Akroyd and Chase made alot of truly dreadful comedies in their middle age though that is not all their fault. Studio executives during this period were insisting that comedies never be rated R like Caddyshack or Stripes. They believed that adults didn't go see comedies anymore without their kids so moviemakers had alot of restrictions imposed on them by their bosses. I suppose we can blame the success of John Hughes' family friendly comedies for that but the result is how lousy other movies end up being after they were ruined by the demands of studio heads who have no talent, just greed. The irony is how badly most of these movies ended up doing at the box office anyway.
This is a stupid movie but it doesn't try not to be stupid. It is deliberately absurd and I think it would be a genuine cult classic if it had content that landed it an R rating when it was released. Instead, they make the greasy diaper wearing inbred looking grandkids lovable instead of disturbing, John Candy's portrayal as the mute sister to John Candy's cop vaguely menacing. That could have gone alot further. Valri Broomfield's role could have been like her role in Needful Things if it were rated R. An abrasive, abusive character capable of virtually any evil (much like most of the characters in that story) but also comedically over the top bringing in black comedy. There are no kids or teens in this movie so why try for a PG-13???? That's the same awful mistake all those lousy Police Academy sequels made. The only good one of those was the first movie, the only one rated R.
This is a stupid movie but it doesn't try not to be stupid. It is deliberately absurd and I think it would be a genuine cult classic if it had content that landed it an R rating when it was released. Instead, they make the greasy diaper wearing inbred looking grandkids lovable instead of disturbing, John Candy's portrayal as the mute sister to John Candy's cop vaguely menacing. That could have gone alot further. Valri Broomfield's role could have been like her role in Needful Things if it were rated R. An abrasive, abusive character capable of virtually any evil (much like most of the characters in that story) but also comedically over the top bringing in black comedy. There are no kids or teens in this movie so why try for a PG-13???? That's the same awful mistake all those lousy Police Academy sequels made. The only good one of those was the first movie, the only one rated R.