MOVING VIOLATIONS. Directed by Neal Israel; written by Neal Israel and Pat Proft; produced by Joe Roth and Harry Ufland for 20th Century Fox. Starring John Murray and James Keach. Rated PG-13.
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A cook who finds a recipe that's the hit of the party won't be tempted to tamper with it. So combine only a dash of logic with healthy helpings of vulgarity, exuberance and crazy, stereotyped characters. Flavor with some goodnatured property destruction, and voila! Depending on the basic story, which is of little actual importance, you will have last year's Police Academy or Bachelor Party. Or this spring's Moving Violations .
It is written and directed by the same people responsible for the earlier, quite successful movies and it follows their formula to the letter. Its subject matter isn't as objectionable as that of Police Academy, which tried to find humor in such things as riots. But it also doesn't have a brilliant comedian as its star, as Bachelor Party did with Tom Hanks.
The required group of unrelated types here meet at traffic school, a remedial program for habitual moving violators. Some of the group truly shouldn't be allowed on the streets, like Nedra Volz' myopic lady in tennis shoes. But we're asked to believe that most of them have been more sinned against.
There are some funny bits in Moving Violations. Like Mrs. Houk (Volz) tailgating a 747, and Halik (Keach) driving an "enhanced" car that can only go in reverse. But the slapstick-only pace is little wearing. And the large cast is cumbersome. At least two subplots and 3 or 4 characters could have been deleted with no ill effects.
Moreover, far from having someone aboard with Hanks' talent, there is a real problem with Moving Violations' main character. He happens to be played by Bill Murray's younger brother John. Giving him the benefit of the doubt for a moment, maybe he and Bill have always talked and acted alike, like some brothers I know. But Bill hit the big time first, and has legions of devoted fans (of which I am one). For John to sport the same speech and physical mannerisms seems like a shameless rip-off. Especially since he isn't as good at the Murray family shtick as Bill is. Little brother needs to find a more original style.
To be fair, about 3/4 of the way through the movie I got used to John, and stopped thinking "Who does that guy think he is, trying to do Bill Murray?!" That's a long time to be uncomfortable, though, and the fact that Murray's given lots of funny lines doesn't quite override his basic problem.
Interestingly enough, Murray isn't the only sibling in Moving Violations. But the others don't try to imitate their more well-known namesakes. James Keach bears a physical resemblance to Stacy, but that's all. And Jennifer Tilly (who recently met an untimely end on TV's "Hill St. Blues") has a completely different manner than sister Meg, although they look somewhat alike.
My favorite character, though, is Halik's cop partner Virginia (Lisa Hart Carroll). Her greaser haircut and macho sneer are worlds away from her earlier movie credit. She was Debra Winger's sophisticated girlfriend in Terms of Endearment. A lady with versatility like that has to go far!
May 1, 1985