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Movies / Upcoming / King's Ransom
King's Ransom

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King's Ransom (2005)

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Reviews Counted:49

Fresh:1

Rotten:48

Average Rating:2.3/10

Consensus: Filled with crass dialogue, unlikable characters, and overdone slapstick gags, King's Ransom is an utterly inept would-be comedy.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $3,998,889

Synopsis: Anthony Anderson sheds his usual sidekick status, heading up the ensemble cast as Malcolm King, a boorish, egomaniacal billionaire who owns a huge, equally tasteless marketing firm in Chicago. The... Anthony Anderson sheds his usual sidekick status, heading up the ensemble cast as Malcolm King, a boorish, egomaniacal billionaire who owns a huge, equally tasteless marketing firm in Chicago. The cocky businessman is quickly established as the kind of character audiences love to hate, insulting underlings with glee and emitting crass vulgarities whenever he opens his mouth. His lovable secretary Miss Gladys (Loretta Devine) tries to keep him in line, while his uber-ditz of an administrative assistant, Peaches (Regina King, SCARY MOVIE), keeps him satisfied. Kellita Smith (THE BERNIE MAC SHOW) plays Malcolm's gold-digging wife, who is sleeping with her hunky, though stuttering, pool boy (Roger Cross) while seeking a hefty divorce settlement. The cast is rounded out by Angela (Nicole Ari Parker, SOUL FOOD), the temporary VP who is passed up for the job in favor of the boss's mistress, and Corey (Jay Mohr, LAST COMIC STANDING), a loser who lives in his grandmother's basement; his gang banger sister intimidates him into taking part in criminal activities. Resentments toward King abound, and soon everyone gets the same idea: kidnap Malcolm, take him for all he's worth, and teach him a valuable lesson. Even the big man himself decides to orchestrate his own kidnapping, in order to throw a wrench in the plans of his wife's lawyer. A cacophony of mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and general mayhem ensues, during which time the supporting cast is given a chance to shine; in particular, Jay Mohr deftly handles a violent run-in with a fast food worker with hilarious results. Donald Faison (SCRUBS) and Charlie Murphy (CHAPPELLE'S SHOW) also turn in stellar performances, as a randy parking attendant and a growling ex-con on the down low. [More]

Starring: Anthony Anderson, Jay Mohr, Regina Hall, Loretta Devine

Starring: Anthony Anderson, Jay Mohr, Regina Hall, Loretta Devine, Kellita Smith, Nicole Parker, Donald Faison, Leila Arcieri, Brooke D'Orsay, Charlie Murphy

Director: Jeff Byrd

Director: Jeff Byrd
Screenwriter: Wayne Conley
Producer: Darryl Taja
Composer: Marcus Miller
Studio: New Line Cinema

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for King's Ransom

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
10/30/06
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This slapdash comedy barely coughs up more than a couple of funny scenes as the story moves in predictable fits and starts before sputtering out of fuel half way through.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
06/19/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

The wordplay of the title here is the only slightly clever element of this extremely lame comedy.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review

The script, by TV writer Wayne Conley, shares some elements with the old Danny DeVito comedy Ruthless People, but humor isn't one of them.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/05/07
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader

Anthony Anderson shows he can star in a movie without a kangaroo in this kidnapping plan gone crazy.

Full Review Source: International Press Academy | comment Comment
10/17/05
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
International Press Academy

King's Ransom lumbers forth clumsily, choreographing its slapstick pratfalls with all the class and taste of a Courtney Love relapse.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin
AV Club

The thing looks like it was written in a week, directed in two, and forgotten about by all involved in less than three.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
08/01/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
DVDTalk.com

King’s Ransom deserves to be bashed, burned, and have its ashes scattered over Hollywood

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
07/25/05
Matt McKillop
Matt McKillop
Filmcritic.com

It is, quite plainly, like watching a movie that’s trying to go out of its way to be horrible.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/23/05
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

I couldn't pay anyone to see this movie. Literally.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
05/21/05
Boxoffice Magazine

(Anthony) Anderson is funny, usually. Just not here.

Full Review Source: San Antonio Express-News | comment Comment
05/06/05
Larry Ratliff
Larry Ratliff
San Antonio Express-News

Basically an improv scene sprawling to feature length.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
05/04/05
Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Entertainment Weekly

A mirthless comedy about venal people doing stupid things.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment 2 Comments
05/01/05
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Mean-spirited, unpleasant comedy about characters who are both nasty and stupid and who deserve every bad thing that happens to them. In fact, they deserve more.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
04/30/05
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Byrd’s romp through the most contemptible stereotypes of women, gays, and ethnic minorities makes his film unfit for just about anyone, never mind royalty.

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/30/05
Mattias Frey
Mattias Frey
Boston Phoenix

All these plots converge in a decidedly unfunny cacophony.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
04/29/05
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

Needless to say, as a cringe-worthy and excruciatingly awful comedy, you shouldn't pay a dime of King's Ransom.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
04/29/05
Kit Bowen
Kit Bowen
Hollywood.com

'Screenwriter' Wayne Conley's idea of side-splitting dialogue is to have characters repeatedly tell King to "kiss their black ass." Or announce that they just "pooted."

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
04/29/05
Timothy Knight
Timothy Knight
Reel.com

Marital bickering, a mistaken-identity sex romp and booty shots galore follow, but few laughs.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
04/28/05
Chuck Wilson
Chuck Wilson
L.A. Weekly

[A] crass, trashy and none-too-funny comedy.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
04/27/05
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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