A masked gang rob a Treasury Department armor truck and steals the printing plates. Vince Ricardo (Peter Falk) needs $1.5 million by tomorrow for the plates but his son is getting married. The bride's father is mild-mannered dentist Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin) and the family has never met Vince. After having the family dinner, Sheldon doesn't like Vince and tries to stop the wedding. Vince barges into Shelly's office and drags him out for 5 minutes. Vince convinces him to break into his office to get a bag while two armed goons are waiting outside. After a shootout, Vince tells him that he's actually CIA gone off the reservation to run his own operation. He had stolen the plates to lure out South American cartel who had stolen plates of other currencies and intends to create hyper inflation making the South American debts worthless. The Feds find a plate in Shelly's basement left there by Vince and the two go off on an even wilder adventure in South America.
The plot is convoluted. The characters are irrational. It makes no sense that Shelly would do anything for Vince after trying to stop the wedding. The whole operation makes no sense. It makes even less sense that Shelly would follow Vince's lead in anything. It would be a completely pointless movie if not for Alan Arkin. He's great as scared and flustering. Peter Falk is also good and their odd couple chemistry saves the movie.
The plot is convoluted. The characters are irrational. It makes no sense that Shelly would do anything for Vince after trying to stop the wedding. The whole operation makes no sense. It makes even less sense that Shelly would follow Vince's lead in anything. It would be a completely pointless movie if not for Alan Arkin. He's great as scared and flustering. Peter Falk is also good and their odd couple chemistry saves the movie.