(originally posted in 2003) I've been eagerly awaiting word that this was to be released on DVD...(and as of 2021, it's available also in Blu-ray and digitally)...what a cast! John Candy, Jimmy Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young, Richard Lewis, George Hamilton (his best comedy role), the great Giancarlo Giannini, even a humorous turn by the director, Eugene Levy (Candy's buddy from SCTV) as a casino cage manager! This one harkens back to the screwball comedies of the forties, and is a real joy. It's a comedic crime caper that unfolds in romantic Rome and exciting Monte Carlo, with loveable characters scrambling to avoid suspicion and arrest by the suitably weighted (yet hilarious) Giannini as "Inspector Bonnard"...and who'd have thought Richard Lewis would hold his own as Sean Young's love interest? As a feuding American couple, Shepherd & Belushi are priceless, as they rediscover their love, by discovering they have larceny in their hearts; and in the end, we finally learn who the real culprits are in one of those "gather all the suspects together in one room and reveal the murderer" scenes (always fun!)...so that's great news for those of us who love this film...and for those of you who will now have the joy of discovering it. Peace! MFF/Hawaii 9-10-21.

Two vacationing Americans returning a lost dog and two compulsive gamblers and their wives become suspects in an elaborate murder plot in this crime comedy shot on location in Rome and Monte Carlo. The film is notable as 'American Pie' actor Eugene Levy's only ever big screen directing effort and the talented cast includes Jim Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, John Candy, George Hamilton, Joss Ackland and Giancarlo Giannini as the ill-tempered detective leading the investigation. The film derives most of its energy though from the myriad of plot twists and turns throughout with the characters feeling compelled to lie to the police since the truth sounds absolutely unbelievable. This presents a curious dynamic with the characters, especially Candy, getting deeper and deeper into wilder and wilder lies that ultimately end up making him sound guiltier than the truth would have, but it is not a dynamic that is used nearly often enough with the film always aiming for laughs first and foremost. There are indeed several humorous moments that work, thanks largely to the often witty dialogue from the same screen writing team responsible for 'Private Benjamin'. The film tends to favour tiresome running gags though, such as Giannini's assistant constantly failing to light his cigarettes and Richard Lewis believing that he is a dead ringer for Al Pacino (he isn't). The pacing is quite brisk though and the lost dog at the centre of the film well-trained (and adorable), so this is a difficult film to dislike even if it constantly feels like it had the potential for more.

I admit that "Once Upon a Crime" probably will not add anything to the cinematic landscape in the near future. But it's so funny. Set in Monaco, a group of unacquainted tourists (among them John Candy, Jim Belushi and Cybill Shephard) get involved in a murder plot, the answer to which may or may not be closer than they think.

If absolutely nothing else, this movie will prove that Monaco is like Las Vegas, only much more desirable in every way. And John Candy is his usual goofy self, Jim Belushi and Cybill Shephard are at each other's heels constantly, and Giancarlo Giannini plays the police chief. More or less, the whole movie is "Murder on the Orient Express" set in Monaco. I should remind you that unless you tolerate the kind of off-the-wall humor that dominated movies throughout the '80's and early '90's, you won't like "Once Upon a Crime" one bit. Otherwise, you'll have a great time.