Interesteg What makes it different from others?

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Electrified_Voltage "Who's Harry Crumb?" is a title I have now been familiar with for a few years, and I original came across that title simply due to John Candy's starring role in the film. I was only 7½ years old when that renowned comedian passed away, and I never heard his name until probably several years later. It wasn't until over a decade after his premature death when I finally discovered how talented he was by seeing episodes of "SCTV" and the 1987 John Hughes film, "Planes, Trains & Automobiles". However, I was obviously in no hurry to see "Who's Harry Crumb?" since it's been probably about five years since I first heard of it and I've finally just seen it for the first time. This is not one of Candy's more popular movies, and unsurprisingly not one that I like.Jennifer Downing is the daughter of a millionaire named P.J. Downing, and one day, during a mud massage at a health spa, she is kidnapped! When P.J. seeks help from the Crumb & Crumb detective agency, Eliot Draisen, the president of this agency, puts Harry Crumb on the case. Harry comes from a long family line of skilled detectives, but unfortunately, he hasn't inherited the skills of his predecessors. Although this man means well, he is actually a very clumsy and incompetent detective, and there's a good chance he will louse up this mission! He begins his investigation not knowing that the reason why Eliot put him on the case is because the president of Crumb & Crumb is secretly behind this kidnapping of the young heiress, so he actually wants the investigation to fail! Eliot is well aware of Harry's incompetence, and feels that with him on the case, there's no chance that the mission will be a successful one! In this 1989 crime comedy, John Candy plays a kind of character he was very well known to play, a clumsy but well-meaning and kind-hearted one. He sure was good at this role, but didn't always play it in good movies. This film is unfortunately one of the unfunny ones he starred in. Near the beginning, the part where Harry crashes through the window of an arguing couple made me laugh a little, and what is perhaps the funniest part takes place very shortly after that, when the incompetent detective accuses a woman named Mrs. MacIntyre of having an affair with her own husband! However, I don't think I laughed at all after that, apart from one scene much later in the film, and even that laugh was small. The vast majority of "Who's Harry Crumb?" didn't even make me smile. There's a lot of slapstick here, but it's generally cheap slapstick, and there are also some fairly poor quality lines, such as the really corny "cherry Coke" one. In addition to being unfunny, this movie is also usually quite boring."Planes, Trains & Automobiles" is an excellent comedy and definitely the best film I've ever seen John Candy in. "Uncle Buck" is another John Hughes film starring Candy, and I found that one to be pretty good when I saw it for the first time last year. "Who's Harry Crumb?" came out the same year as "Uncle Buck", but sadly, it's significantly weaker. Although Candy basically plays the same kind of character here as he does in the two Hughes comedies I've mentioned, and the late comedian's talent was a big help in both of those, he couldn't save this film. Even if you have found Candy hilarious in certain other works, which I would say I have, you could still easily be disappointed by this particular comedy which he starred in. Many viewers may disagree with my comments on this crime comedy, but I still think it's a mediocre effort, and don't think I will ever really care who Harry Crumb is.

raisleygordon To say that Harry Crumb is not your average detective would be an understatement. He's the sort a guy who doesn't really take anything seriously. Is this an ideal part for Candy? Of course. The film has many funny moments, and doesn't have a single character that's uninteresting. The movie might not always make sense, but it is never a boring one. And yes, it is predictable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing in a slapstick comedy. Shawnee Smith (from TV's 'Becker') isn't given much to do beyond assisting Candy. I do think the movie gets a little bogged down in trying to explain who the kidnapper actually is.*** out of ****

Paul Andrews Who's Harry Crumb? is set in Los Angeles where Jennifer Downing (Renée Coleman) is kidnapped while have a mud massage, her rich father P.J. Downing (Barry Corbin) turns to the Crumb & Crumb detective agency where President Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) decides to put the inept son of the founder of the agency Harry Crumb (John Candy). Harry gets to work & meets the Downing family & any potential suspects, with an adulterous wife who hates Jennifer & her boyfriend who wants to kill P.J. along with trying to find the kidnappers Harry has his work cut out. Using various disguises & his well toned detective skills Harry Crumb tries to solve the case & save Jennifer...Directed by Paul Flaherty this likable comedy starring the late John Candy is one of those films that you may have seen in the eighties & then not watched it again in years & while it inevitably doesn't quite seem as funny as the first time around there's still a fair bit here to enjoy & laugh along with. The whole film is basically a fun example of the bumbling detective genre that include the likes of The Pink Panther (1963, 2006), Inspector Gadget & more recently the Austin Powers films that all feature some inept bumbling detective/cop/spy who comes up against some bad guy's & through luck, chance or a minor miracle manages to solve the case & save the day. While not hysterically funny there are laughs to be had here & the whole film is played in such a way that you just end up liking it, Candy is just great as Harry Crumb who gets some very funny moments of physical comedy as well as some baffling, silly & amusing one-liners. The supporting character's are fun too, from the villain to the kidnapped daughter to her sister who ends up helping & assisting Crumb to a nympho wife who just wants to be rich to a female cop who hates private detective's. The plot is simple, the identity of the kidnappers are given away early on so it's all played for laughs from then on as the cool collected villains face up to the bumbling idiotic Crumb is some nice scenes. At just under 100 minutes it didn't feel that long, there's a steady stream of gags, funny disguises & disasters of Crumb's own making to make the time pass harmlessly enough.The whole film has a very 80's vibe going on from the fashions to the music to the cars & decor. It looks nice enough but there's not much going on apart from a scene in which Crumb drives a car without brakes & a climax set at an airport where Crumb chases a plane while riding a truck. There's no real violence although there is one use of the 'F' word that was cut from all UK version until the 2008 DVD. While not deep or serious I don't really think it was ever meant to be & as a simple light hearted comedy about a bumbling detective I thought it was good & it made me laugh a few times & I did have a good feeling while watching it so it must have done something right.Not a huge box-office success this was filmed mainly in British Columbia in Canada. The acting is good from a very game cast of well known actor's with Candy himself as the stand-out, Shawnee Smith (before the Saw films) is cute & likable as his sidekick while Jeffrey Jones, Annie Potts & Tim Thomerson give decent comic performances.Who's Harry Crumb? is not a masterpiece by any means but as a straight forward crime comedy full of gags, one-liners, puns, likable character's & performances, silly outfits & one or two action scenes then I thought it was pretty good & better than average if not a classic. It's a comedy & I laughed at it, that just about says it all really.

hs_pa John Candy is hilarious but even his comedic talent wasn't enough to fix this slapstick mess. The physical comedy is over the top and the dialogue is full of adolescent nonsensical humor. The movie started off with a bang as a beautiful woman layed on her back naked in a mud pack completely oblivious to the fact that her masseuse was being Chloroformed directly in front of her. Open your eyes lady! Scream before the masseuse goes under and her attacker reloads the rag! She really did look funny, laying there nude and muddy, because I knew she was next and the thought of her being anesthetized in that mud pack was hilarious!And did she ever look goofy trying to pry the anesthetic pad from her mouth with just her middle finger as her lights went out! One thin finger taking on her attacker's entire iron hand while naked in a mud pack and "mmmmphing" into an anesthetic pad. Now that's funny!Too bad it all went downhill from there.