In my mind, there is nothing inherently wrong with making a comedy film about a deaf man and a blind man. Sure, people having those conditions deserve sympathy. But the notion of a movie about two such people leading somewhat reasonably effective lives that has comic elements resulting from the lack of functionality of hearing in one and eyesight in another is not objectionable to me if it clearly does not mock contemptuously those affected by the conditions. The humor is in the events that occur, theoretically. But the excessive foul language and much else about this movie that was not funny made it come up short.
I enjoyed Blazing Saddles very much and Young Frankenstein quite a lot; I like slapstick. But I did not think Gene Wilder (Dave) was nearly as funny here, although he did not write the script. I do not have much experience with Richard Pryor (Wally), but did not think he was that funny in this movie as the blind man. But the writers of the screenplay, not they, are responsible for the excessive swearing.
Some scenes were humorous. The basic idea of the common-folk, handicapped duo set off against two slick, cool moneyed types (Joan Severance, Eve; Kevin Spacey, Kirgo) was neat. Wally's Dave-aided fight with the bully in the bar toward the beginning was decent. The final scene with a duel between one Blind Man (Wally) and another was well-conceived and executed. Also good was when Dave is hesitant to hit Eve because she is a woman, Wally's sister Adele (Kirsten Childs) clocks her and says "I had brothers." Was the part with Dave popping up and down on a car roof after dislodging the emergency brake funny? Sort of, not that much. Same with Wally driving fast and blind; causes understood, but the bulk of it kind of silly. As was the two of them stranded on a garbage barge in NYC. I add that the excessive emoting between the two there and elsewhere did not do it for me; that stuff serves non-comedies (when not overdone).
A problem was that some of the wit behind the deficiencies in Dave's hearing and Wally's sight was not always immediately perceptible to the viewer; e.g., at the beginning of the movie it was not immediately discernible that Dave could read lips, and how well or not well. Another problem was in the beginning sequence, all the back and forth of the wrongful arrest, bail, witnesses, and interaction with policemen was far-fetched, stretching even if they were deaf/blind. Just go along, I guess. Similarly, with the shower scene with Eve, was it really likely that she would stick her head out of.the shower like that and not notice Dave? Makes it not work.
The worst part in my view was the whole part about Wally posing as a Swedish gynecologist (Dave was a German doctor) and everything to do with it: The exchange with the hotel check-in clerk; the silly accents; Pryor's screaming the solution for the repressed woman was (common gerund swear word) and fake breakdown at the convention (and later saying another swear word insulting to females); and the dialogue with and reactions of the refined convention crowd. I could not stand watching it.
When critics do not like a movie but the public does, I often agree with the public. Here, I understand the critics did not like it. I agree.
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I enjoyed Blazing Saddles very much and Young Frankenstein quite a lot; I like slapstick. But I did not think Gene Wilder (Dave) was nearly as funny here, although he did not write the script. I do not have much experience with Richard Pryor (Wally), but did not think he was that funny in this movie as the blind man. But the writers of the screenplay, not they, are responsible for the excessive swearing.
Some scenes were humorous. The basic idea of the common-folk, handicapped duo set off against two slick, cool moneyed types (Joan Severance, Eve; Kevin Spacey, Kirgo) was neat. Wally's Dave-aided fight with the bully in the bar toward the beginning was decent. The final scene with a duel between one Blind Man (Wally) and another was well-conceived and executed. Also good was when Dave is hesitant to hit Eve because she is a woman, Wally's sister Adele (Kirsten Childs) clocks her and says "I had brothers." Was the part with Dave popping up and down on a car roof after dislodging the emergency brake funny? Sort of, not that much. Same with Wally driving fast and blind; causes understood, but the bulk of it kind of silly. As was the two of them stranded on a garbage barge in NYC. I add that the excessive emoting between the two there and elsewhere did not do it for me; that stuff serves non-comedies (when not overdone).
A problem was that some of the wit behind the deficiencies in Dave's hearing and Wally's sight was not always immediately perceptible to the viewer; e.g., at the beginning of the movie it was not immediately discernible that Dave could read lips, and how well or not well. Another problem was in the beginning sequence, all the back and forth of the wrongful arrest, bail, witnesses, and interaction with policemen was far-fetched, stretching even if they were deaf/blind. Just go along, I guess. Similarly, with the shower scene with Eve, was it really likely that she would stick her head out of.the shower like that and not notice Dave? Makes it not work.
The worst part in my view was the whole part about Wally posing as a Swedish gynecologist (Dave was a German doctor) and everything to do with it: The exchange with the hotel check-in clerk; the silly accents; Pryor's screaming the solution for the repressed woman was (common gerund swear word) and fake breakdown at the convention (and later saying another swear word insulting to females); and the dialogue with and reactions of the refined convention crowd. I could not stand watching it.
When critics do not like a movie but the public does, I often agree with the public. Here, I understand the critics did not like it. I agree.
.