Dudley Do-Right

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.

What we have here is a failure to communicate any of the satire created by genius Jay Ward! Mr. Wilson made so many mistakes in telling Dudley's story that I believe this is simply not the Dudley Do-Right story, this was someone elses story. The set up should have centered more on the Mounties and less on Whiplash's plan, which dominated the entire film. Never once did Dudley have to rescue Nell, in fact, she seemed smittened by Whiplash. This gave less-than-attractive Sara Jessica Parker very little to do, not that as an actress, she has much to bring to the table. Aside from this, her character, Nell, was (under) written as though the writer (s) didn't want the character in the first place. Maybe, because Parker was re-cast in the role. Second Choice?

The character of Horse, which could have been an interesting character asset to Dudley were is not for the fact that he disappears a quarter into the film without explanation, was handled wrong. Likewise, Eric Idle's character seemed as though he might have been three separate characters in an original draft of the script. And now strung together, so the producers could use Idle's talents.

The flavor of the original cartoon is no where to be found.

Fraser and Alex Rocco were as wonderful as Parker and Molina were not up to snuff. However considering what they had to work with -- they were all okay ... silly set-ups, no pay offs and a script that seemed aimless at times leaves devotees of genius Jay Ward saddened.

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.

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