Starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd in the main roles, this is a genuinely funny film that shows the greed and money issues that stereotype the eighties.
The plot is simple, Murphy is a tramp, Akroyd a wealthy player on the stock market. Through an incident created by Akroyd's cowardly reaction to an accident, which results in Murphy's arrest, the two dukes who run Akroyd's company {played brilliantly by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche} decide to run a bet. Can they successfully swap these two apparently different people so that Murphy can become successful and Akroyd become a criminal?
As ever, plot is pretty much secondary in these type of comedies, and while i must admit some of the gags are very hit and miss, there are some very funny moments in it.
Aided by a supporting cast of Jamie Lee Curtis and Denholm Elliott it does seem as if all the performers gel well together and this helps give the feel good factor that it achieves. While both the main parts are stereotypes of snobbish money and quicktalking conman, they are both genuinely likable and you are willing them to do well in the inevitable happy ending.
If there is a message in the film, though, it could be said that anyone is capable of anything, well before channel four's "faking it" came onto the scene. Showing that anyone can do any job with the right training {possibly dispelling the hero status some professions crave}. Although i doubt that thats what they had in mind when they were making it!
I have seen this film lots of times, it feels like a christmas film for some reason and has an upbeat , feelgood vibe to it. Although there is the obligatory dark moment it doesn't feel too contrived and moralistic and siickly sweet as some more recent comedies {Jim Carey please note}. You'll also be pleased to know that there isnt a "sweet" kid to be seen in the whole film!
However, because of the swear factor, perhaps it's best to leave grannie in the other room/garden/ cupboard or whever you keep her for this one! It is also recommended to watch this on dvd or video, the TV version murders it, while swearing isn't big or clever, in this case it's bloody funny!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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Nice op on one of my favourite films!! Damn, sirmitchalot has beaten me to my trivia piece!!! I'm a big Eddie Murphy fan, so this is well up there for me. Marc
Ryan74 20.03.2004 23:45
I love this film, it's one of my faves. Good op, and a belated welcome to Ciao!
sirmitchalot 20.03.2004 14:46
Didn't they end up poor, and starred themselves as two tramps in coming to America
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