Another parody, another dollar. That seems to be the rationale behind Fatal Instinct, since it attempts to spoof half a dozen thrillers and to copy the incredibly stupid joke formula of The Naked Gun flicks. It fails on most counts — which is hard to understand, considering how little it's trying to do in the first place.
Armand Assante plays a lawyer/police officer. He arrests suspects at night and defends them in the morning. Sherilyn Fenn is literally his straight-shooting secretary. She loves Assante, but is haunted by memories of an abusive husband, who's stalking her. Kate Nelligan plays Assante's wife, a lust-driven schemer who's just discovered that her husband's insurance policy contains a triple indemnity clause. Sean Young is an ice-pick-wielding femme fatale with a taste for bizarre sex, blackmail and plot loopholes.
The gags are obvious, and the punchlines mostly refer to key parts of Assante's anatomy. Fatal Instinct is more than just a bad comedy: it's such a dreary, unimaginative farce that it can't even get a Three Stooges gag right.
The movie's only unique wrinkle is Assante's odd performance, which creates a character reminiscent of an underplayed version of William F. Buckley. The real Buckley is actually funnier to watch, however — especially when he rolls his eyeballs.
The best thing to be said about Fatal Instinct is that there probably won't be a sequel.
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