Plot: What’s it about?
“Madman” McKlusky (Randy Quaid) was a well known daredevil, the kind of man who danced with death and slapped danger across the face. But as often happens with such men, his luck ran out when he tempted fate once too many times and crashed his motorcycle, leaving him in a comatose state. All this happened right in front of his own son Frank, who watched with horror as his dad was almost killed in the motorcycle stunt. The family was able to scrape by, but thanks to some insurance fraud, they didn’t get any compensation from the accident. But when he grew up, Frank (Dave Sheridan) had learned his lessons well and now works as an insurance claims investigator, as well as a safe citizen. In fact, he is so careful because of his father’s ordeal that he wears kneepads and other protective gear, even while doing things that don’t even come close to being called dangerous or the like. When his partner (Kevin P. Farley) turns up missing, Frank has to do some overtime to uncover the truth and that won’t be easy. But if he can crack a huge insurance fraud case, he could get some revenge on those who wronged his father…
If you’re a fan of outlandish, stupid comedies, then you’ll want to run to the video store, as Frank McKlusky, C.I. has now arrived. I’d say this is kind of like Ace Ventura, but not as sophisticated and lacking the dynamic presence of Jim Carrey. But Dave Sheridan is humorous in a role that hardly anyone would want, as it is loaded with idiotic actions and dumb dialogue, though he goes through it all with glee and enthusiasm. The story is a decent enough one, but the writing is rather inconsistent, which leaves a lot of ineffective jokes and such. I do love the 1980s texture and plethora of references to that wonderful decade, though some might find it to be overkill, as the 80s are mined often for laughs in this one. But the little references and subtle jabs at culture make it fun, as do the wealth of cameos and unexpected appearances. I mean, this movie has a ton of famous faces, from Dolly Parton, Joanie Laurer (a.k.a. Chyna from the WWE), and the Hanson brothers to Lou Ferrigno, Scott Baio, and Emmanuel Lewis. A lot of this comes in the form of cheap laughs, but it works well enough, especially to those who love the 80s culture. I can’t recommend this release to everyone, but it is worth a rental to fans of dumb, but humorous pictures.
If you’ve been waiting for a Jim Carrey clone to emerge now that the real one is focused on drama, then Dave Sheridan is your man. No, Sheridan has no real dramatic skills or even decent screen presence, but he is funny and seems to have no boundaries as far as material, the more idiotic the better. Sheridan has the outlandish facial expressions and overstated body mannerisms down well, but of course, lacks Carrey’s sense of timing and internal charms, he’s just funny because he’s such a dumbass. But then again, this is a stupid comedy and by turn, Sheridan does just what he should do, make his audience laugh. He has no problem handling the demands of the material, which ask him to humiliate himself often and just act like a moron, both of which he does with ease and skill. Sheridan is pretty well limited to being a poor man’s Jim Carrey, but he is a solid slapstick performer, so I hope to see more from him soon. Other films with Sheridan include Ghost World, Corky Romano, Bubble Boy, and Scary Movie. The cast also includes Kevin Pollak (Grumpy Old Men, The Usual Suspects), Kevin P. Farley (The Straight Story, Joe Dirt), and Dolly Parton (Straight Talk, Steel Magnolias).
Video: How does it look?
Frank McKlusky, C.I. is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a solid overall presentation, with no serious problems to mention, but then again, it never moves beyond the basics. Although the print has some very minor debris, the image never suffers and we’re given a clean, reasonably sharp visual effort. The colors look bright and free from errors too, while flesh tones have a warm, natural appearance. I saw no troubles with contrast either, as black levels were well balanced and no visible detail loss is apparent. This is by no means a reference level transfer, but the movie looks good and that’s what counts.
Audio: How does it sound?
As is this is a dialogue and pratfall driven movie, the included Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack offers a basic, unremarkable presentation. The vocals come through in clean and crystal clear fashion, with no muffled moments or overpowering elements, so every last joke seeps through just as intended. The music spices up the experience, but outside of that, the surrounds aren’t used often and the mix remains based in the front channels. The sound effects are well presented, but because of the nature of the material, they never provide much presence. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
