User reviews

I read another reviewer's comments about Wrongfully Accused, and I am continually amazed at how many people judge movies like this as though they are meant to be serious cinematic endeavors. Leslie Nielsen's films, literally, are jokes, and if you can't take them that way then maybe it would be better if you didn't watch them. I only say this here rather than just to that reviewer because I think it's worth pointing out that, in case you couldn't already tell, this movie is a parody and is meant to be laughed at.

I am perfectly willing to admit that it is peppered with scenes that fall completely flat (the sex scene with the sports commentary in the background is a prime example) and much of Nielsen's acting is absolutely awful (also note that much of this is also a parody of similar bad acting in the movies that are being spoofed in this movie, such as The Fugitive and obviously some of the James Bond films), but again, you really need to keep in mind what kind of movie this is.

Besides, there are also plenty of truly hilarious scenes. I can't help cracking up at the train peeking around the rock at Nielsen as he tries to escape, or the scene where he bends down to get his foot out of the railroad tracks and is hit in the forehead by the crossing gate. This scene was also screwed up, because that crossing gate was down across the track rather than a road going over the tracks, and it stopped rising just above Nielsen's head. But who cares? Comedy is a surprise, if you just saw what was expected it wouldn't be funny!

I can't say that Wrongfully Accused promises a cerebral workout or any moving social commentary, but if you look at the cover of this movie and expect something like that, maybe you should stick to the kid's section at the video store, because you are probably a little out of your league. The rest of you should be able to find some things to laugh at in this movie. Just enjoy it for what it is, because there are really only two things that frost my butt, a snow cone about that high, and IMDb reviewers that can't take a good joke!

Leslie Nielsen returns with another hilarious spoof, this time starring as violinist Ryan Harrison, who is framed for murdering Hibbing Goodhue. He needs to find a mysterious one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged man to get to the truth of the crime, all the while trying to hide from the pursuing authorities.

As with any Nielson spoofs, there are non-stop gags from start to finish that will have you horse-laughing. Slapstick humor is abundance here, but did get a little old in a plot where the momentum didn't flow as quick as Nielsen's earlier spoof movies like the Naked Gun films. However, the slapstick humor is done tastefully in a way that is doesn't get borderline annoying (i.e., forced comedy).

The characters are calm and serious as always in their demeanor, especially Nielson, spoofing his "The Fugitive" character well. Stars Wars, Titanic, Back to the Future and Anaconda are among the many movies hilariously spoofed - all giving us another entertaining and laughable comedy.

Grade B-

You do not go to see a Nielsen movie expecting anything else but a good laugh. You know that you will see a parody, based on one film, and a lot of references to other famous movies. The humor itself may get what they call rather low, but occasionally you will have a good laugh, and even some gags to remember. No social comments, no pretentions. This is exactly what this film is - an average level parody, with one memorable scene, and a few good other. Go in the right mood, do not expect too much, and you may enjoy it. 6/10 on my personal scale.

There has been a murder in town and the violin player superstar is the main suspect.He is wrongfully accused, of course.He gets a death sentence but he manages to escape.So then he is an innicent violin player chased by the cops.All he knows is that the real murderer is a one-armed, one-legged and one-eyed man. Shouldn't be so hard to find.Easier said than done.Wrongfully Accused is a comedy, that has parodies from many other movies and some series.Mostly from The Fugitive.There are also parodies from movies like Braveheart and Titanic.Leslie Nielsen is perfect for the movie.He knows the genre very well.He is a parody man.Great comedian.Great comedy.

A late entry in Leslie Nielsen's career-rebooting series of movie parodies, 1998's "Wrongfully Accused" treads familiar territory. However, the film will likely be catnip to fans of "Airplane," "Naked Gun," and "Police Squad." Written, produced, and directed by Pat Proft, a veteran writer on the "Police Squad" TV series and the "Naked Gun" movie trilogy, the movie is an endless string of hit-or-miss sight gags, bad puns, and slapstick. While showing his age, the 72-year-old Nielsen manages to keep up with the frantic pace. Proft's first and only directorial effort is a take-off on Harrison Ford's "The Fugitive," and Nielsen plays Ryan Harrison, a moniker among numerous obvious references, who is a music virtuoso also known as Lord of the Violin. Nielsen is passingly involved with the wife of Hibbing Goodhue, played by Michael York, and, when York is murdered, Nielsen is convicted of the crime, jailed, and sentenced to death. The set pieces imitate the original film with a train-bus wreck in which Nielsen escapes, a pursuit in the sewers, and a daring jump into a raging river. On the run, Nielsen seeks to prove his innocence by finding a one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man, all the while pursued by Richard Crenna, a garrulus cop named Lieutenant Fergus Falls.

