Duke's fame comes from how, when he found out who he was working for, stole $15m from the Chicago Mob gave the bulk of it to charities and went on the run.
Mob Boss Jimmy Serrano (Dennis Farina) is, not unexpectedly, also looking for Duke but so is FBI agent Mosely (Yaphet Kotto) who wants to turn him State's evidence.
Shenanigans ensue.
This action comedy looks quite old-fashioned compared to contemporaries like Die Hard, with late 70s/early 80s styling. I had to check what year it was made in.
It's also a weird genre-mashing thing where quite big/bad stuff is happening on-screen but played for laughs. For example, snipers attacking passengers getting off a bus and the FBI killing them in a hail of bullets, while Jack and Duke sneak away from the distracted agents.
Farina's mob boss is played semi-straight, as is Yaphet Kotto's FBI agent with the comedy coming from their bungling underlings and Walsh's thumbing his nose at them.
It initially feels like it won't work but the odd couple relationship that develops between De Niro and Grodin's characters is what makes it. Walsh is a stereotype macho ex-cop and Duke a very sober, moral character who advises him to eat more healthily, give up smoking and reconcile with his ex-wife while being towed about in handcuffs.
The journey across the US gets shambolic for various reasons and at points there are quite big action scenes including car chases, helicopter chases and big shootouts.
Somehow by the end it's an example of weird, positive male friendship built through facing adversity and had me unexpectedly laughing a lot 8/10.