Lowbrow humor to spare in this low-budget knock-off of "The Last Detail." Undemanding fun...Hopper's direction is loose and raunchy (he also scores in a brief role as a horny traveling lingerie salesman) and Tom Berenger is great as a gruff, crusty military man stuck performing a transport detail with a scheming, wet-behind-the-ears private in tow. Don't expect a classic and you might be pleasantly surprised. Hardly a classic for the ages, but still quite enjoyable if you enter with lowered expectations. Plenty of clichés, but a few memorably funny sequences and some funny lines make it worth watching. Eleniak's considerable physical charms on full display don't hurt either.
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G-Man-2517 April 2003
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ODDBear27 January 2006Navy officials Berenger and McNamara are assigned to escort prisoner Eliniak to start serving time but their trip doesn't go all that smoothly.
Despite the presence of the terribly annoying William McNamara, Chasers is really an O.K. way to spend less than two hours. Obviously it's not as good as 1973's The Last Detail but it has it's moments. Tom Berenger and Erika Eliniak compensate for McNamara and deliver good performances but the array of good cameos are sorely misused. Gary Busey and Crispin Glover provide a few chuckles but Dennis Hopper, Dean Stockwell and Marilu Henner have nothing to do here.
Still, if you're in a forgiving frame of mind and keep your expectations low this film quite alright. -
Pedro_H3 October 2002Two naval officers (Tom Berenger and William McNamara) are given the task of driving a sexy waitress (Erika Eleniak) to prison. For some reason she doesn't want to go and sets out to waylay them.
I have seen some thin movies in my time, but this takes the biscuit. The entire props budget seems to have been blown on two navy outfits, a rusty white van and one of those waitress dresses that girls with good legs rent for fancy-dress purposes.
Director Dennis Hopper comes on for a moment to do his I'm-a-bit-mad act and Marilu Henner is desperate enough to play a bit part, but they are both done-with in minutes: leaving us stuck with the tedious threesome in a van somewhere in Middle America.
Curiously the thing seems to be influenced by the Jack Nicholson film The Last Detail (navy prisoner being led back to the stock), although that is a film that is actually worth going out of you way to see.
Yes Erica is appealing in a plastic, peroxide and staples-through-the-belly way, but the other two leads have nothing to offer other than briskness and/or dim-witted nativity.
For those interested in these things, the Baywatch blonde does get her clothes off a couple of times, but most viewers will have fallen asleep by the time her stand-up-all-by-themselves breasts come out.
Insomniacs watching on late night cable might be able might be able to make it through to the end, but anyone actually shelling out money for this ultra-cheap product will feel a fool afterwards. Trust me. -
That's it for this movie. Basically the whole thing is awful.Erika's love scene is pretty hot, I must say, even with the lame wanna-be Tom Cruise actor. She's all his since she's handcuffed to the bed and the "You're making me hot" and "I'm ready" lines. Nice body. Bad picture. View only if your bored and it's uncut.
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"Chasers" vacillates wildly between military drama, and frat slobs on vacation silliness. There is a steady slide downhill in believability. The acting is only average, and the script well below that. Nevertheless, the movie is watchable, mainly because of the interesting supporting cast. The best scenes are with Gary Busey, Crispin Glover, and Dennis Hopper. The real problem is that the film doesn't have a flow, with sex scenes giving way to cartoon-like silliness, kung fu fighting, and ridiculous romance. I suppose if you can throw logic out the window, there might be enough here to interest some, but that's a long shot at best. - MERK
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This is simply the worst movie I've ever seen. Neither of the three central characters has any charm, and Erika's good looks aren't enough to carry the film. The lamest plot I've ever had inflicted upon me. Also the most unconvincing military comedy ever. Why did they bother?
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DWEE13 January 1999What a dreadful film this is. The only reason you would want to sit through this mess is the pleasurable sight of Miss Eleniak. The painful overacting of Mr McNamara, which became embarrassing at times, ruined what might have been a reasonable film if the correct actors had been cast. Mr McNamara is no Tom Cruise, the actor he obviously wants to be.
