"Mr. Destiny" is proof that Hollywood is quickly running out of ideas. Without being a clever modernization or parody of "It's a Wonderful Life" (both of which would have been acceptable), this film manages to keep most of the audience in their seats by rewriting "IAWL" with simplification, swearing, sex and money, money, money. If you like to go to movies to say "ooh" and "ahh" to the screen whenever an expensive car or lavish mansion is shown (which is exactly what the audience did), then "Mr. Destiny" is for you.

I, on the other hand, could not help but groan at how incredibly predictable it all was. Jim Belushi, who seems intent on bringing dishonor to his family name, is an average suburban loser, who illustrates what his life would be like if he had made an important hit in a baseball game. This is all told to him by Mr. Destiny (Michael Caine), who isn't really in the film very much (maybe ten minutes at the most). At first it seems that his life would be great because he would have a big pile of money and a beautiful wife who wears sexy lingerie. But it turns out that he would also have to be the evil ruler of a big company who fires all his workers. So he sets off on a quest to get back his old wife and his old life. The rest of the film is car chases and other "exciting" things like that.

There's lots of sappy drama that should have been saved so that Touchstone could put it in their Ghost ripoff, which is probably forthcoming. With the obligatory happy ending, 1990 style, this ends one of the worst films I have ever seen. I recommend this film to nobody. n