Captain Ron (1992)

Really Surprised!

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This is a very funny movie that never really hit the headlines. No idea why, but maybe because I am a sailor myself, I can appreciate the humour. Well worth watching if you want to lose yourself in the Caribbean lifestyle from your cold and damp apartment in winter.A young family is left an old sailing vessel in a will, but have to travel to the Caribbean to sail it to the broker for sale so that they can pay off their mortgage. The adventures on the way with Capt. Ron (Kurt Russell) first make the family hate it, then love it. They have no experience and hire Cap'n Ron to help sail the boat with some disastrous results, all of which could happen in real life, but the movie drags you in to want to go out and buy a boat in the Caribbean yourself and sail away into the sunset, laughing all the way!Highly recommended.

Martin (Martin Short) and Katherine Harvey (Mary Kay Place) live in the Chicago suburb with their kids Caroline and Ben. His deceased uncle leaves him a yacht once owned by Clark Gable worth $250k. The only catch is that the boat is on the island of Ste. Pomme de Terre and they need to get it to Miami. Martin wants to bring the whole family to sail it but Katherine balks until Caroline comes home announcing her engagement to a leather jacket dude. The boat looks worst than expected and the broker hires local slobbish Captain Ron Rico (Kurt Russell).The family annoyed me at the beginning. I don't like the kid. He's not only a brat but he gets on my nerves. The girl is almost as bad. The married couple can bicker as long as it's fun. The family doesn't have the fun chemistry. I like Captain Ron a bit more. The odd couple feel between Martin and Captain Ron has some fun moments but the movie is not nearly funny enough.

Button-downed Martin Harvey (Martin Short) and his wife, Kitty (Mary Kay Place), live the proverbial rat race life in Chicago. Complicating things are their children. Daughter Caroline (Meadow Sisto) has just announced her engagement, ha, at age sixteen while Benjamin (The Nanny's Benjamin Salisbury) gets very bored a lot. So, what a stroke of luck when news arrives that the family has inherited a yacht. You see, its on a Caribbean island and they must sail it to Miami to sell it for big bucks. What a thrilling vacation ahead, never mind that none of them can sail! Off they go. But, once they arrive on the little paradise, the boat is quite ugly and rundown. Bummer. But, along comes Captain Ron (Kurt Russell) who can not only guide the vessel back to the States, but teach the family how to sail the boat (it also has a motor) and "spruce up the ship", too. Although Martin is a bit worried at Ron's carefree attitude and drinking habits, what could go wrong? Plenty! They soon meet pirates, face storms, and get caught in other perilous adventures. Will they walk on American soil again? This darling film is a Good Ship Lollipop of Laughs the whole family will enjoy. Russell is one versatile guy, for he can be dead serious in his roles (remember Miracle) or he can be goofy as they come, as he is here. Short is the perfect, stuffy foil to Ron, while Place, Sisto, Salisbury, and all of the others are great, too. Then, since the setting is the Caribbean, the scenery is beyond lovely while costumes, script and zesty direction spell F-U-N as well. Don't let this boat sail without you!

If you enjoy Walt Disney style movies I think you'll like Captain Ron. Is it gut busting comedy? No, it's a put a smile on your face and chuckle at many of the situations type movie; thoroughly enjoyable.It is subtle comedy, situations that you can almost see yourself / family having if you were to inherit a sailboat.Martin Short is perfect for the part of the bumbling husband, married to Disney-style-hot Mary Kay Place. The part of Caroline played by Meadow Sisto is kind of weak, but Benjamin Salisbury as Benjamin Harvey does a very good job with his role. Kurt Russell was an excellent choice for Captain Ron, someone you'd like to know but not live next door to. If you were going on a Caribbean romp, you'd like to go with Captain Ron.My wife and I both enjoyed it enough to buy the VHS version and watch it from time to time over the years. While not a squeaky clean G, it's a solid PG and one you can view on 'family movie night'. I've always been surprised that it didn't rate higher. It's a very good movie.