Bullseye! (1990)

Fast-paced, smartly-written caper zaniness with Caine and Moore

Imagine the goofiest bit in one of Roger Moore’s James Bond movies. Now imagine a whole film like that with the addition of Michael Caine. That’s this movie.

People criticize that the plot is convoluted, and I suppose it is, but it’s not THAT difficult to comprehend. It involves two shady nuclear scientists (Caine and Moore) and two doppelganger conmen (also Caine and Moore) who want to steal the valuables from their safe deposit boxes, led by a manipulative blonde (Sally Kirkland). The two conmen eventually attract the attention of agents of MI5 and CIA.

It was helmed by the director of “Deathwish,” “Chato’s Land” and “Lawman” and cost $15 million, which would be equal to $37.2 million today. So, this isn’t some low-budget indie. It had quality personnel behind it and the dynamic filmmaking attests to this, not to mention the quality British locations (before the land was overrun, if you know what I mean). Sure, there’s some eye-rolling humor, but there’s also a lot of genuine laughs. It’s just a fun, energetic flick with a quality cast (Roger’s daughter, Deborah, is also on hand as Flo Fleming, amongst a few other notables). It boggles the mind to consider the details Michael Winner had to juggle in order to make it.

How do you review a flick like this? I had a good time and several laughs but, at the end of the day, it's throwaway entertainment. Still, for Caine and Moore fans, it's a must.

It runs 1h 35m and was shot Oct-Dec 1989 in Watercress Line, Alresford, England and Inveraray Castle, Inveraray, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

GRADE: B-