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rivertam2612 July 2020This movie has a bad rap but it's actually quite fun. It centers around two Baval officers who have to escort a female prisoner to a new location. The officers are portrayed by the handsome Tom Berenger and sexy William Macnamara. And the prisoner is the gorgeous and hysterical Erika Eleniak. The movie is quite fun and most of the jokes hit right where they should. It's also sexy and the three develop a believable and likable bond. Although unsuccessful at the box office and with critics the movie stands as an entertaining if slightly forgettable buddy comedy.
Budget: $15M Box Office: $1.6M
7/10 -
smatysia28 January 2021No, I'm not saying this was a good movie. The minor characters were way too cartoonish. And it could have been billed as a remake of The Last Detail. But it was mildly amusing somewhat entertaining. Pretty good performances by Tom Berenger and Erika Eleniak. As for William McNamara, his character was annoying and unlikeable, but I'm sure it was written that way, and you can't blame that on the actor. I'd say the film was okay.
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Exit_of_99c_Special31 August 2005Is this your typical women in chains navy transport love story? Maybe, hell, you know how the formula works by now, pretty woman is introduced in to a picture, someone has to fall in love with her.
I think this film does follow some typical story lines, but that doesn't say anything about the content. There are great scenes with Crispen Glover, Dennis Hopper, and Gary Busey, although short. Some things didn't make sense, such as the need to get in to random fights, but it is entertaining to watch, the fights were actually well done.
This is definitely a comedy foremost, but it does have a lot of good feel to it. The humor is well balanced, you won't hurt your stomach on this, but you will keep a smile.
There is a little bit of steamy action, so not one for the kids. -
disdressed1229 December 2006Chasers is billed as a comedy-which would be fine-if it were a comedy.in reality it's more like a drama/slash action film with some humour sparsely sprinkled here and there.very sparsely sprinkled.it is mildly entertaining,but not worth watching more than once-at least for a long time.that says a lot,considering the fact that Erica Eleniak is in it.alas even she cannot elevate this movie to anything beyond average.Dennis Hopper directed this movie-why i'm not sure.yes there is some action and Hopper himself has a completely ridiculous and pointless cameo.if you have nothing better to do,you could use up 101 minutes of your life on this movie.it's not the worst movie you've seen or will see.but it is ,put simply-blah.in other words a completely forgettable movie. 5 * because of Erica
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If you want a fun romp with loads of subtle humor, then you will enjoy this flick.
I don't understand why anyone wouldn't enjoy this one. Take it for what it is: a vehicle for Dennis Hopper to mess with your head and make you laugh. It ain't Shakespeare, but it is well done. Ericka Eleniak is absolutely beautiful and holds her own in this one - Better than any episode of Baywatch - and shows a knack for subtle humor. Too bad she hasn't had many opportunities to expand on that.
Tom Berenger fits his role of "real Navy" perfectly and William McNamara does a solid job as a hustler.
Throw in a walk-on by Hopper in the middle of the chase for "the Cherry on this Sundae" and you've got a movie that kept my attention and kept me laughing. I bought this one as soon as it was available.
Brain-candy. -
pepekwa14 September 2009no movie with dennis hopper, gary busey, erika eleniak, tom berenger, dean stockwell, marilu henner deserves a rating under 5 on here. This is a poor mans version of movies like 16 blocks or the timeless Midnight run except the prisoner being transported here is the very easy on the eye Ms.Eleniak. Tom Berenger plays another gruff, maverick military type well and William Mcnamara plays his rookie-about to be discharged foil well. The plot on the face of it is absurd because I lost count of the times Eleniak should have and could have escaped but this is an entertaining feel-good movie and there are good cameos from all of the above actors that keep the movie rolling. This isn't really a family movie as there is some swearing and a rare nude scene with eleniak but this is a lot better than some of the other guff that came out around this time.
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Hermit C-229 June 1999A comparison between this movie and 'The Last Detail' is made by some, but 'Chasers' is flatter than a stretch of Interstate highway in west Texas. And like the scenery in the desert, there's nothing much to distinguish it, not even the fact that a female prisoner is being transported by two navy escorts this time around. No one in the cast comes off too well; with this lame script that's not surprising. Dennis Hopper, the director, won't give much space to this one if he ever writes a memoir, I don't think.
