King Ralph (1991)

David Ward made his reputation on his original screenplay to The Sting, but his career as a director has been built on lightweight comedies filled with generous spirit and slight aspirations. King Ralph delivers on that level. After a freak accident kills every immediate member of the British royal family, a search of the royal bloodline uncovers an unlikely candidate: portly Vegas lounge singer John Goodman. How will this gauche, exuberant, red-blooded American mix with the haughty aristocratic bluebloods? Blustery, big-hearted Goodman brings the common touch to the palace with the enthusiastic spirit of a beer-guzzling, burger-eating American everyman who hammers out a mean rock & roll piano--even at official functions. John Hurt plays his conniving rival, an overlooked lord who plots his demise, while Peter O'Toole brings quiet dignity to his role as the King's private secretary and unofficial guide through the maze of etiquette and diplomacy. Ward brings a distinctly American sensibility to the British setting-- this is definitely slapstick over satire and Goodman is a veritable bull in the royal china shop. It's a modest underdog comedy in which white hats and black hats are pretty rigidly defined, but Goodman brings a working-class dignity to the role. Watch for Joely Richardson in a hilarious turn as a throaty foreign princess who puts the moves on Goodman. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Best Comedy

Kind of makes you think about what could be if you could just forget living your everyday life style to live like a king. Isn't what its all what you think. They have so many rules and how you should act and so on.
But its very entertaining to watch..I hop you will enjoy it as much as I did. And yes,they should be more relaxed and then it wouldn't be so hard to control the country. June 9, 2008

Great light-hearted comedy

I love this movie!! John Goodman is at his best. This is one that I pick when I need something fun to watch. I battle long-term depression, and this has the right combo of fun, some drama, and great music performed by John Goodman -- just what the doctor ordered!! November 24, 2007

Ralph is best king

He doesn't know how to be a king, thats what is so funny about the movie! September 5, 2007

Sometimes Painful, but Funny

The plot is simplistic, the gags are often infantile and the characters are shallow. That does not stop this film from being funny, as long as nothing cerebral is wanted.

A tragic accident wipes out most of the British royal family. Genealogist scramble to find the next in line to the throne and ulitimately, to their horror, find Ralph, a loser barfly from Las Vegas played by John Goodman.

The culture shock goes beyond European vs. American or even aristocrat vs. plebian. A bigger concern to Ralph is that his life is no longer his own. His tastes in women run towards tarts instead of princesses and his political savvy is nil. Just to keep things complicated, A powerful Lord is scheming to bring about his downfall so that his own family can return to the throne.

Although Ralph is lousy at playing the aristocratic pinnacle, he turns out to be a better king than anybody has any right to expect.

The humor in this movie is almost always at somebody's expense. Sometimes it is the crass American being portrayed and other times it is the pompous Brits. There are some politically incorrect jabs at other as well but they do not take themselves too seriously. The ranking Brits are played by a first string cast including Peter O'Toole. You can almost see him wince at times due to the corniness of some of the situations but, overall, the movie is mindless fun.
August 7, 2007

Not too bad

King Ralph is simply an enjoyable movie. As far fetched as it, its a lot of fun. January 5, 2007

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