid as Loomis do their best when they stay out of Murray's way.
It's a great caper movie where they rob the bank and are trying to get away but everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong for them, from car breakdowns to phone call problems to armed robbery to fire department trouble to the mafia to anal retentive bus drivers and annoying hobos, all while they are being chased down by the police.
The cast are brilliant and have great chemistry and the plot works really well.Although we might not have all tried to robbed a bank, the situations in the film really strike a cord (well they did with me).If you want to watch a movie that will make you laugh, watch this!.
Bill Murray is great once again in this movie about a clowning bank robbery.
But my second favorite actor in the film has to be Bob Elliot as the Bank Guard (his son Chris Elliot is a comedic genius, not on the same scale as Bill, but up there, but I digress) To sum it all up, Bill Murray is the greatest actor to come out of Saturday Night Live & this is one of the VERY few movies where the remake is actually better then the original.Where i saw it: HBO comedyMy Grade: B.
Murray is great directing his only film (as far as I know) and amazing starring as Grimm the bank robber.
Very funny and the bank robbery scene at the beginning is actually good enough to be in a great heist movie.
With great, funny roles of Davis, Quaid, Shalhoub, Tucci and Hartman, this is one of the funniest comedies ever..
That opening bank heist is some seriously funny Bill Murray material; guy plays his sourpuss persona to the Nth. And to say that New York is a character is putting it lightly; like "L.A. Story" (with a heavy dose of "After Hours", with how the city turns on our leads), it's a place full of colorfully stereotyped characters (enhanced by the casting of top-shelf character actors).Great comedy; the jokes come off well, there are some solid one-liners and it's got just the right farcical touch.7/10.
Bill Murray both stars and co-directs(along with Howard Franklin) this droll comedy that sees Murray play a non-violent bank Robber(dressed as a clown) named Grimm, who, along with his two accomplices Loomis(played by Randy Quaid) and Phyllis(played by Geena Davis) pull off a successful heist, but find that they can't leave the city and get to the Airport, as all kinds of problems and obstacles are thrown in their way, and they end up involved with a real gangster(played by Kurtwood Smith).
Morally dubious at first(they did rob a bank after all!), this redeems itself by making the three leads' desperation to escape the madness of New York quite endearing, with many funny scenes and ideas, and the three robbers(especially Grimm) end up as crime-fighters by the end!.
Of course you throw in Bill Murray and you get one hilariously planned bank robbery gone "not so perfect".For me this film is for Americans who understand good quick 1 liners.
Bill Murray, via this movie, Groundhog Day, The Man Who Knew Too Little, Scrooged, and his superb work on SNL, is one of the best comedic actors of all time.
Murry, Davis and Quaid pull off a brilliant bank robbery, then need to get out of New York City, and this is where the fun begins.
(OK Quaid does get hurt in this movie as part of the comedy, but it's Quaid's laugh not Murray's).Geena Davis is great as usual.
Bill Murray's directorial debut is, surprisingly, one of his poorer outings, as a world-class bank robber trying to get out of New York City.In the opening sequences during the bank robbery, Murray is at his dead-pan best, and is genuinely hilarious as he orders everything from a motor-cycle, to a helicopter and monster truck as part of his hostage ransom and diversion.However, once Murray leaves the bank, the film appears to lose direction, and at times slows down to a crawl, and causes Murray's character to come across as merely arrogant and selfish, and nowhere near the hero, rebelling against the monotony of everday life, that the script wants to portray him as.
This part of the movie is only ocassionally enlightened by a good performance as ever from Randy Quaid, and a very funny cameo from Phillip Bosco as a time obsessed bus driver.
Of the other main characters, Geena Davis' talents are completely wasted, and Jason Robards is rarely allowed to show his true ability.Generally I am a big Bill Murray fan, but he has certainly made better movies than this, which just suggest that his true talent is shown on screen, and not behind the camera..
Quick Change is one of the films where you're supposed to root for the bad guy, because Murray's character is "just a bank robber" and overall a decent guy.
