Some comedies, on the sheer strength of their jokes, manage to overcome brainless plotting, cliched situations and clumsy direction.
”Ladybugs” doesn`t fit in this category.
Designed as a Rodney Dangerfield vehicle-albeit one with serious transmission problems-the movie allows the jittery comedian to spit out one-liners, to mutilate an old rock song (”Great Balls of Fire,” with Jackee as accomplice) and to bond with kids just as he did in ”Back to School.”
The movie has a big, warm, fuzzy heart-and not a bellylaugh in sight.
Dangerfield plays a salesman, Chester Lee, in search of a promotion so he`ll have enough money to marry his girlfriend, Bess (Ilene Graff). His boss (Tom Parks) has no intention of granting the raise, but when Chester butters up the boss` soccer-enthusiast wife (Jeannetta Arnette playing a vulgar blond), he suddenly finds himself as coach of the company-sponsored girls` soccer team, the Ladybugs. Go figure.
With his professional and marital future on the line, Chester enlists Bess` resentful son, Matthew (Jonathan Brandis), to pose as ”Martha” to become the team`s star. Matthew has his eye on the boss` daughter and his teammate, Kimberly (Vinessa Shaw), but ends up befriending her as ”Martha.” The material is ”The Bad News Bugs” or ”Footsie,” and it`s played out with almost complete lack of finesse by director Sidney J. Furie, who`s accumulating quite a resume (”The Taking of Beverly Hills,” ”Superman IV:
The Quest for Peace”). Scenes end arbitrarily, transitions are nonsensical, and many of the punchlines must be discovered in retrospect.
Rookie screenwriter Curtis Burch provides a goodly number of jokes about balls, names a homely rival Coach Beaver and contrives to get Dangerfield into a dress. Credulity seems low on the priority list: ”Martha” barks at his teammates in a distinctly male voice, and the scene in which he switches between his personas for Kimberly and his mom seems straight out of ”The Brady Bunch.”
Talking about Dangerfield`s performance is beside the point-he`s simply Rodney Dangerfield, though working with less than Grade A material. His character tries too hard to please, but, as usual, he`s a lovable lug.
As Chester`s spunky sidekick, Jackee (from television`s ”227” and ”The Royal Family”), is also called upon to provide more shtick than character. She sings a hammy ”Star Spangled Banner” and has a generally goofy time.
”Ladybugs” does include some cute scenes between Dangerfield and the girls, and it throws in some affirmative little morals toward the end. But effective sap is no reason to see a Rodney Dangerfield movie, unless he`s the effective sap.
”LADYBUGS”
(STAR)
Directed by Sidney J. Furie; written by Curtis Burch; edited by John W. Wheeler and Timothy N. Board; production design by Robb Wilson King;
photographed by Dan Burstall; music by Richard Gibbs; produced by Albert S. Ruddy and Andre E. Morgan. A Paramount release; playing at the Esquire, Biograph and outlying theaters. Running time: 1:31. MPAA rating: PG-13.
