Grade: C

Verdict: Secretly amusing — to a point.

Details: Starring Dana Carvey, Brent Spiner and Jennifer Esposito. Directed by Perry Andelin Blake. Rated PG for mild language and crass humor.

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Review:
If fleecing Hollywood execs into greenlighting lousy side projects still counts for anything these days, comedian turned screenwriter Dana Carvey truly is an expert at the art of deception. You've got to give the man credit — in the post-"Superstar," post "It's Pat" era we live in, few "Saturday Night Live" alums can get away with it.

A pity, then, that the façade of sight gags and forced witticisms this ho-hum children's tale hides behind isn't really fooling anyone.

The setup is as forced as they come. Pistachio Disguisey (Carvey) is a bumbling Italian waiter blessed with super powers — the ability to become anyone or anything, from Indian snake charmer to the grotesque but goofy Turtle Man. Only one problem: No one bothered to tell him.

Having long lived with the family's curse, a pressing need to protect the world from evil, Pistachio's father, the similarly empowered Fabbrizio (James Brolin) vows that his son will never shoulder such a burden. Fate, however, has other designs. The poor lad finds his parents kidnapped by Devlin Bowman (Brent Spiner), an evil mastermind bent on utilizing Fabbrizio's talents to steal national treasures.

Enter the help of one grizzled family patriarch (Harold Gould), a lovely sidekick (Jennifer Esposito) and countless base attempts at humor. From fart jokes to film parodies — gotta love those "Exorcist" and "Jaws" references — it's all here. Heck, there are even cameos by Bo Derek, Michael Johnson and (wouldn't you know it) Jesse Ventura. In fact, the only thing holding "The Master of Disguise" back from true mediocrity is a casting call that excluded Leslie Nielsen.

Still, the film remains funny now and again. Carvey's physical performance, the occasional offbeat quip and a charming reliance on pop culture references animate the entire first half of the movie. But come the final stretch, it loses steam. All the surprise appearances by Jessica Simpson in the world can't save a doomed plot line.

Shame. Spiner gives a valiant go at filling a villainous role he hadn't a chance in the world at mastering. Nor should Esposito's charm have been so distastefully squandered. Boiled down to its essence, this is little more than a cheesy vehicle for Carvey's one-shot gags, and an inconsistent one at that.

Kids should love it. The humor is simple, the story complexity minimal. Laughs come into sight a mile away. And therein lies the charm. Youthful audiences needn't put on their thinking cap to enjoy the leading man's turn as a suave Latin lover — or Spiner's penchant for passing gas.

This is not a good movie by any means. It's too crude in certain parts, and not funny enough outright in others. Nonetheless, during the moments laugh-out-loud jokes hit home, one gets hints that beneath this shoddy veneer of gonzo gags lurks a hero with heart.

— Scott Steinberg, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution