We open with Steve Tobias (Michael Douglas), a slightly over-the-hill James Bond type, and we are right in the middle of a dangerous spy-type thing. I could explain the details of the situation but that's not really necessary, Steve has something that the bad guys want but he has places to be, namely a dinner date with his son's soon to be in-laws. After a daring escape Steve makes his appointment, but just barely. This doesn't sit well with Jerry Pyser (Albert Brooks), a nervous podiatrist who is none to pleased to be giving away his daughter to the son of such a sketchy man. His opinion of Steve Tobais doesn't improve when he witnesses Steve beat down a thug in the men's room of the restaurant in which they are having their dinner date. The next day circumstances require that Steve intrude on Jerry's lecture at a local hospital. The FBI is after Steve and he can't be caught with the Macguffin (the thing that everyone wants to get in the movie.) Not very reluctantly, Steve plants it on Jerry as a diversion, resulting in jerry's involvement in a global spy-thing. Wackiness does ensue, of course. Taking Jerry and Steve on a country hopping adventure.
Look, this is not a great movie, it is very mediocre even with all the star power present. Albert Brooks is completely adequate as nervous Jerry and Michael Douglas seems to be having a blast with an action role. The rest of the cast does an admirable job as well. There isn't much to sink your teeth into here, however. It is very by-the-numbers and does not surprise you much.
Is it a bad movie? No, I would say it is a solid "O.K." I just wish they had tried a little harder to do something slightly different with the genre. As it is, the only reason to see this movie over the many others of it's type, would be if you were an especially interested in watching this group of actors go through this routine. One of those movies that would quite a good time waster if you were stuck on a plane.
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