Kind of living up to its name, A Fine Mess is a mess alright; some mafia henchmen have drugged a race horse and when two deadbeats find out about it and win a ton of cash, the crooks go after them. Most of the rest of the movie consists of the goody henchmen chasing the men around in extended chase sequences, often sped up for a comedic effect.

Unlikely and inane plot twists follow each other as they purchase a piano from the auction by accident and then sell it to the mob boss. The writer and director Blake Edwards based the movie on an old Laurel & Hardy style, which does not translate well at all to the contemporary movie. Not in this particular experimentation at least.

There’s a slight positive undertone with the movie that keeps watchable, at least for awhile. But as the bad ingredients keep piling on, A Fine Mess becomes less on an entertainment and more a chore to watch.

80s-o-meter: 62%

Total: 32%