Quint McHale (Tom Arnold) has made a fine life of smuggling contraband through the United States Navy in San Moreno. But his old nemesis, Major Vladikov, has set up base on a nearby island and is looking to become the world's best terrorist.
While this movie is quite stupid, it's also really fun and I did find some parts amusing. It's a clean sort of fun, which you don't see much of any more, and I appreciated that. Strictly PG. And I enjoyed watching men follow Tom Arnold around (which, according to Bruce Campbell, is mostly all him and French Stewart were directed to do -- and if you watch for this, you'll see it right away).
We also have Dean Stockwell, Debra Messing (before she was big), Tim Curry and Ernest Borgnine (the original McHale from the TV series). I am suspicious that whoever wrote this also wrote the "Maverick" movie, because there are some eerie similarities (some of which I can't get into without spoiling it). I don't know if that's a good thing or a very bad thing.
I should also note this movie felt, to me, degrading to women. On one hand they're congratulating Penelope Carpenter (Messing) on her accomplishments as a woman, but then the next moment they are treating her different than everyone else. She is seen as supportive and inferior, and really her only purpose in the plot is to be a romantic interest for McHale -- the ultimate in secondary characters. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but they made it so obvious.
All in all, I really did enjoy this movie. Why it received such a poor response from viewers, I don't know. The cast is eclectic and fun, the jokes silly but endearing. And as long as you like Tom Arnold (I don't mind him) you should be able to enjoy this film. Everyone seems to confuse it with "Down Periscope", which is too bad -- this is a good one in its own right.
While this movie is quite stupid, it's also really fun and I did find some parts amusing. It's a clean sort of fun, which you don't see much of any more, and I appreciated that. Strictly PG. And I enjoyed watching men follow Tom Arnold around (which, according to Bruce Campbell, is mostly all him and French Stewart were directed to do -- and if you watch for this, you'll see it right away).
We also have Dean Stockwell, Debra Messing (before she was big), Tim Curry and Ernest Borgnine (the original McHale from the TV series). I am suspicious that whoever wrote this also wrote the "Maverick" movie, because there are some eerie similarities (some of which I can't get into without spoiling it). I don't know if that's a good thing or a very bad thing.
I should also note this movie felt, to me, degrading to women. On one hand they're congratulating Penelope Carpenter (Messing) on her accomplishments as a woman, but then the next moment they are treating her different than everyone else. She is seen as supportive and inferior, and really her only purpose in the plot is to be a romantic interest for McHale -- the ultimate in secondary characters. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but they made it so obvious.
All in all, I really did enjoy this movie. Why it received such a poor response from viewers, I don't know. The cast is eclectic and fun, the jokes silly but endearing. And as long as you like Tom Arnold (I don't mind him) you should be able to enjoy this film. Everyone seems to confuse it with "Down Periscope", which is too bad -- this is a good one in its own right.