Dunston Checks In

Writing in VL-6/96, K. Lee Benson said: "An expert cast plays second banana to a simian who runs amuck at the five-star Majestic Hotel. But Dunston isn't bad, he was just trained that way by British jewel thief Rupert Everett. Seinfeld Emmy-winner Jason Alexander stars as the Majestic's harried manager, whose mischievous sons find and befriend Dunston just as the hotel is preparing for the season's biggest social event. Faye Dunaway, who makes Leona Helmsley look like Mother Theresa, stars as his imperious boss. Like the under appreciated Monkey Trouble, this is a real sleeper for which kids will go ape." The DVD release--one of Fox's "Family Features" entries--sports very little in the way of extras (beyond the original four-minute "making of"), but the crisp, colorful transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and dual-sided options of widescreen or pan and scan versions, make this a solid hit. Recommended. (R. Pitman)