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lacrescenta9 December 2002This was a so-so movie. Not really great, but entertaining enough. Don't expect much -- just expect to be mildly entertained. It's basically an "on the road" film, where the two male leads are transporting a female prisoner (Eleniak) in a run-down van, and she takes every opportunity to escape. Much hilarity ensues. OK, it's not *that* hilarious, but mildly amusing hilarity ensues, once in a while.
Eleniak is lovely, her acting is OK. Her character is sympathetic up to a point, even though she does pull some very vexing antics! However, her stunning figure and much-discussed breasts (in the nude scene) are not enough to elevate this film beyond so-so.
McNamara is baby-faced and his character is somewhat irritating as a two-bit scam artist and love interest for Ms. Eleniak. I didn't particularly care for his character. His romance with Eleniak wasn't developed well and he was only a somewhat sympathetic character.
Berenger does well in his role as a grumpy, gravel-voiced superior officer. While I am inclined to be a fan of Berenger, I don't always like everything he does. And, alas, sometimes his looks get a little on the seedy side -- but not in this film. He looks pretty good, and his character is kind of fun (in a crabby kind of way).
Some nudity and profanity earn this film a R rating. It's a fairly enjoyable film, just don't expect much. If you are a fan of any of the main stars, you might enjoy this film especially. -
bribabylk31 March 2009... so I thought I'd throw in a few words about William McNamara. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours if you want to see him in his tighty-whities -- it's obvious he pumped up for this role and he looks pretty darn good in them -- or less. There's an extended sequence in a cave where he has to strip down to his undies. There's a nice bit where he has to chase after Miss Eleniak in the buff, with only his hands cupped over his groin. William McNamara is naturally a little on the skinny side, but he has a nice, generous handful of a booty. Also, there's a moment when he's getting out of bed that if you pause the action at just the right moment you can see the whole enchilada. If you're inclined to do so, and come on, half of the people who choose to watch a movie about Navy men on a "road trip" are. I'd just like thank Dennis Hopper for his equal opportunity gratuitous nudity. Can William McNamara act? Heck if I know.
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NoDakTatum22 November 2023It is always easy to judge a comedy. A good one makes you laugh, a bad one does not. This is a bad comedy. William McNamara plays Navy dude Eddie Devane who is celebrating his impending discharge. He has prepaid for a Porsche with money he has been stealing from the Navy by selling things on the black market with the help of his neurotic friend Howard (Crispin Glover). In one of those unbelievable plot developments, Eddie is sent to help hard-as-a-rock Rock Reilly (Tom Berenger) retrieve a dangerous prisoner named Tony Johnson and bring him back to base to be flown out to his permanent incarceration in California. The duo must drive through the Carolinas to do this, resulting in madcap Southern stereotypes. Well, the bickering couple get to the Marine prison, and lo and behold, he is a she! Boing!, and she is hot TonI (Erika Eleniak), not TonY! Wah-wah-wah! I hope the trip back goes as smoothly as every other trip Rock has gone on! Toni soon makes her true self known, escaping from a preplanned truck stop with the help of a friend. She is recaptured. She sabotages Rock's van by stuffing tampons in the gas tank, and the trio is stranded in the middle of nowhere. The three fall into an abandoned mine shaft, and Toni gets out. She plans to escape, but gets a conscience and returns to help the boys out. As Eddie's life falls apart (Howard steals his Porsche), he gets drunk and sleeps with Toni, who naturally escapes again. She is recaptured again, but she has melted the hearts of these two guys with her sob story. She committed assault because she could not get an emergency leave to see her dying brother. Eddie and Rock deliver Toni to the proper authorities, but both have had life altering experiences (and an extended fist fight), and they come up with a goofy plan to spring Toni so she and Eddie can live happily ever after.
