Directed by: David S. Ward
Starring: John Goodman, Peter O'Toole, John Hurt, Richard Griffiths, Camille Codouri, Joely Richardson
Ralph Jones (Goodman) is a struggling Las Vegas lounge singer hit with great news at the best possible time: He is the last of the Windham royal family after a freak electrocution during a photo session kills the entire royal family in one fell swoop. He will be King of England, a job that provides as many pitfalls as rewards. Yes, Ralph will live in a palace and access to untold riches, but he also must make public appearances where etiquette and couth count for something. Also, Lord Percival Graves (Hurt) schemes to have Ralph discredited so he may claim the throne himself.
King Ralph is a fish-out-water story with some obvious gags, but the slapstick isn't what makes it work. It has a heart and Goodman is funny without even trying. I also enjoyed O'Toole as Sir Cedric Willingham, King Ralph's private secretary who navigates him through the tricky, sometimes shark-infested waters of being a monarch. Cedric has his work cut out for him with the oafish, clumsy Ralph. Further muddying the waters is the appearance of stripper Miranda Green (Codouri), to whom Ralph is instantly attracted and for whom he is willing to throw away the monarchy.
Writer-director Ward (The Sting) doesn't provide much freshness to Ralph's story, but observes the traditions well enough. A scene in which Ralph breaks into song to liven up a party with the King of Finland as his guest of honor is simply thrown in so Goodman can belt out a musical number. That scene falls flat, but others have charm of their own. There are enough of the latter scenes to make King Ralph worthwhile.
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