TOMASBBloodhound
There really isn't much to this early 70s Disney flick featuring Dean Jones and his family moving to Colorado to operate a hotel they have just inherited. Poor Dean Jones! I certainly hope the folks at Disney kept him well paid and provided every amenity he desired in his trailer at this and every shoot. Always asked to play the same character for the same audience, one would think he would have been very tired of it by then. He does play a likable character though.Though filled with some good skiing and snowmobile stunts, you don't have to look hard to spot the stunt doubles. The close shots are just the actors in a studio with a snowy backdrop behind them as they act like they are skiing down a mountain or about to fall off a snowmobile. This makes the film look VERY dated, as does the opening sequence in an office building. There are some decent other actors in this film. Keenan Wynn gives as good a performance as his character deserves, and Harry Morgan lets a shaggy beard do the acting in his pre-MASH days. Johnny Whitaker has a couple funny lines and good moments in his pre-crack pipe days, too.The plot deals mostly with the family inheriting the hotel and then trying to fight off the attempts of a shady banker (Wynn) from stealing the rights to it from them. It may not be a great film, but something about it made me look it up after all these years. Maybe it was that cool hybrid snowmobile that Jones uses in the race? Hard to say. 5 of 10 stars.The Hound.
inspectors71
About 75 dopey comedies later, Dean Jones must have been wondering just how badly typecast he really was. He certainly doesn't look too enthused as a office drone who inherits a run-down ski motel in Disney's Snowball Express (1972). There's about five minutes of actual story in this hundred minute flick, with an additional eleven minutes hacked out for broadcast on the Hallmark Movie Channel. You'll never, ever notice.What's bad about Snowball Express is that it just reeks of I-don't-care; even the title is a non-sequitur, having nothing to do with the story. The plot is stale, the performances are bland, and there's maybe two good laughs for anyone above twelve.My suggestion is to stick with one of the Computer Wore Tennis Shoes or Love Bugs. At least they're cute and funny.And Dean Jones doesn't look like he's got a gut ache.
codeE
Man this movie is funny. It's dated but that adds to the charm. The wall sized computer, inappropriate comments in the work place, $1,700 stretching a long way, and the killer station wagon. The story is pretty straight forward. A man, after inheriting a hotel, quits his sucky job, packs up his family and moves to a rural setting only to find out that the hotel is a dump. He and his family overcome several comical obstacles to prevail in the end. There is plenty of physical comedy and goofy humor. Its a good family comedy that answers questions like Why the strainer in the tub? Whats a Stanrubles plumbarmacy? and What to yell when your skiing out of control. I was lucky enough to find it on DVD at Wallmart for $10.
choffman-2
This is absolutely one of the funniest movies I've ever seen without subjecting the viewer to low class potty humor or vulgarity. Most people won't find it as funny as today's vulgar and crass humor or the insipid "dumb and dumber" type of humor. However, if you are looking for something for the entire family that is clean and at the same time hilarious, this is it! My family never tires of watching this movie for a good laugh. They certainly don't make good, clean movies like they used to which is a great pity! I wish I could buy a collection of Dean Jones' movies at one time. I love his ability to seem foolish and yet come out the hero without superficial trappings that seem to be required of most heroes today. He is an "everyman" hero and one that obviously has integrity where other lack it.
AD