Dennis Hopper could not stage a comedic scene to save his life. He has no idea how to direct physical comedy. The tampons in the gas tank scene is awkward and obvious. The truck stop escape scene has Toni in a bad wig associating with Eddie and Rock, who have no earthly idea who she is. She looks the exact same, she is not Lon Chaney. While Hopper is having technical problems, the real fault here lies with the screenwriters. All the characters here are stupid. All of them. The Navy and Marines have some weird inter-military rivalry- my dad was in the Air Force but we never got into fisticuffs with Army brats, the Carolinians are of the "Deliverance" variety, the women are all sexual objects, and the men are bitter drunks and wackos. McNamara is baby faced in a part obviously inspired by all of Tom Cruise's roles. Tom Berenger sounds like Nick Nolte in "48HRS," and his change in character at the end is forced and unbelievable. Eleniak plays Toni as sympathetic, but I kept asking myself why she was set on escaping all the time. Sure, no one wants to serve time in prison, but I thought that reason was secondary to some big climactic confession that never comes about. Hopper populates this nightmare with tons of character actors in bit and cameo parts. Watch for Marilu Henner and actual Oscar nominees try to add a wackiness to the film that is not there. Hopper's own cameo, with a fake nose that makes him look like Karl Malden, is as funny as a rectal exam. "Chasers" can recall "The Last Detail," mirroring the basic plot but nothing more. This film lurches from scene to scene, never giving the audience anyone to like. Even Eleniak's topless scene is anticlimactic, offering us the same thing we (or, at least, I) have seen in the pages of Playboy or online. A bad comedy contains no laughs, and I literally did not laugh once. Do not pursue "Chasers." -
PIST-OFF27 July 2021Dodger bee bert used to rate movies less on their over all quality than on the principle of whether the movie achieved what it set out to. In this category i would categorically say "yes". A fairly solid cast rounds out this light fare and is able to elevate it above it's designation as a b-movie. A Tom Berenger vs Gary Busey scene is a hidden gem. Erika Eleniak does more than fill the roll of eye candy. Slightly more than cameos by Hopper, Glover, Stockwell, Bush, Cassel, and Forrest keep things moving and throw a bit of unexpected spice into the movie. McNamara manages in spite of true bona fides to carry the whole thing on a bit of pie eyed charm without devolving into saccharin crap. Is this movie going to rock your world? No will it be 90 minutes or so of decent entertainment? Check for yourself. I vote yes.
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harveyfan28 January 2003This is a lame action comedy about two navy guys, one a dimwitted crook, the other a hardboiled veteran, escorting a surprisingly pretty prisoner to a long spell behind bars for lampooning an officer.
While the comedy and action are pretty average, the film relies rather heavily on Eleniak's delectable body and eyebrows. Director Dennis Hopper rewards himself with a cameo as a traveling pervert, and when the action flags the pleasant Country & Western soundtrack kicks in.
I guess it's OK if you have a couple of hours to kill. -
Bob-43031 March 1999My wife and I have watched this movie twice. Both of us used to be in the Military. Besides being funny as hell, it offers a very realistic view of life in the Navy from the perspective of A Navy enlisted man, and tells it "like it really is". We're adding this movie to our permanent collection !
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**DEFINITE SPOILERS** Two Navy guys--gruff, old, mean Rock Reilly (Tom Berenger) and young, handsome, fun-loving Eddie Devane (William McNamara)--are assigned to transport a prisoner. Turns out she's a young beautiful blonde named Toni (Erika Eleniak). While driving her she tries to escape repeatedly. This leads to "comic" mishaps. However it turns out she really isn't a mean girl (just misunderstood)--Reilly becomes lovable--Devane falls in love with her (and vice versa)--and it all leads to a ridiculously improbable ending.
As you can see the plot is just ridiculous (and predictable) and this is NOT a good movie--but I sort of liked it. Berenger and McNamara are very good and play off each other very well. Eleniak is beautiful and sexy and (surprisingly) not a bad actress. The situations they end up in are totally unbelievable and almost always unfunny but I laughed a few times. If you're watching this for t&a--forget it. It's about 50 minutes until Eleniak is in her underwear and another 20 minutes or so before she has a quick nude scene. As a gay guy I had no interest. Anyways McNamara shows more skin than her--he has a few scenes wearing nothing but underpants and once is totally nude. He's handsome and has a smooth, nicely toned body. As it is him and Eleniak became a couple after meeting in this movie. Also there are some familiar faces in small roles--Dean Stockwell, Crispin Glover, Seymour Cassel, Gary Busey, Frederic Forrest and Marilu Henner. Even director Dennis Hopper pops up in multiple roles! So, not a good movie but the acting is on target, there are funny moments and it has female AND male nudity. A pleasant time waster. -
cariart9 October 2002I'll admit, when I first saw this film, in 1994, I thought it was sophomoric, with overripe performances, a brain-dead plot, and an extremely gratuitous sex scene tossed in to show off Erika Eleniak's considerable assets. However, seeing it again, recently, I came to realize this was actually a send-up of the 'good ol' boy' comedies of the seventies, the kind of 'B' movies Roger Corman produced, when he introduced directors like Ron Howard. As such, it's very enjoyable, and certainly worth another look!
