Rating: 
Summary: give it 6 stars
Review: Edddie plays a con artist tricked into living in a rich home while a rich man is forced to live the hard life. Very funny on how each man lives change as they live "the other side of life".
Rating: 
Summary: A Jamie Lee classic
Review: The movie is funny enough, but the main reason to buy this DVD is for the pause function and the scene with Jamie Lee Curtis topless. Oh yeah, and Eddie Murphy is pretty funny, too.
Rating:
Summary: "It Was The Dukes!!...It Was The Dukes!!.."
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: WELL DONE!
Review: Sometimes it can be so refreshing to see a movie where the good guys win, this is such. Two brothers, played by Ralph Bellany an Don Ameche are Wall Street Tycoons who have a disagreement that is to be settled by a bet......ah the fun begins. They destroy their trader's life, played by Dan Aykroyd by expelling him from the firm and taking all his worldy possessions from him. In his place they find a homeless man, played by Eddie Murphy giving him all the power and wealth that their former trader had, then they sit back to watch what happens.
Oh my! Through a turn of events the tides change as Eddie, Dan and Jamie Lee Curtis team up to not only teach these fellows a lesson but to bring themselves good fortune for the rest of their lives. Talk about a just and happy ending! This movie in my book is tops. Leaves you feeling good and hopeful that justice does prevail!
Rating:
Summary: Billy Ray Valentine.... Great Movie!!!
Review: This is a great story. The Duke brothers make their traditional bet "$1.00" to see how a homeless man (played by Eddie Murphy) can take a high profile commodities broker position and be sucessful at it while they take the position away from Louis Winthorpe III (played by Dan Aykroyd) and make his life a complete disaster. Jamie Lee Curtis also stars in this all-star lineup. I would recommend getting this movie, Beverly Hills Cop and 48HRS which are Eddie Murphy's 3 best movies of his career. - Chad Castorina
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!!!!
Review: This film's absolutely hilarious from start to finish and in my opinion is funnier, although not necessarily better than (hate to say this) The Blues Brothers and National Lampoon's Animal House. Mortimer and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) are commodity brokers who enjoy a little wager now and then. For the latest bet, Randolph believes they can take a common criminal and make him a successful businessman. The criminal, Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), is to be given the job and home of Louis (Dan Aykroyd), who in turn is set up for crimes he didn't commit, to see if he resorts to crime once he's lost his riches and snobbish friends. If you feel like a good laugh than this film is perfect!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious socio-economical switch...
Review: Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) graduated from Harvard and now is a successful broker who also owns a large house with a butler and is about to get married to a beautiful woman. However, Louis' life as he knows it is about to be shattered by his employers, the old bachelors Mortimer (Don Ameche) and Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) Duke, who are arguing over whether the humans position in society is based on the Nature versus Nurture issue. In order to settle their disagreement they make a bet where they exchange Louis's position with Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), a street hustler. In the process Louis loses all his friends, fiancé, and assets. This leads him to desperately seek help from the prostitute Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis). At the same time, Billy Ray is suspicious over the old brothers kindness and Billy Ray begins to investigate. Trading Places discusses the Nature versus Nurture dilemma in the light of the socio-economical society where shadows are thrown in by racism. The film offers truly comical and delicately thoughtful situations that tie together a wonderful story and provides opportunity for both reflection and laughter.
Rating:
Summary: Verry Funny Movie!
Review: Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd in one of the funniest movies of the early 80s! Eddie Murphy shines in this movie! Dan is convincing in his role. This was the first time I have seen the movie without the censorship that is ever so present on television with these kind of movies! Clear picture and sound! A must-have for your DVD collection!
Rating:
Summary: IT WAS THE DUKES, IT WAS THE DUKES!
Review: This is one of my favorite movies of all times. Dan Akroyd is in his prime and Eddie Murphy is brilliant, Belushi (was Jim, now he's James) was young and fresh, Jamie Lee sexy and a great supporting cast. This is not a family movie unless one tapes it illegally off of TV. I recently purchased it and had not seen it except on TV for years. I had forgotten that the original version used the F word at least a dozen times and had female topless nudity. I orginally had this movie rated 5 stars, but I must bump it back to 4. A young Jamie Lee is topless twice. There is no simulated sex. Hollywood can't help itself politically. The scenes of the evil Dukes in their office have pictures of two ex-presidents, which U of C Berkeley have named to the Evil Hit parade of the twentieth century. Yes.... Politics and nudity aside this was an extremely entertaining movie, with lessons that could be learned. The good guys team up to get their revenge and bad guys get their just rewards in the end, especially Beeks. One of my favorite scenes in any movie is Mortimer Duke sceaming TURN THOSE MACHINES BACK ON! TURN THOSE MACHINES BACK ON!
Rating:
Summary: Social statement beyond the comedy
Review: I first saw this film in the theatres in 1983, and I loved it! It is still one of my favorites, one that I can't help but watch whenever it comes on television. I wasn't until I was much older that I understood what a profound social message it gave out. Does someone's surroundings and circumstances influence the type of person they will become? Or is it in the genes whether they succeed or fail? We see the question answered in John Landis' "Trading Places". Yes, it's a comedy, one of the funniest of the 1980s. But it also makes you look at something deeper. The plot focuses on two men: a privileged and successful (but uptight and snobbish) Philadelphia commodities broker, Louis Winthorpe (Dan Ackroyd) and a down and out street hustler, Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy). Through a twist of fate during the holiday season, these two cross paths and a bet between two elderly but crafty rich brothers, played wonderfully by Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy (for the insane amount of ONE DOLLAR), will answer the questions posed above. How so? By taking away everything the rich commodities broker worked for (and inherited) with a brilliantly orchestrated scandal where he is publically humiliated and arrested in front of his peers -- and giving it all to the former street hustler, who blossoms under the guiding hand of the two rich brothers into a respected and efficient executive. Meanwhile, Louis continues to spiral downward into a world he had never known: jail, poverty, drugs, homelessness and crime -- but one that Billy Ray had been all too familiar with. But little do either men know, that both of their situations were going to be temporary because it was just an "experiment". Jamie Lee Curtis, up until she had done "Trading Places", had played in so many slasher movies, she was crowned as queen of that genre. But in this movie she convincingly plays a sexy, good-hearted lady of the evening who befriends Louis and helps him get back on his feet. Eventually these two get together. The ending is a hilarious tale of revenge and triumph, and if you have never seen this movie (don't see how anyone could've missed this), I urge you to check it out! Non-stop laughs are a guarantee! Excellent, all around.
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