The Misadventures of Merlin Jones Reviews

Unappealing attempt from the Disney studios that is more deserving of treatment as a TV movie than as a feature. The story revolves around Kirk as a brainy college student who invents an apparatus that allows him to read minds. When he is brought before a judge for a traffic violation, he discovers that the judge is planning a robbery. As it happens, the judge, Ames, is actually a mystery writer incognito, and the robbery plan is the plot for his next novel. As an experiment, Kirk later hypnotizes the judge into stealing a mistreated chimpanzee. Corny plot fails to generate any solid comedy. Funicello, as Kirk's coed girlfriend, is fairly bland, as is the rest of the cast. Followed by a sequel, THE MONKEY'S UNCLE.