It was apparent immediately when Tim Conway and Don Knotts, repeating their role from the first film, stormed into town that there was at the exact same location for filming even though the town was supposed to be different. The only real difference is that the solid Road, even dirt, from the first one, is now completely mud, and muddy really describes the storyline of this quickly produced sequel. Another thing is that Harry Morgan is back, with his mustache shaved and his hair a little more combed, play a completely different character. Why didn't they just have the two actors in a new story rather than continuing "The Apple Dumpling Gang" when the bulk of the original cast including Bill Bixby and Susan Clark was completely missing.
The storyline has the two career Crooks, still as bumbling as ever, wanted for a robbery that they did not commit, and ending up at the mercy of Officer Morgan who throws them in jail. They end up in a western prison where their Antics are completely unfunny. There's also an uninspired romance between young Tim Matheson and the pretty Elyssa Davalos (as Morgan's fancy daughter) that only has a touching moment involving the blind Audrey Totter (a veteran 1940's actress long forgotten except by aficionados) to serve any purpose.
My biggest disappointment is for the cartoon granny type character that Ruth Buzzi is forced to play as if she was being filmed three times as fast as everybody else, only missing the broom and the birdcage. At times, she seemed to be trying to mimic Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann character, and was the one who really needed a straitjacket long before the wacky Kenneth Mars appears on screen. As Buzzi disappears, his character takes over as a cartoon stereotype and gets absolutely no laughs unfortunately. I had high hopes for this, but it seems like the sweet family element of the first one has been replaced by juvenile silliness that even preteen children may have groaned at.
The storyline has the two career Crooks, still as bumbling as ever, wanted for a robbery that they did not commit, and ending up at the mercy of Officer Morgan who throws them in jail. They end up in a western prison where their Antics are completely unfunny. There's also an uninspired romance between young Tim Matheson and the pretty Elyssa Davalos (as Morgan's fancy daughter) that only has a touching moment involving the blind Audrey Totter (a veteran 1940's actress long forgotten except by aficionados) to serve any purpose.
My biggest disappointment is for the cartoon granny type character that Ruth Buzzi is forced to play as if she was being filmed three times as fast as everybody else, only missing the broom and the birdcage. At times, she seemed to be trying to mimic Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann character, and was the one who really needed a straitjacket long before the wacky Kenneth Mars appears on screen. As Buzzi disappears, his character takes over as a cartoon stereotype and gets absolutely no laughs unfortunately. I had high hopes for this, but it seems like the sweet family element of the first one has been replaced by juvenile silliness that even preteen children may have groaned at.