Bill Murray stars as a bank robber with a unique plan - he'll rob the bank dressed as a clown, but carry out the money taped to his body - and those of his two accomplices - "hostages" who have been released as a sign of good faith as certain potential getaway vehicles (2 helicopters, a motorcycle, a city bus, and a monster truck) are provided. The plan works perfectly as the gang makes their escape from the bank in plain sight.
Then things go wrong.
The movie contrasts the perfect execution of a difficult task - robbing a bank, and then getting out and past the police, with the terrible execution of a simple task - getting to the airport in time to catch a flight. In both stages, Murray provides the kind of humor associated with him, taking nothing seriously even in the tightest of situations.
Jason Robbards provides an excellent contrast, as a chief of police who refuses to be outwitted by a smart-mouthed bank robber in a clown suit, who escaped from right under his nose.
