During the daily grind, it seems as if we may never get out. For the Harvey family, that all changed one day when family leader Martin Harvey (Martin Short) gets a message that they have been left a sailboat once owned by Clark Gable. All they have to do is pick it up from Saint Pomme de Terre (loosely translated as 'Saint Potato').
This sounds like the perfect opportunity for a family vacation, especially since this boat may be worth a quarter of a million dollars. After contacting a yacht broker in Miami, they get a captain who will meet them there and help them sail the boat back to the US. Unfortunately, once they see the boat, they determine that it's not quite what they expected. It's seen better days.
Calling the broker, they inquire about what it might be worth in less-than-perfect condition. Sensing that the boat is a pile of junk, the broker sends a local captain instead - Captain Ron (Kurt Russell).
Captain Ron may be a bit rough around the edges, but he's all the Harveys have, so they hit the water on their great adventure. It isn't long, however, before Martin is confident that Captain Ron is an idiot, and that anyone - including himself - could do better.
Lost on an island for lunch, he decides to go back to the boat, ignoring Captain Ron's warnings of guerillas, thinking he said gorillas. That is, until he encounters the guerillas. Captain Ron comes to the rescue, however, and even gets a couple of guns for them to ward off pirates (The Pirates of the Caribbean, actually).
When Martin hears about this, he goes berserk, throwing the guns overboard. Then he realizes that Captain Ron had to trade something for the guns, and he finds out that it was a ride to the next island. Not wanting to give these guerillas a ride, all he has to do is give the guns back - but he's already thrown them overboard, so it looks like they'll have company for the next leg.
Unfortunately, Captain Ron's navigating skills (or lack thereof) strike again, and they end up at yet another island, and the guerillas think they have been kidnapped. Luckily, Captain Ron explains to them that they are simply lost, and all is well. Just another night with unwanted guests.
Eventually they make it to their destination, and in San Juan, the Harveys get to enjoy Carnivale, but there the kids throw a party with alcohol and tattoos, prompting Martin to fire Captain Ron and throw everyone out - which gets the attention of the pirates. That loses the family the boat, and they are set adrift in a raft, which eventually lends them in Cuba.
The only good news is that they find their boat. The bad news is that the pirates are there too. Luckily, Captain Ron has managed to find them, too, and they all get off the island, and are saved by the US Coast Guard just in time. As quickly as he came into their lives, Captain Ron then disappears. Something about the Statute of Limitations.
Okay, it's not a perfect movie. But it's fun to watch.
Rated PG-13 for elements of sensuality, and for some language.
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