An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky person.An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky person.An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky person.
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When I first stumbled upon this movie, I didn't watch the French original "La Chèvre" and to this day I haven't rectified that mistake, so I cannot judge how it compares to the original. What I can judge is if this movie is good comedy or a bad comedy movie and I'm happy to say that the answer is the first option. Glover's performance in this movie is so legendary that I can't watch him in any other movie and take him seriously. There are some scenes in this movie that can make you laugh hysterically because of how funny they are. Sure, not every joke hits the mark and some of the gags are too over the top, but at the end of the day, "Pure Luck" is an entertaining movie with lovable characters and good atmosphere that can always provide a comforting way to spend an afternoon. I give it a 7/10! I recommend it to everyone! :)
Why does Martin Short always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop? And even more so, why does he get the fuzzy end unrightfully? "Pure Luck" is a funny movie with some very funny moments of genuine comedy. It relies more on subtlety than on loud antics; more on characters than on pure gags. It's pure luck this movie is bashed so unfairly.
Short plays Proctor, a bumbling man who doesn't find bad luck - bad luck finds him. He would be the one the automatic sliding door doesn't open for; he would be the one that chooses a chair with a broken leg; he is the one who would be capable of finding an equally unlucky woman lost in Mexico, whose father is Proctor's boss.
Proctor's boss figures that singe he's such a bad luck charm, his daughter - who is just like Proctor - would be found much quicker if they used another luck-impaired civilian to find her. Of course, Proctor thinks he has been chosen for being a great mystery solver. During the entire film he walks around thinking that he was chosen for the job because he is good. But alas, that is not the case.
Danny Glover is the head honcho looking over Proctor to lead him along - but Proctor thinks he himself is in charge, and that Glover is his co-detective. Some funny scenes come out of this.
A movie like "Pure Luck" is fun not because it is wildly outrageous (i.e. not Jim Carrey humor), not because it has great direction, but simply because it has a more subtle humor reminiscent of an older type of film; its actors are terrific (whatever happened to Danny Glover and, even more so, Martin Short?); the script is funny.
Is it just me or is Martin Short a funny guy? He's got the comedic timing all down-pat, he has comical facial expressions, comical guestures - what can I say, he's a comical guy. People seem to forget his roles in "The Three Amigos" (alongside Steve Martin and Chevy Chase), "The Father of the Bride" (also with Steve Martin), and so on. But I think he's talented.
And Danny Glover ("Lethal Weapon") is a great character actor who hasn't appeared in many films over the past few years. Maybe "Predator 2" put him out of the game for a while. But he was in "The Royal Tennenbaums," so . ..?
This is a funny movie more character-driven than anything; it has an element of subtle humor that adds a charm to it. I really don't care if people don't like this movie - it's one of those that everyone I talk to loves, yet the general public seems to have a different opinion. Odd - is it just me, or is this funny stuff?
3.5/5 stars -
John Ulmer
Short plays Proctor, a bumbling man who doesn't find bad luck - bad luck finds him. He would be the one the automatic sliding door doesn't open for; he would be the one that chooses a chair with a broken leg; he is the one who would be capable of finding an equally unlucky woman lost in Mexico, whose father is Proctor's boss.
Proctor's boss figures that singe he's such a bad luck charm, his daughter - who is just like Proctor - would be found much quicker if they used another luck-impaired civilian to find her. Of course, Proctor thinks he has been chosen for being a great mystery solver. During the entire film he walks around thinking that he was chosen for the job because he is good. But alas, that is not the case.
Danny Glover is the head honcho looking over Proctor to lead him along - but Proctor thinks he himself is in charge, and that Glover is his co-detective. Some funny scenes come out of this.
A movie like "Pure Luck" is fun not because it is wildly outrageous (i.e. not Jim Carrey humor), not because it has great direction, but simply because it has a more subtle humor reminiscent of an older type of film; its actors are terrific (whatever happened to Danny Glover and, even more so, Martin Short?); the script is funny.
