Trading Places
Sporting billionaire brothers reverse the roles of a wall street commodities broker and a street hustler. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 01/04/2005 Starring: Eddie Murphy Jamie Lee Curtis Run time: 118 minutes Rating: R Director: John LandisIn this crowd-pleasing 1983 comedy of high finance about a homeless con artist who becomes a Wall Street robber baron, Eddie Murphy consolidated the success of his startling debut in the previous year’s 48 Hours and polished his slick-winner persona. The turnabout begins with an argument between super-rich siblings, played by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche: Are captains of industry, they wonder, born or made? To settle the issue, the meanies construct a cruel experiment in social Darwinism. Preppie commodities trader Dan Aykroyd (perfectly cast) is stripped of all his worldly goods and expelled from the firm, and Murphy’s smelly derelict is appointed to take his place, graduating to tailored suits and a world-class harem in record time. Eventually the two men team up to teach the nasty old manipulators a lesson, cornering the market in frozen orange juice futures in the process. Director John Landis (The Blues Brothers) doesn’t have the world’s lightest touch, but he hits most of the jokes hard and quite a few of them pay off. Trading Places is also a landmark film for fans of Jamie Lee Curtis. –David Chute 
Rating:  List Price: $ 9.98 Price: $ 6.50 |
(out of 149 reviews)
Review by L. Shirley for Trading Places
Rating:
This review refers to the Widescreen Collection/DVD edtion(Paramount)of “Trading Places”….
If you have already seen this fabulously fun film, then you know the scene I am referring to in my title of this review.It is just one of the many, many laugh out loud moments that Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd and the rest of the brillant cast treat us to. If you haven’t seen it and you like to laugh..this is a must see, one that will brighten your holdiays and leave you grinning ear to ear whenever you think of it.
The very wealthy brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke portrayed by legends Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, are sitting around their exclusive club having a little tiff on the theory of Heredity vs. Enviroment. After bestowing a very generous Christmas bonus of five dollars to the man who sees to their needs year round, they make a little wager. The bet…take their most trusted employee(Aykroyd), and play with his life until he becomes an outcast. Take a street-wise con-artist(Murphy),and give him a taste of the good life. Who will prevail? Will the Harvard grad, still be the person he was, after losing everything, or will he turn to crime? And what about the con man? Will his new enviroment make a new man out of him or will he still resort to his old ways? Watching these two “Trading Places” is one of the most fun 2 hours you can spend. The story takes place between Christmas and New Years so it’s a great Holdiay film to add to your collection as well.
The cast is marvelous.Dan Aykroyd is the perfect snob, and Eddie Murphy, well he’s just great at being Eddie Murphy. Jaime Lee Curits is the hooker with a heart(who’s looking to increase her bank account and get off her back),Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy show they haven’t lost what it took to become the legends they are, and Denholm Elliot is perfectly cast as the butler in on the action. Adding to the fun are Bo Didley,Paul Gleason, Frank Oz and James Belushi. Directing this wonderful cast is John Landis, who doesn’t miss a trick and the music by Elmer Bernstein sets the tone perfectly as usual.The movie is rated R for some some scenes of nudity(do we expect any less from Jaime Lee?).
The DVD is a great buy. The anamorphic widescreen picture is gorgeous. Clear and bright with beautiful colors, the film does not appear to be 20 years old already. You have the choice of Dolby Dig 5.1 surround sound or stereo surround sound, both are excellent. There are English subtitles and it may be viewed in French(mono). There are no special feautres though.
So how much was the wager they made? A whooping one dollar! Who wins?…..I’ll never tell!
