Trading Places (1983)
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Reviews Counted: 38
Fresh: 34 | Rotten: 4
Featuring deft interplay between Eddie Murphy and Dan Dan Aykroyd, Trading Places is an immensely appealing social satire.
Average Rating: 7/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 1
Featuring deft interplay between Eddie Murphy and Dan Dan Aykroyd, Trading Places is an immensely appealing social satire.
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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 80,906
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Movie Info
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.
Jun 1, 1983 Wide
Sep 24, 2002
Paramount Pictures
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Eddie Murphy
Billy Ray Valentine -
Dan Aykroyd
Louis Winthorpe III -
Ralph Bellamy
Randolph Duke -
Don Ameche
Mortimer Duke -
Denholm Elliott
Coleman -
Jamie Lee Curtis
Ophelia -
Kristin Holby
Penelope -
Robert Curtis-Brown
Todd -
Paul Austin
Trader #1 -
B. Constance Barry
Duke Domestics -
Bill Boggs
Newscaster -
Philip Bosco
Doctor -
Lucianne Buchanan
President's Mistress -
Ralph Clanton
Official #1 -
Bill Cobbs
Bartender -
Maurice Copeland
Secretary of Agricultur... -
Kelly Leigh Curtis
Muffy -
Jack Davidson
Trader #3 -
Tom Davis
Baggage Handler -
Barry Dennen
Demitri -
Alfred Drake
President of Exchange -
Sue Dugan
Duke Domestic -
James Eckhouse
Guard -
Giancarlo Esposito
Cellmate #2 -
Gwyllum Evans
President of Heritage C... -
Paul Garcia
Jr. Executive #1 -
Paul Gleason
Clarence Beeks -
Walter Gorney
Duke Domestic -
Nicholas Guest
Harry -
Richard Hunt
Wilson -
Robert Earl Jones
Attendant -
Eddie Jones
Cop #3 -
John Randolph Jones
Trader #2 -
Gary Howard Klar
Longshoreman -
John Bedford Lloyd
Andrew -
Avon Long
Ezra -
William Magerman
Duke Domestic -
Michelle Mais
Hooker #1 -
Tom Mardirosian
Officer Pantuzzi -
John McCurry
Cop #4 -
Bernie McInerney
Trader -
Don McLeod
Gorilla -
Afemo Omilami
Longshoreman -
Jacques Sandulescu
Creepy Man -
P. Jay Sidney
Heritage Club Doorman -
Clint Smith
Doo Rag Lenny -
Stephen Stucker
Station Master -
Ron Taylor
Big Black Guy -
Maurice Woods
Duke & Duke Employee -
James Belushi
Harvey -
Bo Diddley
Pawnbroker -
Al Franken
Baggage Handler -
Peter Hock
Cop #2 -
Frank Oz
Corrupt Cop -
Tom Degidon
Duke Domestic -
Jim Newell
Duke & Duke Employee -
Charles Brown
Officer Reynolds -
Florence Anglin
Duke Domestic -
W.B. Brydon
Bank Manager -
Joshua Daniel
Party Goer -
Alan Dellay
Duke Domestic -
-
Bryan Clark
Official #2 -
-
Barra Khan
Hooker #2
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All Critics (38) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (4) | DVD (23)
Trading Places also makes Eddie Murphy a force to be reckoned with.
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.
Trading Places is a light romp geared up by the schtick shifted by Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy.
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.
Top CriticWhat's most visible in the movie is the engaging acting. Murphy and Aykroyd are perfect foils for each other.
[A] shrewd but very likable movie.
Edgy, bawdy '80s comedy not meant for kids.
...has its ups and downs, mostly ups so it's worth a look if you haven't already seen it or haven't seen it in a while.
...a fun-filled film all the way around.
Preposterous lighthearted one-joke comedy.
...one of the most impressive comedies to emerge out of the 1980s.
Fast-paced and energetic social satire fleshed out with lots of enjoyable silliness.
The Saturday Night Live veterans Murphy and Ackroyd are the show-stealers here in this decent family comedy.
The rise of Valentine and the fall of Winthorpe are a source of great fun.
I'm not entirely sure if Trading Places is considered a "comedy classic" or not, but it sure is around my house.
Eddie Murphy stars in one of his greatest roles.
Because Eddie doesn't have to carry the whole movie, he is free to make every word that comes out of his mouth infinitely appealing.
Hilarious chemistry between Aykroyd and Murphy.
Audience Reviews for Trading Places
Super Reviewer
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- Gorilla: The party's over? It's only ten o'clock!
-
- Ophelia: I'm a whore with a heart of gold.
-
- Pawnbroker: I'm really Bo Diddly.
-
- Billy Ray Valentine: I can't walk.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| David Kerr = banishment | 35 days ago | 0 |
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Foreign Titles
- Un fauteuil pour deux (FR)


"They're not just getting rich... They're getting even."
Trading Places is one of the best comedies of the 80's and maybe ever. It's my personal favorite Eddie Murphy film and probably tied for my favorite Dan Aykroyd and John Landis film(the other of course being The Blues Brothers). What we have here was an instant comedy classic, that is as much fun as it is funny. There's not a moment of wasted screen time. It's smart, it injects a variety of different forms of humor, and it's fast paced and widely entertaining. There's not much more you can ask for from a comedy. This is the cream of the crop.
So, two greedy, manipulative, and corrupt investors make a bet. The bet involves two totally different men. One, Louis Winthorpe runs the Duke brothers investment firm and has made them a lot of money in the process. He comes from a good environment. The other is Billy Ray Valentine, a hustler who makes his money acting like a wounded Vietnam vet. He came from a bad environment. One of the Duke brothers believes that if they throw Louis into the bad environment, he will become a no good thief. He also believes that if they put Valentine into the good environment, he will be able to run the firm just as well as Louis. The other doesn't. It's all part of a fun wager until, Louis and Valentine get wise to it.
There's a lot to love about the movie from the great performances from Murphy and Aykroyd to an Oscar nominated score. The versatility showed by Murphy and Aykroyd is what makes their performances so memorable. They both give two different performances within the same movie. Both must act like poor, beaten bums and like wealthy, high class investors. Neither of them waver at any moment and it's pure comedic gold. Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Paul Gleeson, and Jamie Lee Curtis are all very good as well.
Trading Places is a must see comedy for all film lovers out there. It's one of those select few comedies that really stands out above the rest for me. It's up there, for me, with movies like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. This is a comedic masterpiece and there's just no other way to describe it. If you haven't seen this before, watch it as soon as possible.