Mr Magoo

Someone got the rather inspired (but ultimately misguided) idea to match Hong Kong action director Stanley Tong with comedy stalwart Leslie Nielsen in this dim-witted live-action Disney version of the vintage cartoon, in which the very near-sighted tycoon bumbles his way into the heist of a giant, priceless ruby known as the Star of Kuristan. The result is an abundance of slapstick humour related to Mr. Magoo's visual impairment (prompting a brief protest during the film's 1997 release by the National Federation of the Blind) and a tired plot involving a lovely jewel thief (Kelly Lynch) who'll stop at nothing to get her stolen jewel back. Of course, Magoo manages to foil the thieves at every turn, even though he's frequently unaware of his unintentional heroics. This standard family fare from Disney (best suited for kids 12 and under) will probably play better on home video, but you'll have to watch and listen closely for the few jokes that really pay off. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com