The "nature-nurture" theory that motivated so many Three Stooges comedies is the basis of John Landis's hit comedy. The fabulously wealthy but morally bankrupt Duke brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) make a one-dollar bet over heredity vs. environment. Curious as to what might happen if different lifestyles were reversed, they arrange for impoverished street hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) to be placed in the lap of luxury and trained for a cushy career in commodities brokerage.
Simultaneously, they set about to reduce aristocratic yuppie Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd to poverty and disgrace, hiring a prostitute (Jamie Lee Curtis) to hasten his downfall. When Billy Ray figures out that the brothers intend to dump him back on the streets once their experiment is complete, he seeks out Winthorpe, and together the pauper-turned-prince and prince-turned-pauper plot an uproarious revenge. With the good-hearted prostitute and Winthorpe's faithful butler (Denholm Elliott) as their accomplices, they set about to hit the brothers where it really hurts: in the pocketbook. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This 1983 film re-creates a screwball comedy format and then eliminates everything but the crudest audience-gratification elements; any incursions into the more morally complicated side of the genre are quickly curtailed.
As a satire on the internecine savagery of fiscal doings under late Reaganite capitalism, the movie is not as biting as it thinks it is; but it's still the best hoot since Arthur.
Hysterical comedy with Aykroyd/Murphy with a side of Curtis :) I really enjoyed it and had great elements of a good 80s movie :)
July 3, 2011
Cassie Hill
Super Reviewer
A manipulative pair of wealthy brothers make a bet which sees a small time criminal and a Wall Street stockbroker filling each others shoes. John Landis was one of the most consistent directors of American comedies of the time and here we see Frank Capra dragged kicking and screaming into the 1980s; tits out,
foul-mouthed and all. It's essentially a comedy of manners with the underlying message that all men are equal give the same opportunities in life, and the snobbery that often comes hand in hand with privelege takes a pummeling at Landis' deft hand. The rich characters of this film are shown at best to be laughable ninnies and worst, morally bankrupt racists, while Eddie Murphy's ghetto hustler's savvy means he is just at home on Wall Street as he is on the streets. It's one of Murphy's early films (in other words he was still funny) but it's really Aykroyd who steals the show and all the funniest moments come from his descent into poverty-stricken Hell ("Those men wanted to have SEX with me!") Maybe not as funny as I remembered it to be, it still has a nice mix of morality message and funny lines and the two stars are ably supported by Denholm Elliott as the Jeeves alike butler, Ameche and Bellamy as the insidious old coots and Jamie Lee Curtis' rack. One of the better comedies of the era and it has stood up pretty well.
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