The line I'm using for the title of this review is, of course, uttered by Leslie Nielsen in Wrongfully Accused, a marvelous spoof of The Fugitive series and movie. It's strange how people will have such strong reactions to a movie such as this one. I've read many reviews of that took issue with the parodies, the humor, Leslie Nelsen himself, and so on. I finally stood up today and announced "For Crying Out Loud! It's a Movie! A Silly Movie! It's not meant to be serious!" Then the driver pulled over and ordered me to get off of the bus. I just don't understand people who appear to have no sense of humor.

Leslie Nielsen stars as Ryan Harrison, concert violinist par excellence performing "The Lord of the Violin" at a held-over engagement in Columbia Heights, Minnesota prior to the arrival in Columbia Heights of United Nations Secretary General Sir Robert McKintyre.(Gerard Plunkett) Ryan's sponsor Hibbing Goodhue (Michael York) has been murdered in his home by an unseen assailant, and Ryan, who is bringing Hibbing's wife Lauren (Kelly LeBrock) an evening delivery of adultery and a quart of milk surprises a man in the Goodhue home... a one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man who overpowers him and leaves him framed for the murder of Goodhue. After trial and conviction, Ryan is on a bus bound for Stillwater State Penitentiary until the bus slips on a banana peel and crashes down the side of a mountain onto a railroad track, where it is destroyed by "The Friggin' Express" which also chases Ryan through the woods, from which he narrowly escapes, and begins his quest to clear his name.

Ryan is joined by Cass Lake (Melinda McGraw) whom he briefly suspects has set him up to be framed; she however, confesses she is the daughter of Lauren Goodhue, and the sister of Sean Laughrea,(Aaron Pearl) the one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man, both of whom are part of a terrorist plot to assassinate Sir Robert McKintyre, who just happens to be Cass's father. As Ryan struggles to clear his name and prevent the assassination, he is pursued by Columbia Heights police Detective Lt. Fergus Falls, (Richard Crenna) who will stop at nothing to re-capture Ryan Harrison.

Like any Nielsen movie, the gags are everywhere, sometimes literally, as when Ryan Harrison makes an escape in a diaper cleaning service truck and people are fainting from the odor all around him, flowers are wilting, and magazines bursting into flame. One of his main fans in "The Lord of the Violin" performance happens to be Shari Lewis's cute little hand puppet, Lambchop, who leads the cheers at the end of the concert. The run through the woods from the "Friggin' Express" train is a cat-and -mouse dodging through the forest as the diesel locomotive peeks around trees to get a bead on Harrison to mow him down. My favorite involves a Scooby-Doo-esque chase through the sewers as Fergus Falls pursues Ryan Harrison through multiple tunnels, doors, and eventually over the edge of a dam, whereupon it's time to call upon the "Baywatch" team to fish him out of the water. Ryan escapes by swimming upstream with the spawning salmon. If you add to this the master assassin Sean Laughrea having a high-powered rifle built into his artificial leg, you know you've got the elements of a master Nielsen romp.

Although the prime focus of the film is the parody of The Fugitive, we also see nice little skewerings of Mission Impossible,Baywatch, Charlie's Angels, Braveheart,(Nielsen in blue face and grass wig is rather noteworthy)ER, Riverdance, Fargo, and A Clear and Present Danger.

For my money, I'd call this one of Nielsen's best films; he's at the top of his form,playing a successful man who through no fault of his own is thrust into a particularly zany world of murder, intrigue, and terrorism, and is running into the furniture trying to find the door that leads out. He's absolutely flawless throughout the film.

Richard Crenna also deserves kudos as Lt. Fergus Falls. He has a quick mind, spouts nonsense a mile-a-minute, and is absolutely inexhaustable. This was a great choice of actors to play this character.

Other characters always seem merely incidental to Nielsen, yet Kelly LeBrock is slinky, cool, sensual, and silly as Lauren Goodhue, and does a fine job of it, and Melinda McGraw's Cass Lake, is a picture of slightly addled innocence and sweetness, and does a nice drop to the floor...I've mentioned in a previous review that a pratfall is a necessary skill in a Nielsen movie, and McGraw serves up a couple good ones.

Aaron Pearl is cool as the assassin Sean Laughrea; he's gruff, he's brutish, he's sinister, and he doesn't have a brain in his head. Well done.

It was once mentioned to me that all Nielsen movies are very similar in structure and plot; this may even be the truth, but this is still a fun ride, with a lot of hilarious scenery along the way. As always, sit through the end credit roll; there's always gems buried there, also.

p.s.....did you catch the Minnesota puns?

Yours until Dr. Richard Kimble shows up for Ryan Harrison's annual physical exam,

Hugh U. Kidden





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older