Dudley Do-Right, Canadian Mountie (Brendan Fraser) is on his post in a remote village in Canada. A lifelong resident of the area, it was Dudley's childhood dream to become a Mountie. He lives in a small cabin with only his horse, Horse, as a companion. Yet, two people from Dudley's past resurface in the small, nearby village. One is Nell (Sara Jessica Parker) who Dudley has loved since their tweenage years. She has returned from a trip around the world and is more lovely than ever. But, alas, the other returnee is the dastardly Snidely Whiplash (Alfred Molina). He was Dudley's rival for Nell's affections long ago, despite his evil and conniving ways. Soon, Snidely has taken over the town's businesses, by hook and by crook, and is making a big play for Nell's attention while Dudley manages to upset the ruling party in Ottawa and is fired from his post. The world is looking pretty harsh to Dudley, that is for certain. Will he recover his job and win the heart of Nell? This is a second, cartoon-based film for Fraser, after the infinitely more successful George of the Jungle. The same creative minds were at work here but the results are far from perfect. Don't blame the cast, however, for Fraser, Parker, and Molina, with a bit of help from Eric Idle and Alex Rocco, are the reasons to see the film at all. Simply put, they are terrific and rise above the mundane script and uneven direction. Certainly, there are some very funny scenes, such as the one in which Snidely orders a poor lady and her children out of their home or where Dudley has the bad luck to have a moose head fall on him during a critical moment with Nell. Now, that's entertainment. Unfortunately, though, a few good scenes do not a great film make. Yet, if you like silly nonsense with likable stars, you might take a chance with this film. Yes, it may elicit a yawn here or there, but it's truly not a bad way to spend a couple of leisure hours.