Is it just me or is Martin Short a funny guy? He's got the comedic timing all down-pat, he has comical facial expressions, comical guestures - what can I say, he's a comical guy. People seem to forget his roles in "The Three Amigos" (alongside Steve Martin and Chevy Chase), "The Father of the Bride" (also with Steve Martin), and so on. But I think he's talented.
And Danny Glover ("Lethal Weapon") is a great character actor who hasn't appeared in many films over the past few years. Maybe "Predator 2" put him out of the game for a while. But he was in "The Royal Tennenbaums," so . ..?
This is a funny movie more character-driven than anything; it has an element of subtle humor that adds a charm to it. I really don't care if people don't like this movie - it's one of those that everyone I talk to loves, yet the general public seems to have a different opinion. Odd - is it just me, or is this funny stuff?
3.5/5 stars -
John Ulmer
This is a very funny movie that deserves to rated much higher than it is! I have seen it several times and always laugh hard. It was witty and cleverly written, and I think Short and Glover play very well off of each other (contrary to what many reviewers have said.) The scene in the mission is among the funniest things ever put to film. I don't need to write a book about this...you just need to rent it for yourself and you'll understand. It is a true comedy classic despite being a lesser-known film (like some of the other "bests" I might add.)
While there is not a lot of "substance" to this movie, for pure comedy, it is amongst the best!
While there is not a lot of "substance" to this movie, for pure comedy, it is amongst the best!
What has everybody got against this movie? It's damn funny! Martin Short and Danny Glover going over from NYC to Mexico to search for the accident-prone daughter of Short's big company boss Highsmith. Monosoft, played by the brilliant Harry Shearer, has the idea of sending Eugene Proctor (Short) to Mexico with detective Raymond Campanella (Glover). The jokes come thick and fast and, although sometimes predictable, the movie goes along fine with plenty of wonderful slapstick thrown in all over the place. Probably the funniest scene of Eugene inflating to twice his size because of a bee sting in the helicopter! All in all, this is not a movie to be taken too seriously! It's a funny, light-hearted film with plenty of action and comedy thrown in that will always entertain well for people of all ages.8/10
Is a great funny film that can cheer up any day of your life and keep you thinking on some of the scenes after it's been finished.
The combination between Danny Glover and Martin Short even when is a bit strange it really works out in a funny way and how the story been such a simple plot can take you from the desert to end up in the waterfalls in the beautiful Mexico.
There is a certain American humor that i can enjoy a lot, this film belongs to that type, because even when is about bad luck and how funny that could be, is never over the top and you are just waiting what would be the next thing to happen.
I didn't stop laughing.
The combination between Danny Glover and Martin Short even when is a bit strange it really works out in a funny way and how the story been such a simple plot can take you from the desert to end up in the waterfalls in the beautiful Mexico.
There is a certain American humor that i can enjoy a lot, this film belongs to that type, because even when is about bad luck and how funny that could be, is never over the top and you are just waiting what would be the next thing to happen.
I didn't stop laughing.
Did you know
- TriviaMartin Short sports red hair in this film rather than his natural dark brown hair he usually has. This stems from his work on "Clifford" for Orion Pictures which had been filmed around this time. Rather than change it from the dutch-boy hair cut featured in that film, he wore it in a perm instead to give it a wacky, unlucky look.
- GoofsWhen Eugene gets the car stuck in the sand on the side of the road, Raymond is pointing a gun at the guy who kidnapped Valerie. The gun changes from a Colt to a Baretta several times between shots.
- Quotes
Airport Employee: You'll have to itemize the contents of your bag so we can compensate you for any damage Mr. Proctor.
Campanella: Do we have to do that now? We're going to miss our flight.
Eugene Proctor: Usually my bags just get lost.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- ¡Qué perra suerte!
- Filming locations
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada(The scene in the beginning where they are driving over the granville bridge with the mountains & Bank of Montreal tower in the backround)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $17,010,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $22,641,969
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,010,810
- Aug 11, 1991
- Gross worldwide
- $24,941,969
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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