Dunston Checks In

Robert Grant manages the Majestic, a luxury New York hotel preparing its prestigious annual ball. The owner, Mrs. Dubrow, expects the event to run flawlessly and hopes it will bring the establishment greater prestige. Robert's plans for a family vacation are put on hold when a wealthy guest, Lord Rutledge, checks in with a large trunk containing Dunston, an orangutan trained to steal jewelry from wealthy patrons. Dunston grows tired of working for his dishonest owner, escapes, and is taken in by Robert's two young sons, who enjoy the chaos he causes. As the ball approaches, Robert tries to keep the animal hidden while Rutledge and an animal catcher search for it.

Ken Kwapis directed this family comedy, which sits between Vibes and The Beautician and the Beast in his filmography. It was written by Bruce Graham and John Hopkins and produced by Joe Wizan and Todd Black. Jason Alexander plays Robert, Faye Dunaway is Mrs. Dubrow, Rupert Everett is Lord Rutledge, and Paul Reubens appears as Buck LaFarge, with Dunston played by Sam the Orangutan. Made for about 16 million dollars, it earned roughly 10 million worldwide.

Audience responses were modest: it holds 5.4 out of 10 on IMDb from around 14,000 votes and the same score on TMDB from about 255 votes. A critics' rating of 4 out of 10 from 18 reviews places critical opinion below even those middling audience scores.