The Odd Couple II (1998)

The Odd Couple II - 1998

Coming up next is 1998's "The Odd Couple II", the sequel to the smash hit "The Odd Couple", which sees Felix Unger and Oscar Madison back up to their old hijinks and getting on each other's nerves.  This time they are headed to the wedding of their children.

The film's cast includes Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Richard Riehle, Jonathan Silverman, Lisa Waltz, Mary Beth Peil, Christine Baranski, Jean Smart, Jay O. Sanders, Rex Linn, Barnard Hughes, Ellen Greer, Doris Belack, Alice Ghostley, Florence Stanley, Estelle Harris, and Earl Boen.

Mess-cat Oscar Madison gets a call from his son informing him that he's getting married.  When Oscar asks who the bride is, he gets the shock of his life.

The bride is the daughter of neat-freak and hypochondriac Felix Unger, a former roommate of Oscar's.  Both are happy for their children, but they're not exactly pleased to be in-laws.

On the flight to California, Felix has trouble when other passengers start putting on perfume and cologne.  His "allergies" kick into high gear.  And he makes a general nuisance of himself with the flight attendant.

When Felix and Oscar see each other for the first time in years at the airport, they rush towards each other.  Felix trips over someone's suitcase and ends up landing right on top of Oscar.

Things don't get off to a start.  Felix ends up in a wheelchair and Oscar steals a bucket from the rental car agency so that Felix can ice his ankle.  In the process, Oscar leaves Felix's suitcase behind.

Felix's constant nitpicking and jibber-jabber cause Oscar to get fed up.  He quickly pulls the car off of the freeway, nearly causing a multi-car collision!

While taking a "shortcut" through the desert, they get stranded when Oscar forgets to use the brakes and the car careens off a cliff and explodes.

They must now trudge along on foot.  They get frustrated when they miss the few cars that pass through the area.

While waiting for a car to help them, Felix and Oscar get crop-dusted.  "We look like a couple of Pillsbury Dough Boys," says Felix.  "We should get out of the sun before we start to rise," quips Oscar.

The bad luck keeps on coming when the guys get arrested for accidentally smuggling illegal aliens.

Things start to look up when they get a hotel room for the night.  At dinner in a local bar, they meet a couple of ladies who are very enthusiastic about dancing with him.  "You know, I went to high school with a boy like you," says one of them to Felix.  "Who was he, the principal?" he asks.

The next morning, the guys hitch a ride with an old-timer who barely puts his foot on the gas pedal.  As luck would have it, the old guy dies at the wheel, and Felix and Oscar are stranded once again.

Exhausted, the two men get tickets for a bus that will take them to their destination.

But, their unlucky streak keeps on coming.  A hold-up causes them to once again take a detour in their journey.

They eventually do make it to the wedding, and both Felix and Oscar are able to wish their children well.

A little while later, Oscar gets a knock on his door and is surprised to see Felix standing there.  He needs a place to stay and moves right on in.  Oscar can only put his head in his hands as Felix gets right back to his old tricks and starts ordering Oscar's disorderly life.

Cast rundown:

   Jack Lemmon..............................Felix Unger

   Walter Matthau............................Oscar Madison

   Richard Riehle.............................Chief Of Police

   Jonathan Silverman......................Brucey Madison

   Lisa Waltz....................................Anna Unger

   Mary Beth Peil..............................Felice Adams

   Christine Baranski........................Thelma

   Jean Smart..................................Holly

   Jay O. Sanders.............................Leroy

   Rex Linn......................................JayJay

   Barnard Hughes...........................Beaumont

   Ellen Greer..................................Frances Melnick

   Doris Belack................................Blanche Povitch

   Alice Ghostley..............................Esther

   Florence Stanley...........................Hattie

   Estelle Harris...............................Flirting Woman

   Earl Boen....................................Fred

And that's it for The Odd Couple II.  This was the final film collaboration of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, who had made ten films together.  At the time of its release, this film held the record for the longest gap between the original movie and a sequel in which the original actors reprised their roles.

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