Mary Kay Place in Captain Ron (1992)

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Tuna’s Comments:

Captain Ron (1992) is not a good movie. Nobody has a good thing to say about it. The story is improbable, and it has a romantic, unbelievable ending. The only problem is, I really enjoyed this film. Martin Short and Mary Kay Place and their two kids leave Chicago and go to a remote island called Ste. Pomme de Terre, or Saint Potato, to pick up a sailboat they inherited from Short's eccentric uncle. The idea is to have a family adventure, sail it back to Florida, and sell it for enough money to pay off their second mortgage and their credit card debt. First, the boat is more than a little run down. The real problem, however, comes in the form of Kurt Russell, the one-eyed Captain Ron, whom they hire to teach them sailing and get them to Miami.

Along the way, they get lost, encounter revolutionaries, get caught in a storm, their daughter gets tattooed, and they are attacked by pirates and end up in Cuba. That is all just good fun. Captain Ron becomes a hero to Short's wife and kids, which is what he had been hoping to do. There are beautiful Caribbean shots and sailing shots. The exposure isn't bad at all for a PG-13 film. I enjoyed it, largely because I liked the characters, but as most feel differently, the proper score is C-.

Scoop’s Comments:

I'm with Tuna on this one. I enjoy the film, too. I won't claim that it's a comedy classic, but it is absolutely delightful when Kurt Russell is on camera as the sleaze ball Captain Ron Rico. (What better name for a guy who looks like a Caribbean pirate?) Russell always has had a unique comedy presence, and this film uses his abilities quite well.

And there is a kick-ass reggae score. The plusses of the movie are strong enough to make you overlook the fact that Martin Short seems to think he is the grade-b Bob Denver, who in turn is the grade-b Jerry Lewis.

I'd say the film is about on the same level as Summer Rental or the Rodney Dangerfield films. If you like those, or Russell's own Used Cars, you'll probably like this one as well. It's a pleasant escapist summer comedy. I give it a C.

Nudity Report: Place shows her breasts shot from above in a scene where she and Short are locked in a flooding shower.

IMDb Summary: It is rated 4.5 of 10.

Box Office: With their dollars: it grossed $22 million in the USA

DVD Info: The transfer is extremely well done.


Written by Scoopy & Tuna…courtesy of Scoopy.net