Fatal Instinct (1993)

That was an excellent one.

Strong and Moving!

One of my all time favorites.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

FATAL INSTINCT is a side-split-tingly funny spoof of film noir dramas, in the AIRPLANE/NAKED GUN mode that offers affectionate winks at films like FATAL ATTRACTION, BASIC INSTINCT, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, and CAPE FEAR, offering consistent laughs thanks, in part, to the self- assured direction of comedy icon Carl Reiner. Reiner smartly chose to cast strong actors instead of pure comics whose uncanny ability to play the funny material with completely straight faces is what makes the film so funny. Armand Assante is surprisingly funny as Ned Ravine, a cop and a lawyer who is being cheated on by a scheming wife (Kate Nelligan), being pursued by a sexy client (Sean Young)and being loved from afar by his faithful secretary (Sherilyn Fenn). There are also funny turns from Christopheer McDonald as Nelligan's dim-witted lover, James Remar, in a perfect take off of Max Cady from CAPE FEAR, and Tony Randall as a judge. The gags come fast and furious and most of them work, there's even a very funny cameo by Bob Euker, as a color commentator for a trial. Just sit back, relax, don't think about it too much and there's a lot of fun to be had here.

FATAL INSTINCT is a side-split-tingly funny spoof of film noir dramas, in the AIRPLANE/NAKED GUN mode that offers affectionate winks at films like FATAL ATTRACTION, BASIC INSTINCT, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, and CAPE FEAR, offering consistent laughs thanks, in part, to the self-assured direction of comedy icon Carl Reiner. Reiner smartly chose to cast strong actors instead of pure comics whose uncanny ability to play the funny material with completely straight faces is what makes the film so funny. Armand Assante is surprisingly funny as Ned Ravine, a cop and a lawyer who is being cheated on by a scheming wife (Kate Nelligan), being pursued by a sexy client (Sean Young)and being loved from afar by his faithful secretary (Sherilyn Fenn). There are also funny turns from Christopheer McDonald as Nelligan's dim-witted lover, James Remar, in a perfect take off of Max Cady from CAPE FEAR, and Tony Randall as a judge. The gags come fast and furious and most of them work, there's even a very funny cameo by Bob Euker, as a color commentator for a trial. Just sit back, relax, don't think about it too much and there's a lot of fun to be had here.

Carl Reiner tries his hand at an "Airplane!"-styled spoof of crime-thrillers, such as "Basic Instinct" and "Body Heat", but the results are full of cheap gags and silly smut. Armand Assante is the befuddled cop, Sean Young is the femme fatale, Kate Nelligan is Assante's two-timing spouse, Rosie O'Donnell is...Rosie O'Donnell. Assante, he of the droopy bedroom eyes and self-satisfied smirk, allows himself to be a little ridiculous here, but slapstick buffoonery just isn't in him, and he struggles manfully to have a good time. The movie just doesn't have the correct look of a crime-noir down--and worse, it appears to have been made by a filmmaker with a very standard, square sense of humor. * from ****

This is a parody of such movies as 'Basic Instinct' and 'Fatal Attraction', and others with strained male/female relationships. My neighbor Ron loaned it to me, a budget DVD.Armand Assante is Ned Ravine, cop and lawyer. So he can arrest you, read you your rights (with the help of cue cards), and then defend you in court. Sherilyn Fenn is Laura Lincolnberry, sweet, pretty assistant who secretly is in love with Ned. Kate Nelligan is Ned's wife, Lana Ravine, who is having a torrid affair with Frank, the auto mechanic who never seems to finish the job, played ably by Christopher McDonald (snotty golf professional in 'Happy Gilmore'). The joke is that Ned only sees a drawn out repair job, and is oblivious to the love affair. Tony Randall also does a good turn as Judge Skanky.It would be a mistake to call this a good movie. It has a number of funny moments, but I found it mostly a series of jokes woven into a thin story. However, I found it worthwhile just to see Sherilyn Fenn.