My Cousin Vinny Reviews

Vinny: Uh... everything that guy just said is bullshit... Thank you. 

"Truth, Justice and the Gambini Way."

My Cousin Vinny is one of the funnier comedies I have ever seen. The cast is great, with Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei and Fred Gwynn. The film has some of the funniest individual scenes I have ever seen because of Pesci. He's pretty good at playing a monster, but damn did he give a great performance as a lawyer who doesn't know all that much about law. Going in, I have to say I didn't think this was going to be as good as I had heard, but it delivered everything you'd want from a comedy.

Two young college students are traveling through Alabama when they stop at a local convenient store for some food. After buying their food and getting back on the road, they get pulled over. They think it is for stealing a can of tuna, but actually they are bing accused of murder. They can't afford a good attorney, so they settle for a cousin, by the name of Vinny. He has graduated from law school, but it took him six tries to pass the BAR. Now he has been a lawyer for a whole six weeks, hasn't gone to trial, knows nothing about the procedures and is being tossed into a murder trial that concerns a family member, who if convicted wouldn't just go to prison, but probably would be put to death. How could this not be funny?

I love the banter back and forth between the actors. Tomei and Pesci have great chemistry and make every scene that they are in together interesting. But the best back and forth came in the courtroom scenes between the judge(Fred Gwynn) and Vinny. Most of their conversations go something like this:

Judge:I don't like your attitude. 
Vinny: So what else is new? 
Judge: I'm holding you in contempt of court. 
Vinny: Now there's a fucking surprise. 
Judge: What did you say? What did you just say? 
Vinny: Huh? What did I say? 

Then there's his back and forth with the witnesses:

Vinny: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes? 
Tipton: Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess. 
Vinny:  What? I'm sorry I was over there. Did you just say you were a fast cook? Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on the face of the earth? 
Tipton: I don't know. 
Vinny: Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans? 

The dialogue in My Cousin Vinny is extremely funny and most of the time very smart. It has its occasional goofy scene that is all about being stupid, but for the most part it is highly intelligent. This movie gave me a new appreciation for everyone involved. I love Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, but this just took them to a whole new level in my book. Also, Fred Gwynn; I've never seen him in anything outside of The Munsters, that I know of. He has that same quality that makes him so fun to watch as Herman Munster, in this movie as a Judge. 

If you're looking for a movie to make you laugh; it doesn't get to much better than this. I mean, this movie is in Blazing Saddles country when it comes to how funny it is. That is saying something.

Remember the first time I saw it. Had never heard of it...and I was blown away

Riotous fish-out-of-water tale as New Yorkers are trapped down South and fed grits! Pesci is one tough little a--hole (doh! again! but he's good at it) as he and his babe deluxe go shake up the yokels. Though this is Pesci's film look for Marisa Tomei, she's a bearcat.

Hilarious!

My Cousin Vinny is a fun and humourous comedy. After being arrested in a hick town and accused of murder, two teens who are unable to afford a good lawyer hire one of their cousins who became a lawyer. Unfortunately for them, he's fairly eccentric and not very qualified to take on the case. This film is filled with terrific comedy and really good performances by its actors. This is a smartly crafted comedy thats superbly well well written and delivers a few good laughs. Part courtroom film and comedy film, My Cousin Vinny is a smart film with effective laughs.Marisa Tomei gives a great performance and so does Joe Pesci. This a comedy with style and is guaranteed to make you laugh and smile at the antics of Joe Pesci. Joe Pesci takes a break from his serious films and is able to carry on a terrific performance with a comedy. This performance is a far better one than the comedy performances he delivered in both Home Alone films. A solid comedy with great acting and a good story, its no wonder that so many people like this film. My Cousin Vinny is a entertaining and funny film that is not your regular comedy film. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a well written smart and funny film.

Courtroom comedy of the highest order. Joe Pesci is as funny as ever, and Marisa Tomei tops herself as his sassy and street mart girlfriend. I can't say this reminds me of any other movie that I've seen, which makes it rather original as far as comedies go. Nice humor, interesting plot and wonderfully written dialogue. A must-see if you're a fan of either Pesci or Tomei.

It is so rare for me to come across a good, good comedy and here I think I've found one. Also, Marisa Tomei was really beautiful, and continues to be today.

