So much average

The first must-see film of the year.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I'm glad to talk about of John Candy,l have almost all his movie even those wasn't so funny,but in this case when he was at its peak of his career is quite good,playing the character as he likes clumsy fat guy,not so smart not so stupid but often funny and enjoyable...in this movie he has the opportunity to prove his worth in a agency that take his family's name, working in a kidnapped case....all embarrassing situations end up a disaster like always...there's a lot of gags and jokes, anyhow l've enjoy the movie...sad to know that John Candy is no longer with us...we're very sorrow about his death.Resume:First watch: 1992 / How many: 6 / Source: TV-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 6,75

Eliot (Jeffrey Jones) runs an esteemed detective agency for the Crumb family. The founding Crumbs were exceedingly talented but the present heir and gumshoe, Harry (John Candy) is a bumbling stooge. Therefore, when Eliot arranges a kidnapping of a rich man's daughter, so he and the girl's stepmother (Annie Potts) can run off and get married with money, he makes a suggestion to the gal's wealthy father (Barry Corbin). He, Eliot, will put his BEST detective on the case, namely Harry, and the crime will be solved....NOT. What Eliot doesn't count on is that stepmommy is stringing three men along and, that when Harry teams up with the kidnapped lass' sister, the former bungler may solve the napping. How will it end? All right, some fans may say this is Candy's worst couple of hours and that the film doesn't work. Yes, its a weaker version of The Naked Gun and other such flicks but Candy is a great comedian. So, watching him whip out a bunch of stupid disguises and have a series of physical mishaps, to me, is quite amusing. I laughed and laughed even as I groaned. Jones, Potts, Corbin, and all of the other cast members do "cute" work, too. The setting, costumes, low-brow script and lively direction make a film that is definitely worth watching, especially when one is in the doldrums. The question is not Who's Harry Crumb but where can I get this funny film tonight?

Who's Harry Crumb? is set in Los Angeles where Jennifer Downing (Renée Coleman) is kidnapped while have a mud massage, her rich father P.J. Downing (Barry Corbin) turns to the Crumb & Crumb detective agency where President Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) decides to put the inept son of the founder of the agency Harry Crumb (John Candy). Harry gets to work & meets the Downing family & any potential suspects, with an adulterous wife who hates Jennifer & her boyfriend who wants to kill P.J. along with trying to find the kidnappers Harry has his work cut out. Using various disguises & his well toned detective skills Harry Crumb tries to solve the case & save Jennifer...Directed by Paul Flaherty this likable comedy starring the late John Candy is one of those films that you may have seen in the eighties & then not watched it again in years & while it inevitably doesn't quite seem as funny as the first time around there's still a fair bit here to enjoy & laugh along with. The whole film is basically a fun example of the bumbling detective genre that include the likes of The Pink Panther (1963, 2006), Inspector Gadget & more recently the Austin Powers films that all feature some inept bumbling detective/cop/spy who comes up against some bad guy's & through luck, chance or a minor miracle manages to solve the case & save the day. While not hysterically funny there are laughs to be had here & the whole film is played in such a way that you just end up liking it, Candy is just great as Harry Crumb who gets some very funny moments of physical comedy as well as some baffling, silly & amusing one-liners. The supporting character's are fun too, from the villain to the kidnapped daughter to her sister who ends up helping & assisting Crumb to a nympho wife who just wants to be rich to a female cop who hates private detective's. The plot is simple, the identity of the kidnappers are given away early on so it's all played for laughs from then on as the cool collected villains face up to the bumbling idiotic Crumb is some nice scenes. At just under 100 minutes it didn't feel that long, there's a steady stream of gags, funny disguises & disasters of Crumb's own making to make the time pass harmlessly enough.The whole film has a very 80's vibe going on from the fashions to the music to the cars & decor. It looks nice enough but there's not much going on apart from a scene in which Crumb drives a car without brakes & a climax set at an airport where Crumb chases a plane while riding a truck. There's no real violence although there is one use of the 'F' word that was cut from all UK version until the 2008 DVD. While not deep or serious I don't really think it was ever meant to be & as a simple light hearted comedy about a bumbling detective I thought it was good & it made me laugh a few times & I did have a good feeling while watching it so it must have done something right.Not a huge box-office success this was filmed mainly in British Columbia in Canada. The acting is good from a very game cast of well known actor's with Candy himself as the stand-out, Shawnee Smith (before the Saw films) is cute & likable as his sidekick while Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts & Tim Thomerson give decent comic performances.Who's Harry Crumb? is not a masterpiece by any means but as a straight forward crime comedy full of gags, one-liners, puns, likable character's & performances, silly outfits & one or two action scenes then I thought it was pretty good & better than average if not a classic. It's a comedy & I laughed at it, that just about says it all really.

The thing about this movie is that it is silly in a quality manner, it must be taken to account that it was made in the 80's. You really get the feel that it was made to entertain, not just to milk money. A great combination of acting, steady and not overdoing it, making it even funnier without awkwardness and well done, original "accident" scenes. It's a movie that makes you laugh out loud and have a great time. John Candy deserves the title legend, no one else could have done this part better. A great cast that keeps the spirit up. The fact that it's a forgotten gem makes it even more special... and that's why it's one of my all-time favorites.