For movie buffs, the references to old movies are enough to make the film entertaining; from extended scenes that mimic "The Usual Suspects," "Mission Impossible," "Titanic," and "North by Northwest," to passing references to "The Empire Strikes Back," "Field of Dreams," and "Braveheart," to dialog lifted from "Casablanca," Proft's movie is great fun. Viewers are advised to sit through the wacky end credits, which like those of earlier Nielsen spoofs, include a number of genuinely funny attributions. Unfortunately, unlike other Nielsen spoofs, the cast is light on star cameos, and only York and Sandra Bernhardt are well known among the cast. While Melinda McGraw plays Nielsen's sidekick and love interest, she fails to make a strong impression, and the more than 35-year age difference between Nielsen and McGraw is borderline icky. However, the May-December attraction is a small quibble. The audience for "Wrongfully Accused" knows what they paid for, and the film generally delivers. However, those who hated "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" are warned to stay clear.

Leslie Nielsen basically stopped acting after making the Naked Gun movies. He starred in spoofs such as Spy Hard, A Space Travesty, Scary Movie 3 and this one, a spoof mainly of 'The Fugitive'.

Numerous other movies come along (such as The Usual Suspects, Braveheart, Titanic, Patriout Games and even Casablanca, it's a feast for anyone who's seen those movies. It all doesn't make much sense of course (as it shouldn't) but it's a fine evening filler I suppose.

Oh well, if you're into the spoofing category or have seen much of the movies being ridiculed in this one, it's definately a one to watch.

6/10.

The hilarious "Wrongfully Accused" is a mixture of popular movies. The spoof works well because one can't help comparing it with the models in which Pat Proft, the clever writer/director of this movie has based it on. The outline follows "The Fugitive", but there are also overtones of "North by Northwest", "Casablanca" and "Fields of Dreams" among others that Mr. Proft makes fun of.

One can't even begin to think of anyone for the main character of Ryan, but Leslie Nielsen, an actor whose contributions to the genre are delightful and funny. Mr. Nielsen does good work in this movie, and the viewer has a good time watching all the antics displayed on the screen.

The supporting cast is also effective working with Mr. Nielsen. Richard Crenna plays the Lt. Fergus Falls who is trailing the wrongly accused man, but is never able to apprehend. Kelly LeBrock and Melinda McGraw are perfect as the women in Ryan's life. Michael York has a small part.

"Wrongly Accused" is fun to watch with the family or a group of friends as it will keep the viewers amused by all the insanity Leslie Nielsen brings to the movie.

I've been a Leslie Nielsen fan since Police Squad! so I was looking forward to watching this movie. Talk about disappointment! This movie was full of sight gags, which were hilarious in the Naked Gun movies, but here-- they were unbearably unfunny. I think the producers were trying to capture the magic of the Naked Guns and figured all they needed was Leslie Nielsen to pull it off. Sorry, Leslie, not this time. This movie, even making allowances that it's a spoof, did not work for me. It wasn't funny, though it tried very hard to be. I put this movie second last, just before Pauly Shore's Son-in-Law. I think a lot of us would love to see Lt. Frank Drebin bumble his way through another Naked Gun incarnation.

Since "The Fugitive" is one of my all-time favorites, this takeoff on it was fun and enjoyable for me to watch. Hey, sometimes it's best to laugh at ourselves and the things we like. For much of it, this movie was laugh-out-loud funny.

It helped not only to know "The Fugitive" story well but also "North By Northwest," "Casablanca" "Titantic," and many, many other films, both classic and modern-day. The more familiar you are with movies, the more of these "inside" jokes are going to make you laugh.

Being a movie buff, a lot of these gags connected and made me really have a good time watching this Leslie Nielsen farce. Be warned, parents: this is not a family comedy. There are tons of sexual innuendos, so typical of today's comedies.

