This movie is pretty terrible, but I gave it an 8 out of 10 because hidden away inside it is a great little (shorter) movie.
If you:
* take out all the scenes with Maury Chayken and Saul Rubinek (who are fine actors, but most certainly not here)
* take out all the speed-up-the-movie-for-humor scenes (most notably the chase through Quebec - indeed, drop most of that chase entirely)
* take out everything before the opening credits (that is, the tedious 'backstory', which is explained just fine later in the movie -- indeed better.)
* leave in everything with Richard Harris and Christopher Plummer (who appear to have someone else writing their dialog from the pretty awful stuff written for everybody else.)
... then there's a cracking good fish-out-of-water story joined with a swashbuckler trying one game too many.
So, be ready with the fast-forward button, and you might just have a good hour or so.
If you:
* take out all the scenes with Maury Chayken and Saul Rubinek (who are fine actors, but most certainly not here)
* take out all the speed-up-the-movie-for-humor scenes (most notably the chase through Quebec - indeed, drop most of that chase entirely)
* take out everything before the opening credits (that is, the tedious 'backstory', which is explained just fine later in the movie -- indeed better.)
* leave in everything with Richard Harris and Christopher Plummer (who appear to have someone else writing their dialog from the pretty awful stuff written for everybody else.)
... then there's a cracking good fish-out-of-water story joined with a swashbuckler trying one game too many.
So, be ready with the fast-forward button, and you might just have a good hour or so.