La fortuna bussa alla porta... il problema è farla entrare

Carvey stars in this fun comedy of mistaken indentities and big money. Carvey does many SNL-style characters and skits and carries the film, with help from Loggia, Graff and old pro Milo O'Shea.

If you like Dana Carvey, you'll dig this movie. If you don't, well, then it's pretty lame. But as a vehicle for Mr. Carvey, this story of a con-man weasling his way into an affluent family in order to fleece them, only to fall in love with their daughter, it's even better than it needed to be. The lines and scenes are all pretty good, if not somewhat non-offensive and restrained. The county club lunch with the old couple is classic and Carvey is about as charming as he gets. The wine ordering scene and the expression on his face when he finally takes a sip of the Chateau Lafite is practically worth the price of admission alone. "Hey Milt, think he's gonna come by and burp me after lunch?" Robert Loggia is also excellent as the successful but down-to-Earth CEO who is charmed by Dana's rough edges. Corny, predictable, and yet a totally worthwhile way to spend two hours with one of SNL's favorite sons.

I'm the first to be skeptical of any movie like this. In fact, most movies I watch these days involves at least one visit to IMDb.COM first. But some movies, no matter how accurately they may be reviewed for technical merits just can't review the sentimental or personal value they may have to you. This is one of them. Oh, trust me - I've watched my share of movies like this that have left me more than high and dry - but this one is different (at least for me). I've always felt Dana Carvey was a special comedian and has never reached his full potential as an actor. However poor the writing, or perhaps his acting, the movie is engaging enough to keep this harden skeptic enthralled for greater than 90mins. That's saying a lot.

This movie will surely not go down in history as a one of the 'greats' of comedy - but is well worth an evening if you're just looking for something funny, heart-touching and romantic.

To cut to the chase, "Opportunity Knocks" was funny about half-way through, but then it became tiresome and predictable.

Dana Carvey plays Eddie Farrell, the world's most successful conman. Well, not really. He's a good conman, but he isn't rich. He and his co-conman Lou (Todd Graff) have been down on their luck lately. But things really escalate downwards when a vicious loan shark comes looking for the men. So they rob a home to get some quick cash. While they do so, an answering machine on a desk clicks on. Eddie and Lou listen to find out that not only is the owner away for a month or two, but that the person supposed to be watching the house has called saying he won't be able to come over to the home, due to a new job in another part of the country. So Eddie and Lou relax in the rich man's home until Milt Malkin (Robert Loggia) shows up--president of a hair-blowing company. Milt is a distant relative of the homeowner, yet he has never seen him before. Therefore, Milt mistakes Eddie for Jonathan, the owner of the home. Eddie, thinking this is all great, plays as the houseowner...and the shenanigans begin...

"Opportunity Knocks" is one of those movies with a decent premise, and some typical eighties' comedies laughs. But even the half-baked laughs soon evaporate as the plot becomes tiring and thin. There gets to be a certain point of Eddie pretending to be someone he isn't that becomes unfunny.

"Opportunity Knocks" is Dana Carvey's first main starring role. We know what this means. Somewhere in there they're going to fit in a Bush impersonation. Luckily, they do it quite well, and it proves to be one of the most interesting and amusing, if not hysterical scenes in the film.

"Opportunity Knocks," despite some average laughs, has a certain charm to it that is attracting. Perhaps it is the characters. Perhaps it is just the style of the film. I'm not sure. It's just a very charming film. Technically it is very typical, but if you look deeper it has a strange charm to it that is hard not to like. And besides, who cannot like Dana Carvey? Oops, spoke too soon--"Master of Disguise" just popped to mind.

I actually was beginning to really get into this film, before the last quarter or so that is so predictable and stereotypical for the genre that it was quite disappointing.

In the end, "Opportunity Knocks" has some good potential, ultimately some good laughs, never reaches its full potential, yet is still charming and worth watching.

How's that for a confusing review?

3/5 stars -

John Ulmer

Dana Carvey is one of the last great actors who came from Saturday Night Live. There are now only about 2 or 3 that are worth seeing their movies. This is classic of Carvey. It kept me laughing all the way through even though they tried to make it a sappy romance at one point. The cons were funny and so was his character. If you like seeing Carvey then this film is for you. If you don't I would suggest watching something different or some old SNL to see what he is like. Good movie all around I believe though.