The script is a perfectly ridiculous fish out of water story but the irresistible combo of Pesci and Tomei make this a terrific viewing experience. While Macchio and Whitfeld are rather bland as the accused that actually helps since too many strong characters would have thrown the focus of the film off. Marisa Tomei's controversial Oscar win for this performance is a matter of opinion, as most awards are anyway, and there were four other fine performances that year but without her sensational work here the picture would be considerably less than it is. The supporting cast is peppered with fine actors doing good work, Lane Smith and Austin Pendleton are memorable but the real standout is Fred Gwynne as the judge in his last role, a great way to wrap up a career. A charmer that can be watched over and over and provide pleasure each time.

Fish out of water, fish out of water. New York vs. Southern accents, that shiz is played out but for its time it was considered great, much like that whiny biatch who won an Oscar for Bonnie and Clyde.

There are no reservations against this laugh out loud comedy. Pesci and Tomei are absolutely brilliant. It's almost a Legally Blonde-Guido addition.

Enjoyable Comedy Drama with some unconventional tactics in the courtroom. Another funny role for Pesci and a young looking Maris Tomei.

Easy watching no-brainer, with it's share of funny moments.

"Hey, Stan, you're in Ala-fuckin'-bama. You come from New York. You killed a good ol' boy. There is no way this is not going to trial!"

Bill and Stan are mistaken for murderers while on vacation, and Bill's family sends his cousin to defend them for his first case as a lawyer.

REVIEW
My Cousin Vinny is an entertaining and laugh-packed comedy confection that stars Joe Pesci as a New York tough who somehow barely passed the bar exam but has yet to try a case, who is asked to come down south to redneck country to defend his young cousin (Ralph Macchio) and his friend (Mitchell Whitfield), who have been wrongfully accused of murder. Pesci shines in this twisted fish-out-of-water story as the inexperienced lawyer with the mafia sensibility, completely clueless about the ways of people down south and their ultra-conservative methods of upholding the law. Marisa Tomei won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her scene-stealing performance as Pesci's brash and loud-mouthed girlfriend who accompanies him down south. The late Fred Gwynne gives the performance of his career as the judge on the case and the late Lane Smith is effective as the prosecuting attorney, though Austin Pendleton is a bit much as a public defender with a stuttering problem. This is a minor quibble though in one of the best comedies ever made. Tomei won an Oscar but Pesci still commands the screen in one the most perfectly timed comic performances to grace the silver screen in a long time. Pay particular attention as he questions a severely near-sighted old lady and offers the jury lessons on the preparation of grits. A supremely entertaining comedy that just gets better with multiple viewings.

B

Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne, Bruce McGill

DIRECTED BY: Johnathan Lynn

Bill and Stan are mistaken for murderers while on vacation, and Bill's family sends his cousin to defend them for his first case as a lawyer.

This is a great comedy. The fact that most of this movie is set in a courtroom and it still kept the humor throughout tells you this film had great writers. Love Joe and Marisa together in this film. They together were hilarious. But my favorite part in the film is were Vinny meets his cousins friend for the first time in the jail cell. It is by far the funniest moment to me in the movie. Just a great comedy with a great cast of characters and great acting. Oh and of course a great dialogue. Get the chance and rent or buy this great comedy classic.

It's a really fun movie. No, it's not a landmark in cinema or a new way of looking at courtroom dramas, but that was never its intent. Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei are amazing together and give really great performances. It's not a movie i'll ever pass up because it never really gets old.

I desperately needed to see a funny movie, and My Cousin Vinny filled that need to perfection. There were several moments that were just laugh out loud hilarious, the plot was interesting, and the length of the movie was just about perfect. This was a very pleasant surprise, and I can't wait to watch it again!

What's a yute?

I liked it lots at the time it came out. Pesci is Pesci, Tomei is awesome and it?s got the Karate kid and Herman Hunster in it too!

Absolutely loved it. I've never seen Joe Pesci in anything before this and he was hilarious. Others with great performances were Marisa Tomei and Ralph Macchio.

Pitch perfect courtroom comedy about a lawyer defending his cousins of murder in a backwoods Alabama town. Fish out of water comedy features stellar performances by Pesci, Tomei and Gwynne. Likeable, funny and well written.