The premise is that of an old-fashioned service comedy, with wheeler-dealer William McNamara and put-upon pal Crispen Glover pulling off one last big score before McNamara's discharge. Unfortunately, the scam goes awry as the young con artist is 'recruited' to assist grizzled vet 'Rock Reilly' (Tom Berenger, spitting out dialogue with a whiskey-soaked growl) in a prisoner transfer. The prisoner turns out to be the luscious Erika Eleniak, and as she quickly makes the first of several escape attempts, you get to see: a) exciting new uses for feminine hygiene products; b) the redneck charm of the countryside between Charleston and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; c) some great cameos by Dean Stockwell, Seymour Cassel, Gary Busey, Marilu Henner, Fredric Forrest, and Hopper, himself (sporting a bulbous nose and a blow-up sex toy!); d) the famous Eleniak nude love scene, followed by McNamara chasing her, naked, after she runs, again (he shows more skin than she does); and e) the obligatory happy ending, as Berenger proves he has a 'heart of gold', and that 'love (or a healthy lust, anyway!) conquers all'.
Is this a classic? Are you kidding? Then again, neither were the Corman films...but as a tribute to the genre, 'Chasers' is fun, and a terrific 'kick off the shoes, pop some popcorn' flick! -
JCDude4125 October 2007The movie is not that bad if you are a fan of Erika Eleniak. Just to see her made my day. So if you think like me, is worth watching it. Tom Berenger a veteran navy officer assigned to escort young and beautiful Erika Eleniak on her way to base brig for assault and going AWOL. William McNamara, a navy officer? to help Tom on his tough commission aka duty. She tries to escape a few times "to no avail", then her master mind goes after William slaved already of her charms (and we get to watch the whole thing) Will she get away with it? Well you will just have to watch for yourself; no spoilers allowed or... Good actors in this movie even if they don't have to try hard on their play and ... by the way, this is an R rated movie in the U.S.A. Again, is worth watching.
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A young sailor involved in inventory scams (William McNamara) is assigned SP duty to escort a prisoner from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, back to his base in Charleston, South Carolina. The catch is that the Chief Petty Officer in charge is a curmudgeon (Berenger) and the prisoner is a beautiful woman (Eleniak), not to mention this all happens on his last day before being discharged. Crispin Glover, Gary Busey, Dean Stockwell, Bitty Schram and Marilu Henner have bit parts.
"Chasers" (1994) is the last of seven movies directed by Dennis Hopper and, like his most popular flick "Easy Rider" (1969), it's a road movie, except that this one has a sense of humor, which is mostly low-key and droll. I can't believe it's so obscure because this is easily one of the best road flicks ever made.
Comparable films include "The Last Detail" (1973), "Three for the Road" (1987) and "The Lucky Ones" (2007). This is just as entertaining or better than any of 'em. There's a great story element that's reminiscent of the soon-to-come "Pulp Fiction" (1994).
The story captivates right from the get-go and never goes wrong. It has everything: drama, comedy, human interest, romance, action, redemption and beautiful woman. Speaking of the latter, Hopper knows how to shoot women without getting overly sleazy (no pun intended), although there is one steamy sex scene with some nudity (just a heads up for those who might be offended).
The movie runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in South Carolina as follows: Patriots Point in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Mount Pleasant and Yemassee; with some stuff done in North Carolina, such as Wilmington.
GRADE: A. -
Ed-28816 July 2000I have seen this film on countless occasions, and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. This is mostly due to the lovely Erika Eleniak- a great actress with incredible looks. Plus, any film starring Tom Berenger and Dennis Hopper is bound to be entertaining.