In the 1990s-2000s there was an annoying trend in Hollywood to make unnecessary and almost always awful movies based on old TV shows that had lots of fans. Movies like 2005's THE HONEYMOONERS and 1998's THE AVENGERS quickly come to mind, but very few today remember a bad TV show adaptation that had the singular distinction of being in the old Bottom 100: 1994's CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU?. It was also made in 1991 but not released until three years later - a clear sign that the movie was a snot-fest.
Why this movie is so bad? The main reason is that it was impossible capture the humour the 1960s show had. Mostly because the two leads of the original show were already dead and the movie has nothing to do with Nat Hiken's clever and witty show. Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross are replaced by John C. McGinley and David Johansen respectively. Johansen sounded pretty much like Joe E. Ross, with the only difference that his voice is so annoying and grating on the nerves that I wanted to put my hand on his mouth for shutting him up. As for Fred Gwynne, McGinley was nothing like him and he looked more very cocky and ready to shoot at first sight!
So, what are the other problems of the movie? The beginning is very pointless, with Johansen that has dreams with various music tunes: the acting is awful by practically everyone (not only by Johansen, but also by Daniel Baldwin, Rosie O'Donnell in one of her first movies, and Nipsey Russell). Considering that the movie was also in the old Bottom 100, it's clear that I would never recommend it to anyone. The humour is probably the worst, with lots of spit jokes, a shootout at the funfair, Johansen ripping off Al Lewis' catheter, cops seating in the worst chairs ever made (obviously falling on the ground), and many other awful moments that I fortunately blocked out of my mind, they were too much to bear. This movie is quite awful, capable of making the viewer sick and a chore to watch until the end.
Why this movie is so bad? The main reason is that it was impossible capture the humour the 1960s show had. Mostly because the two leads of the original show were already dead and the movie has nothing to do with Nat Hiken's clever and witty show. Fred Gwynne and Joe E. Ross are replaced by John C. McGinley and David Johansen respectively. Johansen sounded pretty much like Joe E. Ross, with the only difference that his voice is so annoying and grating on the nerves that I wanted to put my hand on his mouth for shutting him up. As for Fred Gwynne, McGinley was nothing like him and he looked more very cocky and ready to shoot at first sight!
So, what are the other problems of the movie? The beginning is very pointless, with Johansen that has dreams with various music tunes: the acting is awful by practically everyone (not only by Johansen, but also by Daniel Baldwin, Rosie O'Donnell in one of her first movies, and Nipsey Russell). Considering that the movie was also in the old Bottom 100, it's clear that I would never recommend it to anyone. The humour is probably the worst, with lots of spit jokes, a shootout at the funfair, Johansen ripping off Al Lewis' catheter, cops seating in the worst chairs ever made (obviously falling on the ground), and many other awful moments that I fortunately blocked out of my mind, they were too much to bear. This movie is quite awful, capable of making the viewer sick and a chore to watch until the end.