DUDLEY DO-RIGHT

US, 1999, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alfred Molina, Eric Idle, Robert Prosky, Alex Rocco.
Directed by Hugh Wilson.

Dudley Do- Right is a very (very) undemanding entertainment. It is based on television characters created by Jay Ward, who worked with such other characters as Rocky and Bullwinkle as well as George of the Jungle.

The film is a cartoon brought into live action – which sometimes works because of the skill of the performers. At other times, it seems exaggerated and rather silly.

However, Brendan Fraser puts heart and soul into his performance. He had done the same with the film version of George of the Jungle. Sarah Jessica Parker is also good as his long-lost love. Alfred Molina is straight out of 19th century melodrama as the villain, Snidely Whiplash. Eric Idle has a genial role as a prospector.

The film was written and directed by Hugh Wilson who made one of the Police Academy films early in his directing career but made a number of interesting films including Rustlers’ Rhapsody, Blast from the Past, Guarding Tess and, especially, First Wives’ Club.

A film for younger audiences – and for the very tolerant young at heart.

1.An entertaining comedy? The audience for this kind of film: children, adults, television fans?

2.The film as an adaptation of a comic strip, from two-dimensional drawings to three-dimensional characters, the effect? Yet the two-dimensional characters and their ways of thinking and acting?

3.The equivalent of the cartoons: the broad strokes, the caricature, the situations, the exaggeration, bright colours, action, less motivation?

4.The use of the voice-over, the explanation, the 3-D, the quips from the narrator, the spoof?

5.Canada, the countryside, life in the mountains, the life of the Mounties, travelling, the landscapes, the musical score?

6.Dudley Do-Right? and his name, upright but dumb? Straightforward, naïve? Seeing him as a boy? His relationship with Snidely and Nell? His ambitions, nice, the kiss – and his hopes in life? To be a Mountie?

7.Dudley as a child, the encounters with his friends? His growing up, becoming a Mountie, the pratfalls, on the job, very literal, belief about the vampires, the townspeople? Nell and her return and his joy? Snidely and his re-emergence?

8.Nell as nice, her ambition to see the world, her return, love for Dudley? Her experience? Her encounters with Snidely? The dance routine – and the style of the film musicals? Singing the ‘Indian Love Call’? Sitting for her portrait? The tree sculpture? The show, her support, the clash? The happy ending and her support of Dudley?

9.Snidely, dressed in black, moustachioed, as a child, his ambitions, his henchmen and their stupidity, the big squad, the robberies, the decision about buying up the property, the gold, putting it in the river, the false gold rush, the building up of the town, prosperity, his taking charge of the town, the townspeople and their reaction? His dialogue, the dastardly style, continually putting down Dudley? Courting Nell?

10.Dudley and Nell’s father, his being sacked, his meeting the prospector, their talk, discovering that Snidely was a villain, the train, the derring-do? Confrontation – by Dudley performing like a villain?

11.The prospector and the mine, the real gold, its effect, friendship with Dudley, the train, his advice about finding himself, the upright man, going on the television show, the return, the award?

12.Snidely’s army, in black, the forces, the fights?

13.The Indian chief, the various Indians, friendship with Dudley, the performances in the shows? Their siding with Dudley against Snidely?

14.The townspeople, the need for change?

15.Snidely, his defeat, Dudley and his winning Nell? The prospector and his blessing? The Indians – and all’s well that ends well?