Seen it?..you know you gotta have it!…Haven’t seen it?….Go for it!…You’ll love it!…enjoy….Laurie
more fun stuff:
Jimmy Hollywood [VHS]
Diamonds
Goin’ South [VHS]
(see my reviews for film details)
Review by Brian for Trading Places
Rating:
As others have mentioned this DVD is a “bare bones” one with no extra features. For those used to seeing it on TV, though, seeing the original R rated version will let you in on how much was edited for TV.The shocking part is that this DVD is MISSING a scene always shown on television. When Winthorp (Akroyd) walks into the Duke & Duke offices, everyone tells him good morning, greeting him by name, and he barely manages a response. That’s in there. Then later, when Valentine (Murphy) walks into the Duke & Duke offices, everyone ALSO greets him by name, and he enthusiastically greets them in return, (before getting into the elevator). In the DVD, THIS SCENE IS MISSING!So, this isn’t just a bare bones DVD, in one instance you actually end up getting LESS than you normally see on TV! I’m baffled by this…But, obviously, this is a classic comedy, worth owning. Too bad they don’t offer a beefier DVD.
Review by toddo for Trading Places
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Came out in 1983, I bought this movie on VHS, DVD, and now Blu-Ray. I have never seen it look this good. Bright ole 80′s fashion colors don’t bleed anymore. This precious baby is totally remastered. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd at their prime. Paramount finally gave this absolute classic the hi-def 1080p treatment. I’m glad that I am old enough to still enjoy 80′s humor. If you’re a fan of Trading Places, definitely pick this up in blu-ray, you won’t regret it.
Review by Lonnie E. Holder for Trading Places
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Unfortunately we can’t rate the movie and the DVD realization separately in the number of stars we give. So we have to do it in the rating.DVD realization: Too darn expensive for what you get compared to the VHS version. Wait until the price goes down, or buy the VHS version and wait for the DVD to come down in price. The price versus benefit of the DVD over the VHS gets -1 star…yes, negative stars.The Movie: All right, maybe not five stars, but as a comedy this movie is absolutely wonderful. I like comedies that make you think, and this one does. Filled with irony from the beginning to end, the humor substantially comes from irony. The movie makes fun of people in high places who, according to this movie, do not think like you and I and clearly have nothing better to do with their time than to manipulate people.The Story: Dan Aykroyd is an executive in a New York investment firm. Clearly intelligent and well-bred, he lives a life style that most of us don’t even dream about. Butler, very expensive home and suits, this guy is living a very high life. Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche are two brothers who own the investment firm. One day they see Eddie Murphy in front of skyscraper that houses their offices. After discussing the opportunities that people get in life, Ralph Bellamy bets Don Ameche that given the right circumstances that Eddie Murphy could have been Dan Aykroyd. What follows actually makes you feel sympathetic for Dan Aykroyd, even though he is clearly a snob.Dan Aykroyd is set up and arrested, fired from his job, and kicked out of his house, He is completely cut off from the life he knows. Eddie Murphy is put into Dan Aykroyd’s job and house. Poor Dan really hits a low until Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays a prostitute, takes pity on him and takes him in.Fortunately for Dan, Eddie Murphy overhears Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche discussing the bet they made in the executive potty, and also using words that are less than flattering. Eddie realizes that he and Dan have been set up, and goes seeking Dan since Eddie does not plan on being manipulated by these two.From this point on, the movie gets really good. Dan, Eddie, Jamie, and Denholm Elliott, Eddie’s butler, decide to get revenge on Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche. Only minimal details from here on out in case you haven’t seen the movie yet. The revenge plot is well set up and executed, all leading to a really uplifting scene in the commodities portion of the New York Stock Exchange.The movie is generally predictable, but it is the how of the predictability that I was unable to foresee. People who are in the commodities business will probably scoff at some of the details, but for those of us who are ignorant of commodities, that part is funny and upbeat.This early Eddie Murphy movie is well-done. Eddie generally stays away from the four-letter words he seems to use so much in some of his newer movies. Dan Aykroyd plays a character that at first you revile, and then want to like. I’ll let you discover how Dan’s character evolves.This movie has a fair amount of intelligent humor. It relies very little on slapstick. It is one of my favorite comedies that I never seem to get tired of watching.
Review by Bill J. Thomann for Trading Places
Rating:
If you want a great movie this is your dvd. If you want a trailer, a commentary, behind the scenes documentary, making of… basically anything that you are used to getting on a dvd it’s not. This is bare bones dvd. At least Buena Vista (Disney) prices their movies approriately when they give you a bare bones release. Spaced Invaders was under $10. Paramount charges premium Special Edition prices for nothing but the movie. For shame.