To me, this movie is perfection.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The real problem with this funny film is that aiden quinn cannot in any way be believed to be a hardened criminal, he can barely tie his shoe laces without assistance...and he isn't the least bit funny...put any real man in lieu of this dork and its a huge hit...he dragged this film to the gutter....i loved the rapport between dreyfus and stowe...

In an exciting opening, psycho scary-looking Aidan Quinn (as Richard "Stick" Montgomery) escapes from prison, with help from his model-perfect cousin Ian Tracey (as Caylor Reese). It's an incredibly lucky break - but so effectively done, you leave your brain at the door and enjoy the movie. The case is super-hot, so the FBI calls in Seattle, Washington's finest. Feds figure Mr. Quinn will try to see ex-girlfriend Madeleine Stowe (as Maria McGuire), so they assign detective Richard Dreyfuss (as Chris Lecce) and his young partner Emilio Estevez (as Bill Reimers) to "Stakeout" her home...Watching Ms. McGuire from across the street turns out to have fringe benefits; she's an arousing woman. In order to "tap" her calls, Mr. Dreyfuss poses as a telephone repair man. The two are mutually attracted...Everything works well to make this am entertaining film. Director John Badham puts James Kouf's story together expertly. Dreyfuss bounces off of everyone and everything well; his 1987 "box office" standing took an immediate rise. Action sequences are tightly edited and the cast carries us through. One jarring note in the otherwise fun thrill-ride is the unnecessarily brutal opening; specifically, Quinn's brutality sets an unfunny tone which could have been better paced if his tendency to murder began with his service station heist. We know he's bad. The stunt workers should have received bonus checks.******** Stakeout (8/5/87) John Badham ~ Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, Aidan Quinn, Madeleine Stowe

Two detectives are assigned to spy on the ex-girlfriend of an escaped killer and find themselves enjoying the voyeuristic perks of this duty. Dreyfuss and Estevez are both very engaging and the script gives them a lot of good material, making the endless buddy cop banter common to this sort of exercise not only tolerable, but one of the movie's best features. I found myself laughing out loud even in the movie's slowest parts. Madeleine Stowe is unforgettable as the object of the pairs long-lensed interests and Aidan Quinn had a star-making turn here as the killer. Director John Badham shifts gears effortlessly between farce, action comedy, and suspense depending on the situation and makes the exercise slickly entertaining without anything ever seeming forced of hitting false notes. This is a very entertaining movie. Check it out.

Stakeout is a classic; it has a lot of funny moments, enough action to at least get you a little going, and a perfect but simple love story.Story 9/10 The story is actually simple for an 80es movie, but it does just what is always needed to get a lot of peers to look it up, you will love the small subtle wits, the overall love that is shared between the two, the story goes a little like this. A evil old friend of Maria (Madeleine Stowe)has just escaped prison, his goal is of course to reach her, 4 cops are set on a rather long stakeout, we happen to see all 4 cops but the story revolves more around Bill (Emilio Estevez)and Chris (Richard Dreyfuss) in the start it seems like it is going to be a rather boring stakeout, the girl doesn't even seem to be very pretty in the description of the police records, as many 80es movies, actually as a lot of movies the girl is of course a rather hot babe, and this movie is no exception, Chris who has just been dumped falls head over heels for this girl, hotter then hot, and from there on Chris have to protect his identity so that Maria don't know who he really is, yet this is tougher then he of course realizes, the rest you will need to find out for yourself.Actors: 9/10 We got a mix of a lot of good actors, the most noticeable is of course Emilio Estevez, Richard Dreyfuss, Madeleine Stowe and Aidan Quinn, this movie doesn't have a big cast, and the rest of the actors are really not the ones catching your eyes, since they don't really have much to the story, but some lines from the other actors are fun enough to get you going. If you are a fan of either of these 4 fine actors I suggest picking this movie up while it is still in some lending stores, I just bought it from an online store and felt that old rush, first time I saw it I was ten years old, I know what many are going to say, this is not a movie for a ten year old and it isn't I can go with it, but as ten I loved it anyway, it still rocks just as it did back then.Soundtrack 9/10 I loved the soundtrack, there aren't many numbers in this movie, but the ones that are perfect for the movie, especially the end theme Is It Love, I thought that theme was fitting like moth to a flame. I wouldn't buy the soundtrack just for the numbers there are on this soundtrack but defiantly would go to a store looking for some of the songs. Mr, Mister would be the first I would sort out in a store just for the heck of it, I couldn't find his albums though but that is of course simple cause his carrier was in the 80es and some in the 90es not the 20es, but if you find some I would buy it, believe me some are worth…Special Effects N/A I know this is an action movie but it doesn't really have any special effects, at least not something you would notice, but the ones there are does add a little to the movie, but in my appointing this movie doesn't really not it at all anyways, the comedy and love is enough to hold this movie even for such small flaws, but other then that nothing…Overall 9/10 Everything is perfect, I could take the count down to 8/10 for the special effects but that doesn't really would be fair at all, I didn't even care for the special effects in the first way, so it shouldn't do any good raising a perfectly good movie down to a lower stage. All the way through this movie the mood has a good way of proving something not many movies can do, even if this movie is a lot like any other movie this one does it better, just my thoughts on this gem of a favorite movie.------------------------- If you saw this movie I would not suggest seeing Another Stakeout it has its good moments but it is a boring sequel and it screws over a nearly perfect first movie, it is just filling and doesn't need to be there at all, the first had every potentials and don't need any sequel at all