The symptoms? Acute tickling of the funny bone and severe belly laughs. The diagnosis? Richard Pryor in Critical Condition!

When a con artist named Kevin (Pryor) is framed for racketeering, he finds himself facing a lifetime in prison. Feigning insanity seems like the easy way to avoid the slammer, and Kevin is brought to Empire State Hospital for evaluation. But things get really nuts when a power outage hits, and the crazy-like-a-fox Kevin impersonates a doctor in order to make his escape. As the night goes on, chaos ensues ... and Kevin finds that he's the only one who can take charge and maintain order.