The Shrimp on the Barbie (1990)

Out to annoy her father who told her that he would not object to any future boyfriends were she to dump her current beau, an affluent young lady hires a Mexican tourist to pose as an obnoxious boyfriend in this Australian comedy starring Cheech Marin. From such a plot description alone, 'The Shrimp on the Barbie' sounds like a laugh-out-loud affair and Marin is expectedly excellent, however, the actual film is never quite as funny as it ought to be. The movie takes a very long time to warm up with over twenty minutes elapsing before the ruse begins. The initial stages of the ruse are hilarious thanks largely to June Bishop's wide-eyed bewilderment at the boorish man her daughter has taken home, and things only get funnier as the father eavesdrops, catches onto the ruse and then takes over-the-top measures to welcome Marin to the family. Promising as all this is, the plot derails around halfway in as the two protagonists take a road trip that tests their innermost prejudices, but which is also absent of much in the way of humour. The film never really recovers from this detour - though a party in which she presents a revealing slide show is certainly memorable. For sure, 'The Shrimp on the Barbie' is amusing fluff while it lasts, however, had the filmmakers been more interested in playing the central situation for laughs than shoving "you think money can buy anything" messages into the second half, it could have been a lot more. Marin is great either way - and that is despite the filmmakers (literally) throwing him in the air too many times.

What I liked about the film is the life lessons that Carlos (Cheech Marin) supplies in this film. Spoilers Ahead: The first is when he promises a free meal to a customer who turns out to be Australia's top food critic, which led to a rave review, based of course, on superior customer service. The next one is when he takes a beating from Alex's (Emma Samms) fiancée Bruce (Vernon Wells), after he catches him shacked up with Alex's best friend Dominique (Carole Davis (who is just as nasty in this film as she was in "Mannequin" & "if Looks Could Kill" (I remember her and the scorpion in that one)), and he still keeps his mouth shut. The final lesson of course, is how Carlos was able to not only survive in a foreign country, but win a women who is far above his social scale with decency. One other standout scene, is with Alex and the home movies where she exposes Bruce and Dominique to all of their friends (Including hitting her with a wedding cake). It is a funny film.

I worked as an usher when our theater got this film. Since we were a single screen theater, business wasn't good. I actually sat down and watched it and found it quite charming and funny. It's a true fish-out-of-water film, with a romantic twist. Although not in the same league as "Crocodile Dundee," it comes pretty close.Carlos (Marin) ends up in Australia when he is offered a job. Broke and recently dumped by his girl, he meets Alex, a rich girl (Samms)who makes a deal. Seems that her father is not too keen on her boyfriend Bruce (Vernon Wells). By having Carlos pose as her new love, her father would find him so repulsive that he would let her marry Bruce. Of course, things don't turn out the way Carlos and Alex want. It's not too bad a film, and the Alan Smithee pseudonym gives the stigma that this film is a stinker. Far from it: it's a sweet and charming film that's worth a look.

This movie shouldn't be taken so seriously. If you're a fan of Cheech Marin, you'll appreciate this film as an excellent example of his acting ability and it showcases his range from "Cheech & Chong" to "Nash Bridges".Cheech comes off as the typical hispanic role he's played in all the Cheech & Chong movies, but also displays a "I'm not as dumb as you think" side that he shows on Nash Bridges.The story line is basically his character goes to Australia for work where by chance while working in a Mexican restaurant he meets the daughter of a rich man. She in turn wanting her father to like her current boyfriend, hires Cheech for $5,000 to be her "new" boyfriend that by comparison makes the former boyfriend an excellent choice.Both Alex (the daughter) and Carlos (Cheech Marin) learn alot about the lifestyles of each other.This movie is pretty predictable but can be fun at the same time. You will love Cheech singing "Land of 1000 Dances" to all the socialites.This movie tried to capitalize on all the "down under" crazes that emerged in the late '80s and early '90s.Just watch it, don't judge it, and it can be a fun movie. You have to appreciate Cheech Marin carrying a cast of "nobodies" on a lame script through a movie that can and will make you laugh out loud at times. And for the romantic, it has a heart warming ending.