I have been a fan of Nielsen's since I first saw Spy Hard when I was still a kid. Leslie Nielsen was perfect to play this role simply because he has the presence of a dramatic actor only making his actions funnier. Nielsen is perhaps one of the funniest comedic actors around, though his movies like this are criticized as though they were supposed to be some Oscar Nomminated hit or something. What those "drama critics" don't seem to understand is that all his comedy movies are PARODIES of dramatic movies. They're not supposed to be taken seriously. Niesen movies like this are just for a few yuks and laughs. I have always loved random comedy movies like this, therefore, I love this movie.

'Wrongfully Accused' is a decent entertainer, that turns out to be a satisfying parody. The humor works & it's lead-star, the amazing Leslie Nielsen, does exceedingly well.

'Wrongfully Accused' Synopsis: Ryan Harrison is framed for murder and must prove himself innocent by finding a mysterious one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged man after escaping from a bus accident on the way to jail.

'Wrongfully Accused' is a parody of the 1993 film The Fugitive, And I must say, this parody is funny. The First-Hour is superb & raises a lot of laughs, the Second-Hour drags a bit, but sails off smoothly. Pat Proft's Screenplay & Direction, both, are wild & confident. Cinematography is fine.

Performance-Wise: Leslie Nielsen does exceedingly well in the central role. The late actor once again plays poker-face & raises a lot of genuine laughs. Richard Crenna is fantastic. Kelly Le Brock is ordinary. Melinda McGraw, Michael York & Sandra Bernhard, lend support.

On the whole, If you're a fan of parodies, then 'Wrongfully Accused', should be in your agenda.

Leslie Nielsen is truly the grandmaster of slapstick comedies. In the new film "Wrongfully Accused," Nielsen once more proves that he is capable of saving a bad spoof from being bad. In it, he releases his natural talent of comic genius into his character similar to the one from the magnificent movie "The Fugitive"(Harrison Ford) and, of course, makes us laugh up a storm.

Leslie Nielsen is surprisingly energetic in this film, more than usual. I mean, it's not like him to do some of the things he does in this production. Then again, this is not your typical Nielsen movie in any means. The plot is awfully serious for a slapstick and the characters are too complicated. In a drama movie these things are all signs of skill, but for a movie that just wants to have fun, these things are flaws. Nielsen saves the production by doing what he can with the script.

Another problem of the film is that it virtually strained for laughs, to the point of making the audience think before they laugh. For example, the accused murder walks into a town labeled "The Town That Has More Police Than Anywhere in the Whole Wide World."

There are some quickie jokes that do work, for instance: In a hospital, the intercom speaker says "Dr. Kavorkian to Mr. Simson's room." Or how about when Ryan looks over Lake's photo album under the family tree, the father has two branches, her dad and Bill Clinton. The funniest: When Harrison makes the jump from the dam, from "Fugitive" you here the title song from "Baywatch" and see a group of attractive young lifeguards race to site. The US marshals shoot machine guns at the criminals' feet making them do an Irish dance.

"Wrongfully Accused" is the summer's second spoof movie. First along came the lame "Mafia," which didn't work because there were no main characters. To have Leslie Nielsen on your team when you're making a spoof, that's an almost certain success even if the film on its own is bad, like this movie. In other words, if this movie was absent of him and was still released in theaters it should have been called "Wrongfully Released."

Wrongfully Accused is very funny in spots, but doesn't Leslie Nielsen and Pat Proft, the director, remember that spoofs are much funnier when played seriously. The actors in this film seem to be acting like they're in a spoof. Not one of the best of Nielsen's performances, but still worth a look.

Ryan Harrison (Leslie Nielsen) is a world renown violinist superstar. He has an affair with Lauren Goodhue (Kelly LeBrock) and gets framed for her husband (Michael York)'s murder. He is sentenced to death and escapes Fugitive style. He is hunted by Lieutenant Fergus Falls (Richard Crenna). He encounters Cass Lake (Melinda McGraw) who suspects Lauren to be her sister.

This has all the Nielsen wacky fun. Pat Proft does his usual writing and directs for the first time. It's a bit slow at first until it gets to the Fugitive part. It's able to concentrate on spoofing that movie and is much the better for it. The funniest aspect of the movie is the Fugitive spoof. The rest with the crazy family and terrorism is a lot of noise and fury signifying who knows what. The plot is a mess anyways and would have functioned much better if it followed The Fugitive plot. This is for fans of wacky Nielsen only.

