Harry Crumb (John Candy) is a private investigator (albeit an inept one) who is employed by Crumb & Crumb which was founded by his grandfather. When a young heiress Jennifer Downing (Renee Coleman) is kidnapped, Crumb & Crumb Executive Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) hires Crumb to find out who is responsible for the kidnapping, but it turns out to be a case that he isn't meant to solve...
John Candy made something of a name for himself playing the 'lovable loser' and in effect he is playing another variant of the same character - although you can add incompetence in this case. Therefore those of you who admire his craft will certainly get plenty of enjoyment from this picture. As Executive Producer of the film, Candy has clearly had the opportunity to more or less put his own stamp on his picture and really showcases his acting talent and comedic abilities. It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to make Candy funny because of what he does (meaning that the picture relies entirely on slapstick humour), but Crumb is given some great dialogue which actually shows that he is a bit of an idiot which makes it easier to identify with him as a character. It does have some slapstick elements and visual gags, but because Crumb is given some development it never feels as lazy as it could have been.
The cast are another reason that this film works; Candy is the heart and soul of this picture and is definitely the best thing about it. He had a natural ability to make audiences fall in love with his characters and this is still the case in Who's Harry Crumb. He's an idiot, he's incompetent and his methods are ever so slightly questionable, but he's tenacious and likable and that's what effectively helps to win the audience over. A young Shawnee Smith is also excellent as his 'sidekick' and the likes of Jones, Corbin, Potts and Thomerson all offer terrific support.
The only minor weaknesses with this film lie with the story which is weak and predictable (as is typically the case with films of this nature). It is a funny film, but it isn't consistently funny and never really has any 'hilarious' moments.
However, minor moaning aside this is still something of an underrated forgotten gem with plenty of humour which also boasts a terrific central performance from the 'late great' John Candy.
John Candy made something of a name for himself playing the 'lovable loser' and in effect he is playing another variant of the same character - although you can add incompetence in this case. Therefore those of you who admire his craft will certainly get plenty of enjoyment from this picture. As Executive Producer of the film, Candy has clearly had the opportunity to more or less put his own stamp on his picture and really showcases his acting talent and comedic abilities. It would have been very easy for the filmmakers to make Candy funny because of what he does (meaning that the picture relies entirely on slapstick humour), but Crumb is given some great dialogue which actually shows that he is a bit of an idiot which makes it easier to identify with him as a character. It does have some slapstick elements and visual gags, but because Crumb is given some development it never feels as lazy as it could have been.
The cast are another reason that this film works; Candy is the heart and soul of this picture and is definitely the best thing about it. He had a natural ability to make audiences fall in love with his characters and this is still the case in Who's Harry Crumb. He's an idiot, he's incompetent and his methods are ever so slightly questionable, but he's tenacious and likable and that's what effectively helps to win the audience over. A young Shawnee Smith is also excellent as his 'sidekick' and the likes of Jones, Corbin, Potts and Thomerson all offer terrific support.
The only minor weaknesses with this film lie with the story which is weak and predictable (as is typically the case with films of this nature). It is a funny film, but it isn't consistently funny and never really has any 'hilarious' moments.
However, minor moaning aside this is still something of an underrated forgotten gem with plenty of humour which also boasts a terrific central performance from the 'late great' John Candy.