Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
The 90s live-action remake of the 60s cartoon has a raunchy sense of humor.
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Videos and photos
What is the story?
Dudley Do-Right (Brendan Fraser) is an inept but pure-hearted Canadian Mountie who protects the good citizens of Semi-Happy Valley. But all that changes when the evil Snidley Whiplash (Alfred Molina) comes to town with his minions, distracts Do-Right with fear of vampires, and hatches a plan to buy all of Semi-Happy Valley’s property and rename it Whiplash City. As it happens, the beautiful Nell Fenwick (Sarah Jessica Parker) returns from a successful career as an ambassador, and Dudley and Snidley compete to win her heart. As Dudley makes a messy exit from the Canadian Mounties, Snidley has created a fake gold rush to swindle even more money from the visitors and residents of Whiplash City, even though everyone around him considers him “good”. Dudley meets a drunken prospector (Eric Idle) who convinces Dudley that his best move in this scenario is to act “bad”, and by acting “bad”, Dudley begins to find a way to, once again, outsmart Snidley, save the good. the people of Semi-Happy Valley, and earn the love of Nell.
Is it good?
Like almost all films made in the late 1990s that tried to remake classic sixties cartoons, the problem with DUDLEY DO-RIGHT is that it’s not as good as the original. While an effort is made to evoke the witty puns and slapstick quips of the original, the central problem boils down to the title character. While all the other actors play their cartoonish personas, I wish Brendan Fraser had played Dudley a little more, a little more open, a little more…Canadian.
Still, as an introduction to the legendary Jay Ward cartoon series, it’s not bad. There are a lot of comedic tropes and chestnuts freely recycled from the original, even if some of the more contemporary attempts at humor seem nonsensical, if not obnoxious.
Talk to your kids about…
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Families can discuss remakes of classic cartoons into contemporary films. What would be the challenges in turning an animated cartoon series into a feature film?
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Where does the humor seem to be aimed more at children and where at adults?
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In what way is the violence in the film more “cartoonish”, as opposed to violence that is more realistic?
Did we miss something about diversity?
Research shows a connection between children’s healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in the media. That’s why we’ve added a new “Different Representations” section to our reviews, which will be published continuously. You can help us help children