rocky_lifter69 I'm not even going to attempt to be unbiased about King Ralph. I first saw the movie at a young age and watched it many times growing up. The movie isn't high art or genre defining. It is a simple story about a lovable slacker who discovers he is much more and embarks on a fish-out- of-water journey. And as that King Ralph is a decent movie.When a freak accident wipes out the entire British Royal Family, American lounge singer Ralph Jones is uncovered as the next heir to the throne. Despite being your atypical slacker, he shows a certain charm and his unconventional methods (along with much help from his private secretary and assistant) begin to win people over. He even begins to secretly see Miranda, a former stripper that he meets soon after arriving in England. But soon the corrupt Lord Graves begins a plot to disgrace Ralph and position himself as next in line for the throne. Miranda is pulled into the plot but falls for Ralph and backs out. Graves already has what he needs and disgraces Ralph at a royal ball. After Miranda admits her part in the plot, Ralph is able to trace it back to Graves and repair some of the damage done. He admits to Parliament and the people that he is not fit to be king and abdicates the throne to his secretary, who was secretly part of the royal line as well. Soon Ralph makes up with Miranda and the movie ends with them married as Ralph becomes a Duke and gets to live his dream of being a musician.The cast is solid all around. John Goodman is impossible to hate as the big buffoon struggling to adapt to an entirely new world. Camille Coduri is likable despite her character's part in the plot against Ralph and has good chemistry with Goodman. Peter O'Toole and Richard Griffiths provide solid backup as his secretary and assistant, respectively, and John Hurt appears to have a blast in his small role as the evil Lord Graves.As mentioned earlier, the story is a basic fish-out-of-water tale. Many of the jokes are derived from Ralph's class difference and ignorance of English culture. It is all very basic but is carried by the charm of Goodman. While my score of 8 is biased by years of popping in that old VHS tape, I recommend at least giving it a try. It is definitely worth a viewing.

videorama-759-859391 Watching a whole royal family blown up, isn't particularly funny, but we must remember this is only a movie. Out of interest, it would be interesting to see the real royal family's view on this movie, as well as how accurately the set up is here. Enter John Goodman, a piano player who plays in seedy second rate clubs, in Vegas. He's scouted out by some of the surviving royalty where on the night of being fired from his gig, he's given a proposition, which is a dream. But really what would it be like, being the new king or any royal figure, having to adhere to customs, and keep up appearances, while also being mobbed in informal wear. No way. And this is basically what they take from Goodman in this. I think they've visually captured this originally good comedy well, and it has been interestingly written. It's quite dishy. One such touch I loved, was the score of punk/fascists with their pink cuts and heavy jewellery, watching through the t.v shop, passing view on their new king. Our King too, falls in love with an English girl, where she too is propositioned, by a corrupt royal party, (John Hurt, in a splendid dastardly performance, who was also up for king). Peter O'Toole as Ralph's royal tutor, is royally solid, no surprise, he was cast in this sort of role. They found the right man for the job in Goodman, as he displays his bumbling and clunky manner with such believability, which he's very un king like, where the writers have poured a lot of funny stuff into this, as well poking fun at the royal traits and figures, themselves. John Goodman's love interest was good too, fresh off the heals of her character in Nuns On The Run. Oh and he was right, about the royal woman (fox, looking a lot like Di), he's 'spose to marry, she really does have the voice of a tuba, which would scare off any guy. Check out Goodman's expressions here. There will be people out there, including real royalty who will take offence to this film, but there's a lot of other more offensive comedies. I found King Ralph very funny, but also very well made in terms of royal setting, costuming, whatever. And really, is there such a desert as Spotted d..k. Hear and see Duke Of Earl song like it's never been played before, by Goodman, and band.

bheadher I know this movie didn't receive great reviews, nor has it won a particularly high rating here, and that disgusts me frankly. Somehow it serves as an indicator of how degenerate we have become as a viewing audience.King Ralph is simply a delightful flight of fantasy. While it is definitely something of a spoof of the British Monarchy style of government, the movie does so in a respectful way ultimately. Sure, the antics of the principle character Ralph Jones is goes over the top often, but that simply reveals how independent and irreverent we Americans are. Yet Ralph redeems himself admirably as the story progresses, as only an American can when the mood becomes serious in the last few minutes of the film. The writers, Director, cast and crew can be quite proud of the achievement, even if the reviews and ratings didn't show it.Heck, the speech in parliament alone was superbly entertaining! I wish they'd show it more often on TV...

Jeffrey Welch I LOVE this movie! I know that when it came out it was largely ignored...by both the critics and the movie going public...but I found this film to be just simply fun to watch...a wonderful movie to just get caught up into. It has no pre-texts of social or political idealism. It doesn't try to solve the worlds problems with it's message. And it doesn't aim to make us, the viewers, think overly hard about where the movie is leading us. It does, however, present us with totally believable characters who we quickly become emotionally invested in. Sure the opening plot structure is contrived but that is half of the charm of the film's setup. It is a good absurd introduction to the twists of the movie. I must confess, being half Cherokee Indian and half English, I was drawn to this movie if for no other reason than I had always heard about that half of my family's history and imagined who they were and how they lived. As an American, I have also fallen prey to my own sometimes myopic world view. King Ralph was an enjoyable way to contemplate the place that a monarchy holds in the hearts of their countrymen. I don't believe that there is anything inherently wrong with having a movie that doesn't try to enlighten or enrage us. I have always felt that too often Hollywood tries to insert a message or moral slant to a project just because they believe that to not include one makes the movie seem shallow or silly. I say whats wrong with having just a fun movie? To me King Ralph was just such a movie. Of course it had smatterings of political overtones and touches of social commentary, but I feel that this was used to propel the story rather than to try and impart some deeper philosophical meaning to us.