"Wagons East" is a tragedy.

I know. I know. It's billed as a comedy. It, in fact, features some of our funniest performers. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about..."Wagons East" is a tragedy.

It's a tragedy that a comic as brilliant as John Candy has this as the one of the last films on his filmography. It's tragic that we can't last remember his shining moments on SCTV or his brilliance in such films as "Stripes," "Space Balls," "Vacation" or any number of other films. It's tragic that it's "Wagons East" we get to cling to in our distant memories of Candy. It's a tragedy. Really.

Everything about "Wagons East" is a tragedy, from the direction of the mostly television oriented Peter Markle to the simply godawful script of Matthew Carlson, who has also fared much better in television work.

I can't recall a single comic moment in the script, and the only real laughs came from the inherent comic looks of Candy himself. Candy could light up a screen with the twitch of an eyebrow, a smile, or a single utterance like only the rare comedians could. Yet, he's tragically lost here in a wagon headed East that never truly arrives anywhere. He's joined by the likes of Richard Lewis, who may have actually never made a decent film, and John McGinley, who adds a bit of light to the proceedings. Ellen Greene also brightens the scenery a bit, but Greene has always been a stronger Broadway actress. As proof of this film's devastating impact on careers...think about this, Candy has a massive heart attack 10 days before the filming is completed and co-star Will Sanderson is now almost exclusively cast in Uwe Boll films.

Candy may have gotten the better end of the deal.

Hmmmm. Box-office bomb, massive heart attack, and Uwe Boll. Yep, I stand by my statement. This comedy is nothing but a tragedy.

© Written by Richard Propes

How We Rated This Film TC Candler -     Richard Propes - D+ Jacob Hall -

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