Quick Change (1990) * *

Directed by:  Howard Franklin and Bill Murray

Starring:  Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, Jason Robards, Phil Hartman, Philip Bosco

Quick Change begins promisingly, but becomes tiresome.     There is intrigue in the first half-hour or so, however, we grow impatient awaiting the inevitable outcome.     Anchored by Bill Murray, there are some deft comic performances here, which only underlines the need for strong material to keep us engaged.

The opening scenes show Murray dressed as a balloon-carrying clown on a New York subway.    He marches into a Manhattan bank, but not to deliver the balloons.     He is there to rob it and keeps the customers and employees as hostages in the vault.    Before you can say Dog Day Afternoon, the bank is surrounded by media and police, led by Chief Ratzinger (Robards), who negotiates with Murray on the phone to ensure the safety of the hostages.

The ace up Grimm's (Murray's character's name) sleeve is that his cohorts Phyllis (Davis) and Loomis (Quaid) are also posing as hostages, so once Grimm agrees to release three hostages, he ditches the makeup and clown suit and leaves the bank with his friends under the guise of being released hostages.     They have $1 million taped to their bodies.    It's a pretty brilliant heist and the trio plan to escape to Fiji and never return.      With Ratzinger believing Grimm is still inside the bank, the three can easily escape, right?

The escape is more complicated than expected, with Grimm and company running into roadblock after roadblock in their effort to get to the airport to board their flight.     Ratzinger soon realizes that Grimm is no longer inside the bank and begins a citywide manhunt as well.     As each situation is thrown in to delay Grimm's escape, Quick Change begins to unravel.       There are so many situations the trio has to wiggle out of that the film is no longer amusing, but tedious.     Suspense gives way to impatience, which is deadly for a film like Quick Change.

Murray delivers an even-keeled performance in the midst of the madness.    He's chock full of cynical asides, but never allows us to see his desperation.     Quaid, as Loomis, has an almost childlike devotion to Grimm and will run through walls for him.     This is probably why Grimm keeps him around long after he should've told him he's on his own.     Davis' Phyllis is torn between her love for Grimm and her second thoughts about leaving, especially since she's pregnant and hasn't told Grimm the news.      Robards gives us a Ratzinger who remains wearily, but doggedly determined to capture Grimm, mostly because he is retiring and doesn't want his legacy tainted by a "bank-robbing clown."

Despite the good performances, I think Quick Change simply becomes bogged down by its own complications, which seem more and more absurd upon reflection.