An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky person.An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky person.An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky person.
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When I first stumbled upon this movie, I didn't watch the French original "La Chèvre" and to this day I haven't rectified that mistake, so I cannot judge how it compares to the original. What I can judge is if this movie is good comedy or a bad comedy movie and I'm happy to say that the answer is the first option. Glover's performance in this movie is so legendary that I can't watch him in any other movie and take him seriously. There are some scenes in this movie that can make you laugh hysterically because of how funny they are. Sure, not every joke hits the mark and some of the gags are too over the top, but at the end of the day, "Pure Luck" is an entertaining movie with lovable characters and good atmosphere that can always provide a comforting way to spend an afternoon. I give it a 7/10! I recommend it to everyone! :)
This Americanized remake of the French film "Le Chevre" is essentially a mild, one joke comedy. That said, that one joke is reasonably amusing and leads to some effective slapstick, all performed with bravado by the talented Martin Short. He and the other cast members make this pleasant, if not hilarious, to watch. Certainly there's gorgeous Mexican scenery to enjoy as well. Eventually the movie does get a little tiresome but it *does* continue with the gags right up to the end credits.
Sheila Kelley co-stars as Valerie Highsmith, the daughter of a business magnate played by Sam Wanamaker. Her character is terminally accident prone, and when she disappears, a psychiatrist in Wanamakers' employ (Harry Shearer) has a brainstorm: use Eugene Proctor (Short), the unluckiest man in the company, to try to track her down. Hopefully these two hapless souls will be just unlucky enough to be drawn to each other somehow. Naturally, dedicated private detective Raymond Campanella (Danny Glover) thinks this is a stupid idea, and he starts to grow weary of Proctors' endless pratfalls, but starts to become a believer as he and Proctor get some leads.
If it weren't for Short, this wouldn't work as well as it does. He just throws himself right into the part. And Glover, just as he did in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, proves to be the consummate straight man. Shearer doesn't really get a chance to be funny, but Wanamaker is good, and the sexy Ms. Kelley is an appealing klutz. Also providing fine support are Scott Wilson as small time crook Frank Grimes - who comes to deeply regret his association with Valerie, Jorge Russek as helpful Mexican police inspector Segura, Jorge Luke as an amiable pilot, and Sergio Calderon as a sleazy bartender.
The best gag revolves around a bee sting, with fun makeup effects by the ever reliable KNB effects group.
All in all, it's watchable enough, and good for some modest chuckles.
Six out of 10.
Sheila Kelley co-stars as Valerie Highsmith, the daughter of a business magnate played by Sam Wanamaker. Her character is terminally accident prone, and when she disappears, a psychiatrist in Wanamakers' employ (Harry Shearer) has a brainstorm: use Eugene Proctor (Short), the unluckiest man in the company, to try to track her down. Hopefully these two hapless souls will be just unlucky enough to be drawn to each other somehow. Naturally, dedicated private detective Raymond Campanella (Danny Glover) thinks this is a stupid idea, and he starts to grow weary of Proctors' endless pratfalls, but starts to become a believer as he and Proctor get some leads.
If it weren't for Short, this wouldn't work as well as it does. He just throws himself right into the part. And Glover, just as he did in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, proves to be the consummate straight man. Shearer doesn't really get a chance to be funny, but Wanamaker is good, and the sexy Ms. Kelley is an appealing klutz. Also providing fine support are Scott Wilson as small time crook Frank Grimes - who comes to deeply regret his association with Valerie, Jorge Russek as helpful Mexican police inspector Segura, Jorge Luke as an amiable pilot, and Sergio Calderon as a sleazy bartender.
The best gag revolves around a bee sting, with fun makeup effects by the ever reliable KNB effects group.
All in all, it's watchable enough, and good for some modest chuckles.
Six out of 10.
What has everybody got against this movie? It's damn funny! Martin Short and Danny Glover going over from NYC to Mexico to search for the accident-prone daughter of Short's big company boss Highsmith. Monosoft, played by the brilliant Harry Shearer, has the idea of sending Eugene Proctor (Short) to Mexico with detective Raymond Campanella (Glover). The jokes come thick and fast and, although sometimes predictable, the movie goes along fine with plenty of wonderful slapstick thrown in all over the place. Probably the funniest scene of Eugene inflating to twice his size because of a bee sting in the helicopter! All in all, this is not a movie to be taken too seriously! It's a funny, light-hearted film with plenty of action and comedy thrown in that will always entertain well for people of all ages.8/10
I loved this movie. It is always real funny. There is a good scene that is real funny and martin short gets stung by a bee or maybe a wasp. what happens next, i won't spoil it for you (Let's just say he gets a little fat). I fell off my chair when i laughed real hard at that.
Hollywood should shy away from the inane types of remakes it tries to make out of some French films. This one in particular was based on "Le Chevre" by Francis Veber. French humor is not well understood once it's translated. The original film wasn't that great, to begin with. It's a mystery why Nadia Tass undertook to direct this film, at all. The screen play by Herbert Weingrod must have looked a lot funnier than what we see on the screen.
Martin Short, as a comedian, is very funny. He has not fared well in the movies. It could be his choices that have limited him, or just that he is completely hysterical in one medium and with the wrong guidance, he will be not as funny in films like this. The jokes in this movie are too tired.
Danny Glover, on the other hand, playing the straight man, to Mr. Short's funny one, fares better. The pairing of these two men sometimes work, but much of the time, even an experienced and talented actor of Mr. Glover's stature, falls flat.
Watch it at your own risk.
Martin Short, as a comedian, is very funny. He has not fared well in the movies. It could be his choices that have limited him, or just that he is completely hysterical in one medium and with the wrong guidance, he will be not as funny in films like this. The jokes in this movie are too tired.
Danny Glover, on the other hand, playing the straight man, to Mr. Short's funny one, fares better. The pairing of these two men sometimes work, but much of the time, even an experienced and talented actor of Mr. Glover's stature, falls flat.
Watch it at your own risk.
Did you know
- TriviaMartin Short sports red hair in this film rather than his natural dark brown hair he usually has. This stems from his work on "Clifford" for Orion Pictures which had been filmed around this time. Rather than change it from the dutch-boy hair cut featured in that film, he wore it in a perm instead to give it a wacky, unlucky look.
- GoofsWhen Eugene gets the car stuck in the sand on the side of the road, Raymond is pointing a gun at the guy who kidnapped Valerie. The gun changes from a Colt to a Baretta several times between shots.
- Quotes
Campanella: My life was dull before I met you, Eugene.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- ¡Qué perra suerte!
- Filming locations
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada(The scene in the beginning where they are driving over the granville bridge with the mountains & Bank of Montreal tower in the backround)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $17,010,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,641,969
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,010,810
- Aug 11, 1991
- Gross worldwide
- $24,941,969
- Runtime
- 1h 36m(96 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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