Critical Condition (film)
I had two choices coming up on my amazon prime video, well I had three actually. Richard Pryor made a movie called Don’t Be A Hero, which I’ve never scene, but I would have to pay extra for that which I did not feel like doing. Instead, I went for two Pryor flicks I already saw. Bustin Loose and Critical condition. I went for the ladder because I remember the film fondly. Memory is a tricky thing.
The movie is good. I seen it before, but I don’t remember the film like I thought. Richard Pryor plays a man named Kevin Latimore who borrows money from a mob boss who happens to get busted by the cops at that moment and blames Kev for the time he got, even though Kev, who was holding all the evidence, got busted himself. Now with the risk of getting killed by the mob boss in jail Kev pretends to be crazy and he ends up in an Asylum during a hurricane where in an attempt to escape pretends to be a doctor.
I remember this part of the movie, in which Richard Pryor attempts to con being a doctor for a night during a hurricane. Each time he deals with a patient or a member of the hospital staff its like a comedy bit on a sketch TV show. As a film Critical condition is the perfect type of movie you would give a comedian trying to showcase his comedy in a different format other than the stage.
I wonder how much input Pryor actually had in this flick? I don’t mean to insult the legend that is Pryor but as someone who is a huge fan of what he did as a stand up this does not even feel like a watered-down version of that. I mean, it’s a rated R movie but not as raunchy as what Pryor does in his comedy. Eddie Murphy may have done a better job cause he’s one of those rare ones that transferred from comedy star to movie star without watering down the act too much(his act just works everywhere). If they ever did a remake of the film Kevin Hart would be perfect for it.
On one side I would say Pryor looks sick. He’s supposed to be a man in his late 30s but he looks far older than that. In fairness, men in their 30s did look older back then plus you can tell on his face that this movie happen after the peak of his drug habit, in which he almost burned himself to death, but most likely this movie is happening at the beginning of his battle with multiple sclerosis. Don’t know how much this effected his performance but its something you notice.
Well, I don’t want to bad mouth the movie too much. My Fav scene is one starring original Saturday Night Live cast member, Garret Morris as he interacts with Pryor and a pre–Full House Bob Saget. It was very memorable. That and a small role of a pissed off ambulance driver filled by a young Wesley Snipes and I also think I saw Dennis Leary in the film. Though that might have just been Joe Dallesandro, who in the right light reminds me of Leary.
Dallesandro plays a cop killer who like Pryor’s character is just waiting a chance to get out of the hospital before anyone discovers who he is and what he’s done. This is the part of the movie that I do not remember. The idea here is that just in case Pryor just going from sketch to sketch is not funny enough to entertain, they added in a little danger and a little action to assure entertainment. Although it’s a short part of the film. Especially in comparison of the message the movie tries to bring about a hospital saving lives by breaking administrate bureaucracy.
Well, it’s not the worse movie in the world just not as good as I remember and I’ve seen better Pryor films definitely.
