Though the original
Fletch was drubbed by critics, it proved a major success for star
Chevy Chase. It was inevitable, then, that a sequel would make an appearance. Surprisingly, Fletch Lives didn't come out until 1989--a full five years after the original. Once more, Chase stars as Irwin Maurice "Fletch" Fletcher, the gonzo investigative reporter created by novelist Gregory McDonald. Indulging his penchant for disguises and bizarre aliases, Fletch investigates a deep dark mystery at a crumbling Southern plantation. Various friends and enemies are portrayed con brio by
Hal Holbrook,
Cleavon Little, Juliane Phillips, Randall "Tex" Cobb,
Richard Libertini and
Richard Belzer (Chase's cohort from the old
Groove Tube days). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide