King Ralph

Based on a book by Emlyn Williams, King Ralph follows lounge singer Ralph Jones (John Goodman) as he’s informed that, due to a freak accident that’s knocked off the entire British royal family, he is to be the next King of England – with the narrative detailing the fish-out-of-water shenanigans that naturally ensue. Filmmaker David S. Ward certainly does an effective job of establishing Goodman’s affable protagonist and the situation in which he finds himself, as King Ralph’s breezy first half is elevated by scripter Ward’s ongoing emphasis on Ralph’s continuing attempts at adjusting to his new, lavish lifestyle – with Goodman’s tremendously appealing performance matched by a strong supporting cast that includes John Hurt and Peter O’Toole. (The latter is especially compelling as Ralph’s long-suffering yet staunchly loyal aide.) And although the picture’s been suffused with a whole host of engaging sequences (eg Ralph stuns a posh crowd with a spirited performance of Little Richard’s “Good Golly Miss Molly”), King Ralph segues into a somewhat padded-out (and overly melodramatic) third act that throws quite an obvious monkey wrench into the movie’s momentum – with the satisfying conclusion, at least, ensuring that the whole thing ends on a palpably positive note. The final result is a high-concept comedy that receives plenty of mileage from its star’s ingratiating work, although it’s ultimately impossible not to wish that the film had been just a little more consistent in terms of its execution.

**1/2 out of ****