Frank McKlusky, C.I.

I guess I am the only person to see this movie. I think it's only playing in about 10 markets right now, all of them in Florida. I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would from the ads- the star, Dave Sheridan, is a very funny comedian who is an alumnus of Second City and appeared in small roles in "Scary Movie" and "Ghost World". He is reminiscent of a young Jim Carrey in the role of the helmet-sporting Frank McKlusky. During the movie, he dons several "disguises" that are pretty funny- the female gymnast scene probably being the best of the bunch. For some reason, there were a lot of '80s references in this movie too- from Scott Baio to Willie Tyler and Lester to ALF (ok, a poster of ALF on a wall in one scene), there are a lot of cult icons in this movie that give it a kitsch status. Cameos by funny people like Saturday Night Live's Tracy Morgan and an embarrassed-looking Andy Richter help make it watchable too. In fact, I think this is probably the single weirdest cast ever assembled for one movie- and wait until you see female wrestler Chyna in her assortment of "sexy" outfits throughout the film.

So if it is playing in your area, take a chance on this movie and you might just get some laughs out of it. Or look for it on video in a few weeks where I am sure it will soon appear. Maybe next time Sheridan will be given a chance rather than having his movie dumped into a handful of theaters with little promotion.

Despite being made by a major Hollywood studio, "Frank McKlusky, C.I." barely got a theatrical release. Watching it, it's easy to see why the studio got cold feet. To be fair, it's some distance from the worst comedies I have seen. For one thing, Dave Sheridan takes the lead role that could have been made absolutely obnoxious by another actor and makes the character quite likable. And there are a few mild chuckles here and there. However, the movie for the most part simply isn't that funny. Some gags border on bad taste, but most of the failed gags not only come across as quite childish (like a child actually conceived them), but are executed with a surprising lack of crazy energy. It doesn't help that the production values of the entire enterprise come across as surprisingly shoddy at time. At least the movie is somewhat short (only 82 minutes if you count the closing credits), though there are signs that the movie was significantly cut down in the editing room, perhaps in a desperate attempt to save it.

This movie is so bad that the producers would not let it be released into theaters. Although it is awful I would suggest that you watch this movie because it is very entertaining. Entertaining in the sense that it is so bad. The movie's bad acting and cameo appearences will make you laugh, not the plot or punchlines.

Today I have lost about two hours of my Saturday afternoon watching this crap. This trash is so awful and ridiculous that does not deserve my review. It is enough to read the summary of other IMDb users:

• No toilet bowl is large enough to hold the crap this movie produces

• Avoid this movie at all costs

• So Unfunny

• This movie is so bad the producers would not let it be released into theaters

• The worst movie I've ever seen...

• Avoid at all costs

My vote is one.

Title (Brazil): 'As Aventuras de Frank McKlusky' ('The Adventures of Frank McKlusky')

Comedian Dave Sheridan doesn't seem too concerned with forging his own identity here, largely content to ape Jim Carrey (the resemblance between the two is undeniable). Unfortunately, the script here (based on a story by Sheridan & screenwriter Mark Perez) is third-rate material. Occasionally it IS good for chuckles (such as Sheridans' choice of disguise at one point), and some people will appreciate the tendency of the movie to go for broke and not worry about political correctness.

Sheridan plays the title character, who's the son of a failed daredevil (Randy Quaid). After dad has a VERY bad accident, Frank grows up to be an ultra-safety conscious claims investigator for an insurance corporation. He loves what he does, and in his own incredibly goofy way, he's good at his job. Ultimately, he's out to nail two shameless ambulance-chasing lawyers (Kevin Pollak and Tracy Morgan), as well as a paraplegic (Enrico Colantoni) whom he suspects isn't disabled at all.

There are non-stop celebrity cameos in this one, which may help to make the movie palatable for otherwise unimpressed viewers. The funniest may actually be the late Joanie Laurer (a.k.a. wrestler Chyna), a hoot as an oversexed file clerk. By nature of the plot, Quaid gets precious little to do once the set-up is over, and country & Western sweetheart Dolly Parton adopts a "grin and bear it" attitude as the over-protective mom, who's given to calling Franks' new junior partner Sharon (the gorgeous and adorable Cameron Richardson) a "hussy".

Ultimately, a ridiculous movie whose cartoonish nature would have suited Carrey just as well. Sheridan has his moments, but the fate of this movie rather put an end to any chance he might have had for headlining future vehicles. As it is, it barely got a theatrical release.

Four out of 10.