Valerie Highsmith (Sheila Kelley) is the bumbling daughter of a wealthy businessman on vacation in Mexico. Purse snatchers leave her on the streets with amnesia. Small time con man Frank Grimes comes along and takes her hostage. Her father sends investigator Raymond Campanella (Danny Glover) but he has no luck. Because of her bad luck, her father is convinced to send the equally bad luck accountant Eugene Proctor (Martin Short) to follow Valerie and partnered with Campanella.

This is adapted from a French movie and I have yet to laugh at a French comedy. Some of that is the language difference but I also think the French aren't that funny. This should work better with Short as the wacky funny man and Glover as the straight man. Short has his moments and Glover's best comedic partner remains Mel Gibson. The comedy is very broad and very limited. It's pretty stupid but not stupidly funny. Worst of all, the investigation isn't that compelling. Seeing Valerie doing similarly stupid things could make the concept work better. It may also work better if Eugene is an idiot but he's not really written as such. He could also be resigned to the bad luck. I'm not sure if Eugene is calibrated correctly.

Hollywood should shy away from the inane types of remakes it tries to make out of some French films. This one in particular was based on "Le Chevre" by Francis Veber. French humor is not well understood once it's translated. The original film wasn't that great, to begin with. It's a mystery why Nadia Tass undertook to direct this film, at all. The screen play by Herbert Weingrod must have looked a lot funnier than what we see on the screen.

Martin Short, as a comedian, is very funny. He has not fared well in the movies. It could be his choices that have limited him, or just that he is completely hysterical in one medium and with the wrong guidance, he will be not as funny in films like this. The jokes in this movie are too tired.

Danny Glover, on the other hand, playing the straight man, to Mr. Short's funny one, fares better. The pairing of these two men sometimes work, but much of the time, even an experienced and talented actor of Mr. Glover's stature, falls flat.

Watch it at your own risk.

This Americanized remake of the French film "Le Chevre" is essentially a mild, one joke comedy. That said, that one joke is reasonably amusing and leads to some effective slapstick, all performed with bravado by the talented Martin Short. He and the other cast members make this pleasant, if not hilarious, to watch. Certainly there's gorgeous Mexican scenery to enjoy as well. Eventually the movie does get a little tiresome but it *does* continue with the gags right up to the end credits.

Sheila Kelley co-stars as Valerie Highsmith, the daughter of a business magnate played by Sam Wanamaker. Her character is terminally accident prone, and when she disappears, a psychiatrist in Wanamakers' employ (Harry Shearer) has a brainstorm: use Eugene Proctor (Short),the unluckiest man in the company, to try to track her down. Hopefully these two hapless souls will be just unlucky enough to be drawn to each other somehow. Naturally, dedicated private detective Raymond Campanella (Danny Glover) thinks this is a stupid idea, and he starts to grow weary of Proctors' endless pratfalls, but starts to become a believer as he and Proctor get some leads.

If it weren't for Short, this wouldn't work as well as it does. He just throws himself right into the part. And Glover, just as he did in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, proves to be the consummate straight man. Shearer doesn't really get a chance to be funny, but Wanamaker is good, and the sexy Ms. Kelley is an appealing klutz. Also providing fine support are Scott Wilson as small time crook Frank Grimes - who comes to deeply regret his association with Valerie, Jorge Russek as helpful Mexican police inspector Segura, Jorge Luke as an amiable pilot, and Sergio Calderon as a sleazy bartender.

The best gag revolves around a bee sting, with fun makeup effects by the ever reliable KNB effects group.

All in all, it's watchable enough, and good for some modest chuckles.

Six out of 10.