Why so much hype?

Highly Overrated But Still Good

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I wasn't aware of the Disney studios' involvement in the production of "Trenchcoat" until I read about it; the final result certainly has few Disney-ish touches. It's more of an 1980s update of classic "innocent caught in an exotic adventure" films like "Charade". Of course Robert Hays and Margot Kidder are not Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, but anyway - Kidder is charming and her body language shows that she has a knack for physical comedy, while Hays is a little bland yet adequate. And there is an extra bonus for fans of the long-running "Poirot" TV series: a young-looking David Suchet appears (only in the first half, though) as a Maltese police inspector, with voice mannerisms that will sound very familiar to anyone (like me) who has closely followed his "Poirot" interpretation through the years. This inspector, by the way, is pretty much the only important character who really is who he claims to be in this twisty tale. The Malta locations are not outstandingly captured, but they're pleasant enough. Forget any possible Disney prejudices and watch this one. **1/2 out of 4.

I saw this film many years ago and loved it immensely...much better than the current "Stranger than Fiction" which follows a similar theme. My question now is, "When is it coming out on DVD???" This is one film I would purchase in a flash and I'm a bit disappointed that it has not yet been released on DVD and even the VHS release has been out of print, so to speak, for many years. Time to write Disney again! The coupling of Margot Kidder and Robert Hays is brilliant and the intrigue is captivating. The tension builds when Kidder's "novel" ends up in police evidence files and is taken literally but all along the banter between hers and Hays' roles is delightful. A definite keeper!

I think that putting this movie under the Disney label even with controversy surrounding it was a good move. That is just what the studio needed at a time when people were straying away from the usual cutsie "Disney" movies, like "The Rescuers"(1977), or even "petes Dragon"(1977) for that matter. This is more of an adult centered film, and that is what makes it special. Parents will enjoy this film more than their kids. But any children watching this film under about the age of 12 or 13, SHOULD have parental guidance, because the film does have some suggestive content. Over all, I gave it 8/10, mostly for the story line and character situations. It was GOOD!!!

Margot Kidder is unstoppable. She will always be there when you need to be entertained. This film was one of the Disney film which were made to change the image of the company. Needless to say by the films controversy, it did.Kidder is ambitious, hard edged writer on her way to write her first big mystery novel, when she stumbles upon Hayes, a lier and fraud, who turns out to be working for... Leave that up to audiences. Kidder falls upon a real plot of terror and adventure when she is kidnapped and taken to a hotel where murder and mayhem ensues. Then things get really ugly. Hayes and Kidder have great chemistry together. Intellect and acting makes up for some lulls earlier on in the film, and when you see the "Club scene" with "Princess Aida"... Laughs and even a bit of tension highlight this film with strange yet watchable locations, and bit of Italian! 8/10