The In-Laws (1979)

“There’s no reason to shoot at me, I’m a dentist. ” – Sheldon

Number of Times Seen – Probably around 5 times (Video in the 80’s and 90’s and 16 Jan 2020)

Brief Synopsis – Days before their children are to be wed, a dentist and a CIA operative must work together to keep the world safe from a South American dictator.

My Take on it – This is a film that I recall seeing in the early 80’s during a two week period where my parents rented a VCR along with a whole bunch of movies to use at a birthday party for one of my siblings.

I obviously didn’t understand much of this film at the time, yet certain scenes and quotes (serpentine Shelly, serpentine) have always stuck in my mind.

This is a really silly story yet it works so much better due to the amazing chemistry between Peter Falk and Alan Arkin in the lead roles.

Each of their characters have very distinct personalities and characteristics and their interactions are so much fun to watch because they are almost complete opposites in everything that they need to do.

The story is slightly far fetched yet when looking at things in the context of how it all comes together, it works much better and flows quite smoothly along.

The film is filled with many zany characters and situations that the characters find themselves in and throughout the story they constantly toe the line between absurdity and plausibility which helps make things so much more enjoyable to watch.

This film may have its flaws, but it’s still so much fun to watch as these characters try to cope with everything that is thrown at them.

Bottom Line – Hilarious film that works so well largely due to the amazing chemistry between Falk and Arkin. The personalities and characteristics of these men completely clash yet when put together things are so enjoyable to watch. The story itself is a bit far fetched yet within the context presented here things work so smoothly. The zaniness of things is done really well on throughout the entire story, they are able to toe the line between plausibility and absurdity. Such a fun film to watch despite its flaws. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After The In-Laws (2003) came out, Alan Arkin called Peter Falk to congratulate him on all the great reviews he was getting from critics recalling the original as they trashed the remake. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)