DAN AYKROYD WITH HOWARD HESSEMAN IN 'DOCTOR DETROIT'

End Credit Fake Sequel Gag from DOCTOR DETROIT Year: 1982 Rating: ***1/2

By 1982, Dan Aykroyd wasn't completely into playing a total goofball since, after four gorgeous limo-riding hookers spot his ultra-nerdy college professor Clifford Skridrow power-walking in an obviously rehearsed/notably overboard fashion, they can't quit noting how cute and even sexy he is, thus marking Dan's first stand-alone leading role following the tragic death of legendary comedy-partner John Belushi... 

Basically a NUTTY PROFESSOR alter-ego theme, foreshadowing Aykroyd's forgettable THE COUCH TRIP in that an otherwise average dolt wields conveniently miraculous traits of an improvisational performer yet here, Clifford feels idealistically motivated to save those hookers (including future trophy wife Donna Dixon and mouthy Fran Drescher) from encroachment by viciously monopolizing Kate Murtaugh after their own flashy pimp Howard Hesseman, owing tons of money and driving the film's entire first act (while literally being driven by T.K. Carter), heads for the hills...

Donna Dixon with Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit with Fran Drescher and Lynn Whitfield

Scenes where Aykroyd morphs into a Southern Lawyer, and then the titular Bond-villain-style hustler, are like overlong SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE skits... thankfully director Michael Pressman puts more effort and screen-time into Dan's original geek persona (who's also busy saving his fledgling college), progressively adhering to the wild surroundings orchestrated by timely tunes from Rick James's Superfreak to James Brown BLUES BROTHERS-inspired musical numbers following the opening title sequence by Devo...

Making DOCTOR DETROIT fit uniquely between the colorful and breezy 1980's new-wave aesthetic and grungy late-1970's drug-fueled/full-frontal R-Rated madness so that... edited in a swift pace so nothing too wacky mars the basic save-the-day premise... Aykroyd semi-triumphs with an endearing underdog like he would (far more successfully) in TRADING PLACES and GHOSTBUSTERS before derailing into future cartoonish catastrophes like LOOSE CANNONS, and almost everything else thereafter.

Howard Hesseman with My Bodyguad bully's bully Hank Salas in DOCTOR DETROIT

Howard Hesseman with Hank Salas in DOCTOR DETROIT with Kate Murtagh as lead villain Mom

Howard Hesseman with Donna Dixon in DOCTOR DETROIT

Dan Aykroyd in DOCTOR DETROIT

Dan Aykroyd in DOCTOR DETROIT

TK Carter in Doctor Detroit with Fran Drescher and Lynn Whitfield

Dan Aykroyd andKate Murtagh in DOCTOR DETROIT

Dan Aykroyd in DOCTOR DETROIT

Howard Hesseman in DOCTOR DETROIT

Donna Dixon in DOCTOR DETROIT

Donna Dixon with Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit with Lydia Lei and Lynn Whitfield

Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit with George Furth and Nan Martin

Donna Dixon with Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit with Fran Drescher, Lydia Lei and Lynn Whitfield

Donna Dixon with Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit with Lydia Lei and Lynn Whitfield

Donna Dixon with TK Carter in Doctor Detroit with Fran Drescher, Lydia Lei and Lynn Whitfield

James Brown in Doctor Detroit

Donna Dixon with Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit with Fran Drescher, Lydia Lei and Lynn Whitfield

Dan Aykroyd and James Brown in Doctor Detroit

Andrew Duggan and Hank Salas in Doctor Detroit

Dan Aykroyd in Doctor Detroit

Donna Dixon and Andrew Duggan in Doctor Detroit

Lydia Lei and Donna Dixon in Doctor Detroit