At the video store I worked at starting in the late 1980s, most new movies had at least five copies and were off the shelves in the new release selection. This film had one copy and even then collected dust before it moved to the general comedy section later on. Watching it over 30 years later, I can see why. There is hardly anything funny or memorable about it, even among such respected actors as Robert Carradine, Malcolm McDowall and Ben Verern and 80's cult figures Randall 'Tex' Cobb and Rowdy Piper. Of the cast, only the very funny mimic. Michael Winslow, is amusing, and in his intro scene in the cell he shares with the framed Carradine, he gets some real belly laughs.
The opening scene strives hard for laughs with a man about to shoot himself in the head then throws the gun at a portrait on the wall. The gun goes off, bounces off several items in the room, then hits the man in the stomach, killing him in shades of a Roadrunner and Coyote cartoon. Funny in animation, but in this film flops because the scene is presented seriously with grave music over the credits. Michael Goodwin as the villain sets up Carradine to take the fall for his crimes and in prison, Carradine sets up an investment scheme to bring him down.
Elements of both "The Producers" and "Trading Places" are obvious as Carradine's scheme gets off the ground. Poor Ben Vereen gets little of substance to do, and the presence of Fred Travalena brings on groans not laughs for his split personality routine. Winslow gets the best material with Tony Plana a close second. But the plot is absurd, the lead character played by Carradine not really developed and nothing much else to recommend (outside of cameo by Imogene Coca) which explains why it became a dust collector on video store shelves.
The opening scene strives hard for laughs with a man about to shoot himself in the head then throws the gun at a portrait on the wall. The gun goes off, bounces off several items in the room, then hits the man in the stomach, killing him in shades of a Roadrunner and Coyote cartoon. Funny in animation, but in this film flops because the scene is presented seriously with grave music over the credits. Michael Goodwin as the villain sets up Carradine to take the fall for his crimes and in prison, Carradine sets up an investment scheme to bring him down.
Elements of both "The Producers" and "Trading Places" are obvious as Carradine's scheme gets off the ground. Poor Ben Vereen gets little of substance to do, and the presence of Fred Travalena brings on groans not laughs for his split personality routine. Winslow gets the best material with Tony Plana a close second. But the plot is absurd, the lead character played by Carradine not really developed and nothing much else to recommend (outside of cameo by Imogene Coca) which explains why it became a dust collector on video store shelves.