Captain Ron

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Captain Ron

PG-13

1992

1h 40m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

26%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When mild-mannered Martin Harvey (Martin Short) finds out that he has inherited a vintage yacht, he decides to take his family on a Caribbean vacation to retrieve the vessel. Upon arriving on a small island and realizing that the ship is in rough shape, Martin and his family end up with more than they bargained for as the roguish Captain Ron (Kurt Russell) signs on to sail the boat to Miami. It doesn't take long before Ron's anything-goes antics get the Harveys into plenty of trouble.

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Critics Consensus

Despite the swashbuckling charms of Kurt Russell's seafaring antics, Captain Ron capsizes in its hackneyed narrative waters.

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Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

11/22/2016

3/5

Russell puts in a worthy performance as the irrepressible Ron and Martin Short is typically neurotic as the father.

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

11/22/2016

Captain Ron is a movie about trapped suburbanites who break out into romantic seas, but it never really leaves suburbia... Like the Cap'n himself, this movie guzzles up its dreams and ignores the busted engine.

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Trevor Johnston

Time Out

06/24/2006

Queasy ocean-going comedy, not helped by Kurt's Robert Newton impersonation.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

04/11/2022

2.5/4

...watchable yet entirely forgettable...

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Owen McNally

Hartford Courant

04/18/2018

Aside from Russell's shameless performance, the movie is also afflicted with easily anticipated sight gags.

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TV Guide

11/22/2016

1.5/5

A bland, seagoing, feature-length sitcom which recycles the displaced-dad theme from the studio's recent hit What About Bob? to little effect.

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Ted V

@RT89701806 Jul 6

Wildly quotable movie. It’s dumb but such a great watch.

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Kenny P

@RT27361992 Jun 17

Love this movie so much

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Marcus T

@MarcusT12 Jun 10

I couldn't finish it. Watched about a half hour. It just kept getting dumber.

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Steven T

@RT25629831 Jun 5

Trust me, it’s worth a watch. Discard the negative reviews and enjoy the beautiful Caribbean travel experience through the eyes of a family and a misunderstood captain filled with wonderlust.

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ser t

@RT67652523 04/19/2025

I really don't understand why this movie is ranked so low. It is fun family entertainment that is a little rough around the edges to keep it from being ranked a G. The role swap between Short and Russell with Short being the straight family man and Russell being the goofball is very well played. I think Short could've added to his career the way Robin Williams did when he did serious roles if he'd continued down this path. The shenanigans are hilarious and there are life lessons about family togetherness, the joys and perils of travel, and perseverance in the face of adversity. It is one of my top five favorite movies and I keep coming back to it to raise my spirits when I need a good laugh. I also wonder if when Kurt's son Wyatt referenced someone as "swab" in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, it was a tip of the the hat to his father in this film. If you haven't seen this movie, give it a try, especially if you are a Kurt Russell or Martin Short fan.

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Richard W

@rdwoolf 04/19/2025

Captain Ron is the perfect family adventure film! It’s a fish out-of-water, comedy-of-errors storyline. It’s charming. It’s goofy. It’s kid friendly but entertaining for adults. If you’ve ever dreamed of buying a boat and taking off for high seas, then this is the film for you.

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Thom Eberhardt

Director

Kurt Russell

Captain Ron

Martin Short

Martin Harvey

Mary Kay Place

Katherine Harvey

Benjamin Salisbury

Benjamin Harvey

Meadow Sisto

Caroline Harvey

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Synopsis

When mild-mannered Martin Harvey (Martin Short) finds out that he has inherited a vintage yacht, he decides to take his family on a Caribbean vacation to retrieve the vessel. Upon arriving on a small island and realizing that the ship is in rough shape, Martin and his family end up with more than they bargained for as the roguish Captain Ron (Kurt Russell) signs on to sail the boat to Miami. It doesn't take long before Ron's anything-goes antics get the Harveys into plenty of trouble.

Director: Thom Eberhardt
Producer: David Permut, Paige Simpson
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Touchwood Pacific Partners 1, Permut Presentations
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 1992, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.5M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo