Where to watch Leonard Part 6
0 1/2 Star
The C.I.A. asks for ex-spy Leonard Parker’s (Bill Cosby’s) help in stopping evil genius Medusa Johnson (Gloria Foster), who is brainwashing small animals into killing people. Leonard, however, has his own problems to deal with: winning back his ex-wife.
One night in the early 1990s, I was on mushrooms with my best friend when we stumbled upon an HBO telecast of Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. That film’s baffling storytelling and zany art direction made it an instant classic to our intoxicated minds. Had I seen Doc Savage sober, I’m almost positive it wouldn’t have captured my attention for a moment, but that’s the magic of the mushrooms. I mention that story because I think if we had stumbled upon Leonard Part 6 that night, then perhaps I would regard it warmly and with sentimental, nostalgic memories. But unfortunately, I saw the movie in a nearly uninebriated state, which made my viewing experience tedious.
After the somewhat bearable opening fifteen minutes, the film descends into a series of misjudgments regarding the story, cast, and Cosby’s performance. Bill Cosby is the credited co-author of the script and the film’s producer, so the blame falls directly on his sloped shoulders. Leonard Part 6 is so spectacularly unfunny that it’s almost an act of cinematic defiance by Cosby and the other creatives on the project. Watching this movie is to suffer through a smug, self-indulgent, non-amusing vanity project. It is a torturous experience.
Directed by: Paul Weiland
Written by: Jonathan Reynolds, Bill Cosby
Starring: Bill Cosby, Tom Courtenay, Joe Don Baker