This is a classic comedy, watched when I was basically a kid but I watched it again of recent, its one of those movies where the story makes absolutely no sense, everyone is constantly getting themselves into trouble, doing crazy things, but if you think of the plot, it does kind of make sense. Mr Bones is probably one of the most memorable movies amongst my age mates in my country. Mr Bones is a silly comedy, its ridiculous, predictable and sometimes completely absurd, but it also has a certain charm that makes it difficult to completely dislike.
The movie follows Mr Bones, played by Leon Schuster, a San Bushman who has been raised with the belief that he possesses special powers and is destined to help his people. His life becomes complicated when he gets involved with a wealthy American golfer named Reginald Van Der Walt, who is travelling to Africa for reasons that eventually turn into a much bigger adventure. Before long, Mr Bones finds himself caught up in a ridiculous situation involving mistaken identities, treasure, golf and a whole lot of chaos.
The movie features Bones, a traditional healer from the Hekule tribe, who is sent on a mission to find the rightful heir to the throne. His journey eventually takes him away from the world he knows and into South Africa, where things quickly become much more complicated than expected. Bones is completely out of his element, and that is where most of the comedy comes from. His reactions to everything around him make the whole situation even more ridiculous
The actor Leon Schuster(I had to look this up) is obviously the biggest reason the movie works. He is extremely physical with his comedy, constantly pulling exaggerated facial expressions, changing voices and throwing himself into ridiculous situations. Mr Bones is basically a character designed around that style of comedy and having said that Mr Bones definitely has parts that haven't aged particularly well. Some of the cultural humour and stereotypes can feel uncomfortable when viewed through a modern lens. There are moments where you can tell the comedy was very much a product of its time.
The South African setting also gives the movie a different feel from the Hollywood comedies I normally watch, especially after re-watching after such a long time. There is a strong sense of local culture running through the movie, and the whole thing has this very early-2000s South African comedy atmosphere, like the movies Sarafina and co, that is difficult to recreate today.
At this point with regards to Mr Bones, its basically running on Nostalgia. The story now that I re-watched it, could definitely have been stronger, and some of the humour hasn't aged particularly well as ive earlier said but Leon Schuster's performance and the movie's unapologetic silliness carry it and I remember their specific/unique greeting that has to do with slapping someone and who could forget the famous toilet scene, Lol and so if you want an old school African comedy that doesn't mind being completely ridiculous and just wants to make you laugh, Mr Bones is the fit for you
Rating: 60/100