Critical Condition

Con man Kevin Lennihan (Richard Pryor), framed in a jewel smuggling, tries for an insanity plea and is sent to a hospital for review where he is confused with a doctor and takes over the hospital when a major storm hits.

I had never heard of this film until now (2016), which is a bit of a shame. Pryor is great, and it's awesome to see Bob Saget in a supporting role (though he isn't really given any funny lines). Joe Mantegna is here, too. This seems like it should be some sort of cult classic, but in stead it is forgotten.

And there may be a reason for that. Despite the funny premise, and some great moments, it never feels as funny as it should be. I don't know why. Is the script not polished enough? Is the director to blame? Or is it just very understated?

For a Pryor film, this one is disappointing, or may'be I just found it weaker than normal, but anything with Richie in, is worth it. Here in a great titled flick, he's a framed escapee, made a psychotic patient, that has him now masquerading as a hectic doctor. But the jobs does have it's perks, with Pryor examining a young hottie's goodies, one standout scene in the whole mad affair. This film is very entertaining, though, as in seeing how Richie will get out of this. The film has a very interesting cast, including a bit part with Wesley Snipes as an ambo, and Joe Mantegna, has a heartless, hospital director, who's taken a hostage by our loonies. The cast on the patient's arm scene with Pryor laying the cast on pretty thick, with Pryor showing a young intern, was another funny moment. As was too, him trying to convince the hospital board of his psychotic state, when he describes in unsavoury and disturbing detail, pictures that our show to him. The film's not unfunny. It's just not as funny as most of Pryor's stuff, where as you know, with his films, the bar is set pretty high. It's still bloody enjoyable, the "what a shame factor" present. Again in the end, it all ends well, for our framed ex con/conman, Pryor. Still one for Pryor fans.

A highly underrated film that is filled with Pryor's subtle brand of caustic humor.

If you have never seen this rent it tonight! Possibly Pryor's Citizen Kane.

Yes, I said it! This film may be slow in the script dept. but follow Pryor's every move and you will laugh your a$# off!! Garret Morris and Randall "Tex" Cobb are highlites to watch for. Bob Saget gets a nod for showing up.

Thanks Richard, you made us laugh, and did so admirably. You will not be missed, thanks to reruns and DVD's.

Basically a vehicle for Pryor, this is a rough and somewhat ugly movie, disfigured in part by a surfeit of swearing in a film that doesn't need it and a bunch of vaguely unsympathetic characters. The central plot – a framed man who has claimed insanity has to pretend to be a doctor during a blackout at a hospital – is intriguing if somewhat convoluted. As a twist on the fish-out-of-water story, it has much potential, in the same way that Woody Allen's "Hollywood Ending" has much potential in its premise of a suddenly-blind director having to go through the entire shoot without letting anyone know he is blind. Just as with that movie, "Critical Condition" mainly fails to capitalize on its potential, and the film is oddly slow-moving and genuine laughs are hard to come by.

Pryor does well to work with the underdeveloped material, and Rachel Ticotin adds solid support in the role of the hospital administrator. There is a nice addition of a subplot involving crooks roaming the hospital to add to the tension of the staff and patients trying to survive the power outage, and the film as a whole is at least watchable, but not very memorable. It does not have widespread appeal as a comedy/thriller and should probably be best recommended for Pryor fans only.

Richard Pryor pulls off a good performance as Kevin and a doctor.Bob saget and the rest of the cast perform well.it's enjoyable and I'd recommend it to all adult audiences.