Paul Flaherty directed the film, which co-stars Annie Potts, Jeffrey Jones and Shawnee Smith.

[3] The story concerns the often incompetent, sometimes brilliant, private investigator Harry Crumb, who searches for a kidnapping victim.

A bumbling, clumsy, but dedicated detective with a penchant for disguises, Harry is recalled from the Tulsa, Oklahoma branch where he was assigned ten years earlier to keep him away from the head office.

Harry meets with the Downing family, including Jennifer's overlooked younger sister Nikki and P.J.

Eliot sends a new ransom demanding the money by Friday, which Helen intercepts and changes to the following Monday, giving herself more time to kill P.J.. Eliot has his accomplice Dwayne force Jennifer to call and re-confirm the ransom for Friday, to be exchanged at the horse racing track.

Eliot takes the briefcase containing the cash from Harry, ostensibly under instructions from the kidnapper, and leaves for the airport.

At the airport, Eliot calls Helen, admits his role in the kidnapping, and asks her to come with him to Buenos Aires now that he is rich, to which she readily agrees.

Vince overhears the call and intercepts the pair, taking the money and causing Helen to rejoin him.

Nikki rams the stair car into the plane, allowing Harry to capture Helen and Vince, who are taken into police custody.

Assuming Harry has deduced his part in the kidnapping and exasperated at his success, Eliot confesses and is arrested.

center on detectives who both feign wisdom while being oblivious, not to mention the same fish sight gag, Maslin concludes that Leslie Nielsen comes out the better in the comparison.

"[13] In March 2018, Den of Geek included the film as one of "The Underrated Movies of 1989", commenting that it "isn't necessarily vintage Candy...it's still a lot of fun, and gives him a title role that he clearly enjoyed.