The movie also benefits from a supporting cast with comedic experience, including Geena Davis, who plays Murray's suffering yet ever patient love interest and Randy Quaid, who plays their inept conspirator.
Geena Davis has a crappy part, with a character that almost constantly changes her opinion, but she still manages to make something out of it.There's nothing specific to say about directing or music or whatever, those are the quite-good-but-nothing-special-type of things that make this movie perfect for TV.7/10.
Murray, Davis, and Quaid are perfect as the too-clever-by-half bank robbers, and the supporting cast is equally as perfect including Stanley Tucci as a not-too bright Mafioso, Bob Elliot's fake-tough bank guard, Phillip Bosco's by the book Bus Driver, Jason Robard's tired supercop, and especially Tony Shalhoub's incoherent cab driver.
But once he and accomplices Geena Davis and Randy Quaid leave the bank, leaving New York proves to be a challenge.OK, so maybe "Quick Change" looks lame - perhaps even idiotic - now that Murray has starred in movies like "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "Lost in Translation".
Quick Change is a very good film that has a good cast includes Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Phil Hartman, Tony Shalhoub, Stanley Tucci, Michael Chapman, and Kurtwood Smith.
If you like Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Phil Hartman, Kurtwood Smith, the rest of the cast in the film, Action, Comedy, Crime, and interesting films then I strongly recommend you to see this film today!.
Unfunny little film has bank robbers Geena Davis, Bill Murray and Randy Quaid trying to escape with their loot but having no luck with their getaway as they get lost in New York.
Randy Quaid almost goes full-retard in this movie and his actions get very tiring and embarrassing, while Geena Davis plays the generic side-woman who oohs and ahhs at the leading man......which is reasonable in this case because it IS Bill Murray.
Dressed as a clown, "laughing on the inside" Bill Murray (as Grimm) goes to rob a New York City bank.
Possibly aiming for satire, this loses balance, though there are a few chuckles from the New Yorkers encountered.*** Quick Change (7/13/90) Howard Franklin, Bill Murray ~ Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards.
The three main actors are irresistible, especially the cute Geena Davis and Bill Murray, the hilarious plot about how it's easier to rob a bank than to get somewhere on time in New York is amusing, the dynamic plot is short (85 minutes) and full of great dialogs ( You have a gun, why don't you shoot them?"-I can't.
Very funny, it's a subtle film that grows on you, and I believe one of Bill Murray's best roles; a grumpy bank-robbing clown.It's actually quite an inventive way of doing the deed and the film obviously benefits from having injections of reality and intelligence in the characters and the writing.Quaid is hilarious and there are some great one-liners and people that float in and out of the story.
**1/2 of****Amiable and often hilarious "anti-New York" caper comedy with Murray, Davis and (especially) Quaid in absolute perfect form.
Some laughs in this bank caper with Murray, Davis and Quaid as the robbers who foil detective Robards with a great escape, but then miss their ticket out of the country, due to some maddening situations.
QUICK CHANGE (1990) *** Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Bob Elliott, Phillip Bosco, Tony Shalhoub, Phil Hartman.
Davis was at the peak of her career when this film came out and gives a great performance -- all 3 of the leads have to play these different characters at the beginning of the movie, during the robbery.
(minor spoiler)This is a very funny movie about a bank robbery gone right but after that, everything falls apart.Bill Murray, Randy Quaid and Geena Davis star in this hilarious misadventure that is sure to entertain!
By the way Levin1- it was Kurtwood Smith who played Vince Lombino, Stanley Tucci was the henchman, Johnny, and yes he was very funny!!:) Also the brilliant Jason Robards is in this film as the investigating detective!I really liked Quick Change, especially the introduction, and all Bill Murray fans should see it!
Grimm (Bill Murray), Loomis (Randy Quaid), and Phylis(Geena Davis) have just pulled off the biggest bank robbery of the 1990.
The only problem is if they actually make it to the airport in one piece as fate seems to be against them.Randy Quaid and Bill Murray are absolutely hilarious as the bank robbers and their accomplice Geena Davis is just as funny.