Awesome Movie

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

So I don't consider this a classic, as some other reviewers have labeled it. You really have to stretch the imagination to accept the premise that the first 30 people or so in line for the crown are suddenly killed and England, one of the largest and most powerful economies of the world, has to ask some D list lounge singer to be their new king. But I get it; this is a just-for-laughs fish out of water story, not a serious what-if film.John Goodman, whose career was built on playing the middle-aged working class every man, does a decent job here portraying a beer drinking, football loving regular Joe who just can't stop creating uncomfortable moments around stuffy British people.The gags are a bit of a mixed bag. When they develop in a way that's organic to the character and moment, they work pretty well. But for every good setup there is the overly forced one, such as when Goodman's character accidentally launches a greasy bird off his plate at a state dinner while trying to cut into it. The ensuing chaos sees every glass along a long, long table fall over like dominoes for nearly 30 seconds. The scene feels so desperate to hit the laugh; you can practically see the little charges going off to keep the glasses falling in comedic fashion past the horrified diners. The problem is, comedy is really hard. Even a whiff of desperation for laughs like that scene has turns funny into sad really quick.The other part of this movie that's hard to swallow is the romance subplot. Hollywood knows that one of their major target demographics, middle aged guys, will identify with Goodman and so they supply the dream girl for the viewers alter-ego. In this case the movie asks us to believe that an insanely gorgeous 26 year old is just dying to fall in love with her dream guy: an obese man nearly old enough to be her father. When the leading man is Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, yah OK I can believe that. But Goodman? I don't know, I just think an actress more age appropriate would have been easier to believe. The two here just don't seem like they go together.My enjoyment of the film may have been effected by the fact that I don't care much for the concept of a monarchy, and I find arguments that keeping families in an artificial state of wealth and privilege is a good thing because they "serve the people" facile and ignorant. Note that the fantasy is always that you get to suddenly become royalty, never that you get to suddenly be a subject who gets sent to prison for not bowing properly or mouthing off. Monarchies are an outdated and brutish form of government best left in the history books, imho.All in all, I managed to watch the whole movie, even if I wasn't enthralled the whole way thru. Passable entertainment.

at first sigh, an amusing lesson about royalty. in fact, a kind of parable with flavor of fairy tale who remands the essence of democracy under the British aspects. a comedy who translate the duties of monarch, it has the chance of perfect cast who gives to cultural differences precise marks. a film about the duties and solutions, about a metamorphose and about the spirit of a nation. seductive and amusing. little gem by Peter O 'Toole and a rich nuanced character by John Goodman. a film for laugh and for reflection. easy and clear, far to be great but not series product, interesting and not too complicated. a movie " ad usum delphini".

I laughed and laughed then even more when the film was over.As the son of a real real American dad and a classy English woman I really get both sides of the story here and the little misunderstandings and failed cues. The story is simple, the sequences logical and it never stalls. I would say the humor is mostly slapstick but it is also witty, clever and subtle at times. I haven't seen anything else that it like it yet.So sad I haven't heard of it until now. Unfortunately there is a very short scene in a strip club but every other aspect is perfectly suitable for even the youngest of children.A real riot to watch... 10 stars

In more recent years the star of The Big Lebowski may have performed more as supporting star, but doing so in great films like The Artist and Argo, I knew this film wasn't going to be good, but I was interested to see him in the days of Roseanne as the big leading star. Basically the entire British royal family are gathered together for a group photograph, and a freak accident kills them all, so the British government get to work tracing the next successor to the throne, and the end result is an unconventional choice, as the only living heir. An American easygoing slob named Ralph Hampton Gainesworth Jones (John Goodman), a Las Vegas lounge singer and piano player, is informed that he is the new king of England, he first sees it as a joke, but Duncan Phipps (Richard Griffiths) and Inspector Thomas 'Tommy' McGuire (Niall O'Brien) explain that Ralph's grandfather, the first Duke of Warren, had an affair with a hotel maid in America, this produced Ralph's father, and he is convinced by a ring matching his. Flown to London he is introduced to all the staff of the British palace, and he is schooled in all history of the British empire and English culture and traditions, including well known meals like "bangers and mash", and the dessert "spotted dick", and although he can relax getting whatever he wants and many other luxuries he comes to realise that being king is hard. In his time as king, while guided by courtier Sir Cedric Charles Willingham (Peter O'Toole), he learns how to play cricket, meets Prime Minister Jeffrey Hale (For Your Eyes Only's James Villiers), doing a knighthood, and the various other royal duties, but Lord Percival Graves (John Hurt) is against an American being the king of England and the Commonwealth, and he is scheming to cause a scandal and force him out. Graves sees his opportunity to cause a scandal and either an abdication or sabotage with Ralph and exotic dancer Miranda Greene (Doctor Who's Camille Coduri) getting very close and slowly falling in love, and the plan is to catch the two of them kissing in a photograph, as he may be required to marry someone of royal descent, and they do get the photograph. Ralph has eventually learnt to be a serious king, and following a bad encounter with the woman he is told to marry, Princess Anna of Finland (Joely Richardson), and causing a breakup with Miranda, he prepares a serious speech to abdicate himself from the throne, he first exposes Graves as a traitor for his scandalous acts, and he informs the government that there is in fact another true heir to the thrown, it is Cedric. In the end, Cedric becomes the new king of England, Ralph makes up with and reignites his romance with Miranda, he is made the third of Duke of Warren, and fulfils his dream to be a rock star with a state of the art studio, he has a young with his duchess, and with a great salary they have a palace of their own in the country, Ralph Jr. may be another heir in the future. Also starring Leslie Phillips as Gordon Halliwell, Julian Glover as King Gustav, Rudolph Walker as King Mulambon of Zambezi and Judy Parfitt as Queen Katherine. Goodman is certainly charming and lovable as the lousy king, and the supporting cast of well known British stars like O'Toole and Hurt are good value as well, of course the story is completely ridiculous, has many predictable moments and characters, and it definitely makes Great Britain and living there look a little silly, it does have amusing bits, but overall it is an average comedy. Okay!