Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 48
Fresh: 45 | Rotten: 3
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.1/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 2
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 160,990
Were it not for its profanity-laden opening scenes, John Hughes' Planes, Trains and Automobiles might have been suitable family entertainment: certainly it's heaps less violent and mean-spirited than Hughes' Home Alone. En route to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his family, easily annoyed businessman Neal Page (Steve Martin) finds his first-class plane ticket has been demoted to coach, and he must share his flight with obnoxious salesman Del Griffith (John Candy). A sudden snowstorm in
Nov 25, 1987 Wide
Nov 21, 2000
Paramount Pictures
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3) | DVD (16)
Pretty dispensable.
It is, of course, always a pleasure to watch Martin's steam-gauge face register his rising internal pressures and to witness his exquisitely expressed blowoffs. But Candy offers even more insinuating delights.
Man versus technology has been one of the staples of screen comedy since the earliest silent days, and Hughes makes the most of the format here packing as many of the frustrations of modern life as he can into this calamitous travelog of roadside America.
The film does have its scattered moments. But too often, the audience has as much reason as Del and Neal do to wonder where, if anywhere, they are going.
The script and direction by Hughes ... amount to wobbly passes that Martin and Candy turn into touchdowns anyway.
It's a fine cinematic treat that doesn't demand much from a viewer, but gives back a lot, both in terms of laughter and good feeling.
A surprisingly powerful, and incredibly funny, little movie led by two terrific performances and John Hughes' razor sharp script.
The finest comedy screenplay John Hughes ever wrote.
There are some big laughs in the story among some frivolous gags and some decidedly flat ones. (Blu-ray edition)
...funny, zany, silly, a little bit dull and annoying, and, eventually, a whole lot sentimental.
Expertly executed and very funny road movie that mixes physical, verbal and situational comedy to memorable and highly likeable effect.
A warm, mature offering from Hughes, with Martin's restraint a perfect counterpoint to Candy's enormous (and enormously amusing) fooling around.
What distinguishes this film from others in the genre is the undercurrent of melancholy between the laughs.
Producer-director-writer Hughes infuses his film with an appealing sense of sentiment and humanity -- not to mention many hilarious scenes.
This slapstick comedy -- with Steve Martin playing the fussy straight man -- should never have worked, but it does, and well enough to earn a place as a holiday classic.
There's plenty of big laughs in this odd-couple comedy, but the main characters are also given a number of human moments, which leads to an ending that's downright poignant.
Essentially, it's the stars' keenly observed nuances of character that make this comedy amiable enough.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a John Hughes classic. After seeing most of films, you realize how great John Hughes was at crafting a solid comedy film. Planes, Trains and Automobiles has a great cast of talented comedians. The late John Candy is absolutely great in his role, and like every one of his films, he
November 8, 2011
Super Reviewer
Possibly THE best Martin and Candy comedy made, so many classic laughs, classic dialog and some classic scenes which are simply perfect comedy played out by two perfect comedians. On top of that you have the usual excellent soundtrack to really bring home that road trip feel, the whole film has that lovely cozy
August 8, 2007Super Reviewer
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