I admit this movie is very stupid. But I found myself laughing again and again at all the stupid jokes! The humor here is solely in the way it references other films and puts a spin on things, so if you haven't seen many of those other films you may not enjoy this one.

The main film referenced here is of course FUGITIVE. Also referenced to great hilarity is THE USUAL SUSPECTS, but many many others are included as well. It's just good mindless fun. Recommend.

The creator of Hot Shots brought this film that tries to be funny.I expected a funnier film. I wasted 4 bucks on this movie. The spoofs get over used to the the point of stupidity. Don't waste your money on this film either by go see it or by renting it. I'm not looking forward to the Titanic spoof which the creator of this film is producing and writing.

Spoofing THE FUGITIVE, Leslie Nielsen takes us on a wild ride that combines the Three Stooges with the Marx Brothers and includes quick stops at CASABLANCA and THE MALTESE FALCON, then north by northwest to MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, BRAVEHEART, and TITANIC. As the ads say, this isn't a movie -- it's all movies. And it's well worth the trip. Nielsen is in top form.

The Airplane!-Naked Gun comedy genre is always worth watching just because they are meant to be silly fun and nothing more. And that's exactly what you'll find here. If you've already seen the aforementioned films you may have the distinct feeling that the well is beginning to run dry after viewing "Wrongfully Accused." But so what? It's all in good fun. It was actually better than I'd expected.

There are at least five bright spots that make this film worth watching: Richard Crenna's masterful parody of Tommy Lee Jones character in "The Fugitive," a host of memorable one-liners, watching an aging Leslie Nielson nail yet another physically-demanding dead-pan performance, counting the number of famous films being parodied, and a scene featuring a particularly hilarious low-rider.

It stars Leslie Nielsen. what more do you need to know? It's true, Nielsen has built a career out of movies like this. He plays Ryan Harrison, the dashing, although somewhat clueless hero who somehow romances a woman half his age, tracks down a 1-armed, 1-legged, 1-eyed man, and saves a UN Member. He does so through trial and error, questionable flashbacks, smart-alec quips and oddly phrased metaphors. And somehow does it in what seems to be 2 days! In the good tradition of the parody, nothing is sacred to this movie. Although it is mostly a spoof of The Fugitive, every movie gets the blade here. Braveheart, Titanic, Mission Impossible, Field of Dreams, it all gets the Nielsen treatment. And just movies, but pop culture too! Car alarms, ER, bras, basketball commentary, and Alfred Hitchock all get their dues. Even the adorable puppet Lambchop can be heard chanting 'Riot, riot, riot!' in a scene.

Simply put, any Leslie Nielsen fan will love this. If you hated his previous movies, you won't like this one. It's a rehash of the classic parody formula, a formula that has withstood the test and still stands up. And of course the clueless Nielsen doesn't fail to disappoint. Running from a model airplane, wearing a meat factory coat to impersonate a doctor, using a long wooden stick to deactivate his bear-trap car alarm, and playing a violin with his teeth...He does it all! Leslie Nielsen is without a clue, without a hope, and he's been Wrongfully Accused!

As a Minnesota native just as writer Pat Proft, it was hilarious hearing/seeing all of the Minnesota references (i.e. Hibbing Goodhue, Hilltop Police, Dr. Fridley etc.). It was even funnier to watch a previous tough guy/villain actor Crenna stumble and show his comedic side. Definitely this movie was Simpsons-Family Guy-esque in the type of numerous movie references and great sight gags. Just leave your cynical, critical movie evaluation skills at the door. Just like all of the previous Pat Proft/Naked Gun/Hot Shots movies, you will need to review the movie several times to pick up gags/references you missed earlier. I give this movie a seven out of a ten rating.

Pat Proft's Wrongfully Accused is a funny parody of many films (examples: Titanic, The Fugitive, Basic Instinct, Lord of the Dance, Anaconda, etc.) that is well played by Leslie Nielson. It may not be a good film story wise (it is pathetic as Nielson's tupee), but Nielson is always the best at parody comedy and with a co-writer from the original Naked Gun, this film turns out to be a pretty good comedy.

there is a lot of misses in this movie. but there are more than a few hits. some of the gags are very tired. but more than a few are right on target. this movie is not as good as some other nielsen movies like the naked gun series. but it's still better than his recent movies like dracula dead and loving it,and spy hard. all in all not bad. i give wrongfully accused **1/2 out of ****