George Segal plays an everyman type here, who is targeted by the IRS as a warning to other everyman types who might be considering cheating on their taxes. They take everything from him- but they cannot break him! He, like, fights back! This isn't an entirely unfunny movie, but it comes close. The central theme is corrupted somewhat by George's character acting like a hot-tempered nutter in all his dealings with the authorities, which lowers your sympathy levels for him. By the time he takes the taxman hostage (A guy who looks a lot like a fat John Cusack), you're beginning to think that it might not be the worst thing if a police sniper took him out, providing an unexpected and shockingly brutal change of pace.
That doesn't happen, naturally. There is an absolutely ridiculous court scene at the end, where George takes over from his incompetent lawyers, and not only proves that he's been unfairly picked on, but that the IRS are forcing girls to work as hookers and seduce men into admitting they cheat on their taxes. After this, he is forgiven all his hostage-taking, axe-wielding, and bank-manager-strangling, and everybody cheers.
It is a silly film.
That doesn't happen, naturally. There is an absolutely ridiculous court scene at the end, where George takes over from his incompetent lawyers, and not only proves that he's been unfairly picked on, but that the IRS are forcing girls to work as hookers and seduce men into admitting they cheat on their taxes. After this, he is forgiven all his hostage-taking, axe-wielding, and bank-manager-strangling, and everybody cheers.
It is a silly film.
