WILLIAM FRIEDKIN DIRECTS CHEVY CHASE IN 'DEAL OF THE CENTURY'

1983 rating: **

Playing like an unfunny FLETCH or a pointless SPIES LIKE US, this 1980's political comedy stars Chevy Chase as a glib arms dealer with askew charm and moral ambiguity, venturing throughout a third world country, and then back home, without a care in the world: just as long as he's paid.

Sidekick Gregory Hines and love interest Sigourney Weaver add little to this dated mess directed by William Friedkin who, at this point, couldn't direct traffic. And as anti-cold-war comedies go, this makes BEST DEFENSE seem like DR. STRANGELOVE. The poster to this film has the three leads, Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines and Sigourney Weaver with their thumbs out. Chase and Hines are giving thumbs up, and Weaver's thumb is down. She's got the right idea.