Dudley Do-Right

Dudley Do-Right, Canadian Mountie (Brendan Fraser) is on his post in a remote village in Canada. A lifelong resident of the area, it was Dudley's childhood dream to become a Mountie. He lives in a small cabin with only his horse, Horse, as a companion. Yet, two people from Dudley's past resurface in the small, nearby village. One is Nell (Sara Jessica Parker) who Dudley has loved since their tweenage years. She has returned from a trip around the world and is more lovely than ever. But, alas, the other returnee is the dastardly Snidely Whiplash (Alfred Molina). He was Dudley's rival for Nell's affections long ago, despite his evil and conniving ways. Soon, Snidely has taken over the town's businesses, by hook and by crook, and is making a big play for Nell's attention while Dudley manages to upset the ruling party in Ottawa and is fired from his post. The world is looking pretty harsh to Dudley, that is for certain. Will he recover his job and win the heart of Nell? This is a second, cartoon-based film for Fraser, after the infinitely more successful George of the Jungle. The same creative minds were at work here but the results are far from perfect. Don't blame the cast, however, for Fraser, Parker, and Molina, with a bit of help from Eric Idle and Alex Rocco, are the reasons to see the film at all. Simply put, they are terrific and rise above the mundane script and uneven direction. Certainly, there are some very funny scenes, such as the one in which Snidely orders a poor lady and her children out of their home or where Dudley has the bad luck to have a moose head fall on him during a critical moment with Nell. Now, that's entertainment. Unfortunately, though, a few good scenes do not a great film make. Yet, if you like silly nonsense with likable stars, you might take a chance with this film. Yes, it may elicit a yawn here or there, but it's truly not a bad way to spend a couple of leisure hours.

First, may I humbly beseech the forgiveness of the Canadian People, for yet another AWFUL characterization of your people and your country. You have every right to be duly proud of the heritage of the R.C.M.P./Gendarmerie royale du Canada.

DUDLEY DO-RIGHT, the motion picture (yet another money seeking "parody" on cartoons of the 1960's...BORIS AND NATASHA, GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, etc.) had the potential. Brendan Fraser is a very talented actor, and is not too darn hard on the eyes...*ahem*. Sarah Jessica Parker, Alfred Molina, Alex Rocco, Eric Idle and one of my favorite character actors, Robert Prosky, head up the cast. So, what exactly went wrong? Well, how about a lame, unfunny script that made for 83 minutes of painful viewing? I think we're getting WARM.

Very few chuckles here, provided mostly by Eric Idle and Alex Rocco, who do the best with what they have. This was the only thing that saved DUDLEY DO-RIGHT from being a complete catastrophe. If this is the only thing left on the video shelf, make a night of it with a game of Monopoly or Yahtzee, instead. You'll thank yourself in the morning.

This actually wasn't as bad as you might think. It's harmless fluff, silly in many parts but also a movie filled with likable characters and good adult jokes that go over the kids' heads. It's clean stuff: references to other movies and things. It's one of these films you find yourself laughing more than the kids but the next day you really can't remember much that you saw. In other words, you will be entertained but it's not a memorable movie.

The horse might be in the running as the most memorable character in the film. Even the villain isn't despicable. He's more cartoon-like than evil. Alfred Molina does a nice job as "Snidely Whiplash." Eric Idle and Sarah Jessica Parker are also good in here.

Brendan Fraser, playing the title role, was on a role their for a couple of years, playing these silly, comedic roles and being successful in doing so (i.e. George Of The Jungle, Bedazzled, etc.)

Don't dismiss this as totally stupid. It will surprise you. All of us can use a good laugh and this movie provides plenty.

Brendan Fraser wasted his time and talent and Sarah Jessica Parker made the biggest movie mistake in choosing to star in "Dudley Do-Right."

"Dudley Do-Right" is the type of movie everyone hopes will be a success. Unfortunately, the writing did not measure up to the level of talent that signed on to the movie. It is always fun to watch comedic spoofs if they are written well and are logical. However, this film broke both these rules.

It was clear that there was no plot or humor in "Dudley Do-Right." The only thing that made it bearable was the narrator because he is the only character who kept my interest.

SKIP this movie because you will be sorely disappointed if you don't

I though this film was going to be nothing but juvenile nonsense. How pleased I was when I discovered that it was a lot livelier and energetic than I predicted.

The voice-over never once annoyed me as I thought it would and everyone in this movie seems to go overboard with their characters. Yet, despite all the energy and frenetic comedy, the film never feels indulgent.

The plot is, of course, nonsense. But then again you hardly want a family movie to have a labyrinth plot. Dudley Do-Right may have flopped but I don't know why. It's in the same field as the terrible "Waterboy" but that made over $100, 000, 000. This I won't understand. Maybe it's only because Canadians will truly love the intellectually-challenged Mountie.