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Lightning Jack

Play trailer Poster for Lightning Jack PG-13 1994 1h 33m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
6% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
After being taken hostage in a botched bank robbery, the mute Ben Doyle (Cuba Gooding Jr.) has inadvertently become Sancho Panza to the quixotic Lightning Jack Kane (Paul Hogan), who fancies himself a legendary Wild West outlaw. While Jack teaches Ben how to shoot, ride a horse and perform a successful heist, he's also being pursued by a posse of vigilantes. Finally seeing the writing on the wall, Lightning Jack wants to make one last score and retire, but a rival gang isn't making it easy.

Critics Reviews

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Leonard Klady Variety 08/25/2008
A good-natured, if laconic, oater that rides along nicely on the screen persona of writer/actor Paul Hogan. Go to Full Review Stephen Holden New York Times 05/20/2003
1/5
The film has no internal comic rhythm to match its faltering sense of humor. Much of the time, it plods along like a mediocre conventional western. Go to Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle 01/01/2000
1/5
A Western for people that hate Westerns. Go to Full Review Jeff Simon Buffalo News 02/29/2024
1.5/5
It isn't Paul Hogan's sad showing a writer/star of this feeble Western spoof about a gunfighter and his pupil that ought to worry us, it's the career of fine young actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Go to Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com 03/14/2009
2/5
Politically incorrect jokes (endlessly) about hearing impaired (Gooding) make for tasteless flick. Go to Full Review Film4 08/25/2008
It's a long slow trek from gag to gag. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Paulette J Mar 28 Watched it again after a these years and laughed even more. Great entertaining movie in the understated not in your face comedy Aussies are known for See more Marty A 12/15/2024 As usual critics at Rotten Tomatoes are harshly incorrect. After many years I watched this movie again and upon trying to remember the movie's name, I came across these reviews. The movie might not be the most well scripted, or high budgeted film, but it fulfills its goal; to entertain. Cuba Gooding is funny and an amazing actor and Paul Hogan fulfills his role brilliantly. The only reason American critics don't like it here at rotten tomatoes is because Paul is Australian. The movie is hugely entertaining and deserved much better criticism. See more Daniel N 12/13/2024 Absolutely brilliant. Great fun. Fantastic mix of comedy and action with great writing and great characters. Perfect family movie. Cannot live this enough. See more Lee R 08/21/2024 amazing movie , light hearted and of course hogan was great See more Mr D 04/15/2024 Overall it's a good movie for what it is. It's not serious, it's a comedy. It's a lot better than movies that the "so called" critics like. See more rody r 02/29/2024 good fun from start to end See more Read all reviews
Lightning Jack

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Simon Wincer

Director

Paul Hogan

Lightning Jack Kane

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Ben Doyle

Beverly D'Angelo

Lana Castel

Kamala Lopez

Pilar

Pat Hingle

U.S. Marshal Dan Kurtz

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Lightning Jack

Lightning Jack (1994) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After being taken hostage in a botched bank robbery, the mute Ben Doyle (Cuba Gooding Jr.) has inadvertently become Sancho Panza to the quixotic Lightning Jack Kane (Paul Hogan), who fancies himself a legendary Wild West outlaw. While Jack teaches Ben how to shoot, ride a horse and perform a successful heist, he's also being pursued by a posse of vigilantes. Finally seeing the writing on the wall, Lightning Jack wants to make one last score and retire, but a rival gang isn't making it easy.
Director
Simon Wincer
Producer
Paul Hogan, Greg Coote, Simon Wincer
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Box Office (Gross USA)
$15.3M
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Surround