Today’s quick review: Mr. Magoo. Quincy Magoo (Leslie Nielsen), a nearsighted millionaire, stumbles into trouble when the Star of Kuristan, a priceless ruby, is stolen from his museum exhibit. With his nephew Waldo (Matt Keeslar) and his dog Angus, Magoo tries to recover the jewel from Luanne Le Seur (Kelly Lynch), a crafty master thief, all while staying ahead of the government agents who think Magoo stole the jewel himself.
Mr. Magoo is a family comedy based on the classic cartoon. Leslie Nielsen stars as Quincy Magoo, a good-natured old man whose myopia constantly gets him into tricky situations that his nephew, his dog, and his own good luck have to get him out of. Fittingly enough, Mr. Magoo is a movie that revolves around slapstick, chases, and other madcap humor. However, the film’s simple jokes and mediocre writing keep it from holding any real interest.
Mr. Magoo has just enough quality to be a passable kids’ film, but little more. The plot has a fairly good structure that would suit an action comedy well. The stunts are not impressive, but they do get better as the movie goes along. The characters are just cartoonish enough to be kid-friendly without becoming obnoxious. None of these qualities are enough to make the movie appealing, but they do let it clear the bar for low-end children’s entertainment.
However, few of the gags are all that funny. Leslie Nielsen is handcuffed by his character, wandering around talking to himself instead of engaging in his usual active style of humor. The wacky mix-ups that form the heart of the movie are never that clever, and the best jokes are the ones that could have appeared in any similar comedy. The most interesting character is actually Angus, and that mostly for the dog’s good training.
Mr. Magoo is worth a watch only if you have a serious craving for a slapstick-based kids’ film. It achieves more or less what it sets out to do, but there is very little of interest for adult viewers. For a better take on family slapstick, check out Home Alone. For those who did like the film, Inspector Gadget has a similar tone and similar flaws.
3.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.0 for not delivering on its modest potential.