Pionniers malgré eux

My wife and I actually quite enjoyed this movie. It was by no means John Candy's best but it was certainly better than we expected. Perhaps that's why I disagree with what most critics say.

Perhaps I love it for sentimental reasons knowing that Candy died just before the movie was completed. Nonetheless we had a good laugh and I do recommend this as a good pop corn movie.

The main premise of the movie is that there are a group of individuals in a small western town that have had it with "The Code" of the west. They hire a drunken guide (Candy) to take them back east and thus starts the comedy of errors as they go against the grain.

Admittedly the acting is only fair at best, but then again most of these characters are comedians do a pretty good job of playing off each other.

Not only is it John Candy last movie (He passed away whilst filming) it's also one of his worst. Through no fault of his own, it just doesn't work, which is ridiculous seeing as there's a load of comedians in it. Maybe it's because I'm not American but I found absolutely no worth in the movie whatsoever. Nothing. So God bless John Candy. Shame on the rest of you for such a dud movie.

B'leve it or not, most people said this was a sad, sad, movie. Well, I'm here to tell ya I really liked it.

My former teacher reccomended it to my mother....she said she thought I would like it.... so my Mom brought it home, ostensibly for my little sister, and I watched it that night while everyone else was gone, because I really like John Candy and I recently fell in love with Richard Lewis (in "Once Upon a Crime" believe me it doesn't happen often) Anyway, I wasn't particularly expecting a funny movie, but I liked the premise, and then it started and I about died laughing. Candy is distinctly uncomfortable during it, something understandable, and the movie definitely pulls no punches. But even so, all the actors had such great comic presence.... I'm not usually a laugh out loud person, and so the only parts I laughed at was the revelation of Harlow's secret (I';m no snitch, I won't tell you what it is) and ensuing conversation, and the Big Tough General Larchmont asking for a bedtime story, and Lewis's conversation with his kids....amounting to the sort of things that would go on in a regular, modern-day car ride when you have a son and a daughter. But the biggest surprise: Lewis himself. Here we have a guy with a big chin and buggy eyes, who always appears as himself, constantly has shoulder-length greasy hair, and one of the oddest smiles since the days of Chico Marx.... and here we have me, laughing at him. Go figure. I love Chico Marx too.

Wagons East was a fun movie. I love the premise of settlers going "back east", principally, because I'm Native American. It was almost like watching a Mel Brooks' movie, not one stereotype was left untouched. John McGinley, who played Julian, is one of my favorite actors. He has an amazing range. However, it's too bad that this was John Candy's last film. You can that he didn't enjoy the shoot and that he wasn't feeling well. I recommend it.

It's not a brilliant film, certainly not John Candy's best work, but I would like to commend the editors. John Candy died during production of this movie, and just under half the scenes were recorded using another actor in John Candy's place. Candy's face was then added using computers. And it's an almost perfect job.