Mr Magoo
(1997)
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Comically myopic hero Mr. Magoo stumbles onto the big screen in this live-action cartoon. After Magoo (Leslie Nielsen, star of AIRPLANE! and the NAKED GUN television series and movies) inadvertently makes off with a priceless gem exhibited at the premiere of a posh museum, he and his bulldog sidekick, Angus, find themselves in the midst of international intrigue. Not only has the jewel been earmarked by slinky cat burglar Luanne LeSeur (Kelly Lynch), it's also prized by the FBI, a Brazilian crime lord, and other sundry parties. Packed with laughs, MR. MAGOO is helmed by action-comedy director Stanley Tong, best known as a directorial collaborator of martial arts megastar Jackie Chan. |
In a squirm-inducing sop to political correctness, a title at the end of this live-action feature, based on the original cartoon about the lugubrious, myopic hero, points out that short-sighted people are not being ridiculed — which, of course, they are. As Magoo, Leslie Nielsen shows his limitations as a comedian: he barely raises a smile, let alone a laugh. The plot, about the chase for a stolen jewel, is pathetic. Did no one predict that this would be a turkey? That's real short-sightedness.