Rating: 
Summary: Good movie, deserves better treatment in the DVD format
Review: First off, I love this movie. It's silly, it's funny, it's touching in some places, but mostly, it's just entertaining.My biggest complaint with this DVD is that it's one that offers little to no bonus value, and, to me, commits the cardinal sin of not putting the movie in it's original format - instead offering only a Pan and Scan Full Screen presentation. I've hoped for several years that this movie would get a 'special anniversary' or other 'collectors edition' that would offer the original wide screen format and some decent special features, but finally had to break down and purchase this 'original' release of the DVD because my wishes seem to be going unanswered. Please note that I rate the movie itself here a full 5 stars (* * * * *), but the DVD gets only 2 stars, for it's lack of respect to the buying public. The movie was a classic when it was released. Steve Martin, the ultimate 'white guy' finds himself 'born a poor black child', without rhythm and unable to figure out why he doesn't fit in with his Black brothers and sisters. He gets motivated to go off and discover himself, and his adventures along the way are a total riot. In many ways a model that could have been used for the original "Rain Man" character, Navin R. Johnson (Martin's character) had a simple charm and naive streak that was almost unbelievable, but too funny not to laugh at. This movie is a comedy classic, and it deserves a Special Edition and better treatment on DVD. Hopefully someday it will get just that.
Rating: 
Summary: The movie that launched a career
Review: This is a 'Saturday Night Live' movie before it became a cliche. Steve Martin was 'born a poor black child', yet becomes a multi-millionaire with an invention that eventually makes people cross-eyed. Throughout the movie he is a bumbling fool and has unforgetable situations and lines. It's bad enough to live in a service station, but when you're excited about being listed ("The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!), you just have to leave common sense at the door and hang on for a wild ride of silliness.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie... substandard DVD
Review: This is a fantastic movie... even though I love many of Steve Martin's movies this is the one that I can quote from beginning to end and still laugh constantly! My main complaint, like others, is that it is NOT WIDESCREEN! The sad thing is, if you look at the packaging for "The Steve Martin Collection" 3-pack it shows "The Jerk" as originally being slated to be shown in the widescreen format, however for some reason they decided to keep in Pan and Scan anyway.... Ugh! Another sad thing is that this movie HAS DELETED SCENES but they are NOT INCLUDED in the DVD! Anyone who has seen the movie syndicated knows that there are additional scenes which are shown on TV but for some reason are left out of the DVD! Hopefully Universal will soon release a version of this movie comparable to their great DVD releases of AMERICAN GRAFFITTI and ANIMAL HOUSE... until then, this version will have to do I suppose.
Rating:
Summary: hilarious
Review: steve martin plays naven johnson a simpleton whiteguy who doesnt know hes from a black family he invents slip free glasses that pinch your nose called the optigrab and gets famous and cocky i hurt my side firsttime i ever saw this movie when he goes o dear lord cat juggling buy this is u havent seen it
Rating:
Summary: Steve Martin at his best!
Review: Believe me, I'd give it a million stars if I could. This movie is my all-time favorite comedy movie. Unlike other comedies (like Austin Powers), I can watch this again and again and again and again and only grow more fond of it! It's filled with quotable quotes (the thermos song, "The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! ", and let's not forget the cat juggling scene!), colorful characters, hilarious situations, and just the kind of stuff that Steve Martin got famous for in the first place. But even though Steve's grown up a little over the years (he doesn't do as much physical, active humor and goes for more subtle jokes now), this film immortalizes the wild and crazy guy that put on that wooden arrow-through-the-head and started the fad of grown men going on live TV and acting like ten year olds. Go Steve! Go The Jerk! Go fishsticks! (go shouting random things in Amazon.com reviews! What the heck...!)
Rating:
Summary: weirdly funny
Review: Steve Martin shows a lot of comedic flair in this, one of his first films (he later tones it down and hones it in later works, which is all I had seen up to this point, so this was very strange in how over-the-top he is.) Steve plaves Navin, a white boy adopted by a large loving African-American family, who honestly believed he would turn black on his 18th birthday (which is when his family reveals to him that he is adopted, although they had hoped he would figure it out beforehand.) Determined to make his way out in the world, Navin takes on a series of unrelated jobs that turn out poorly --- gas station attendant (in which he demolishes a church), carnival employee (where he has his first carnal knowledge and his first romantic love -- with two very different women), and later becomes a billionaire through some very odd means. But at heart, he's just a simple country boy who wants to fit in back where he came from. He's not a bum, he's a jerk! All he has are his friends and a thermos.
Rating:
Summary: Too Funny
Review: The Jerk is one of the most hilarious movies I've seen. The movie is about Navin Johnson (Steve Martin) who is a white boy adopted into a poor black family. He's a little "slow" and doesn't even realize he's white. The movie opens at his birthday where he's having his favorite "tuna on a white bread sandwich and a twinkie for dessert" dinner.
His problem is that he doesn't have rythmn, and late that night, he's listening to the radio when he hears "white" music, and finds that yes! he has rythmn!
So, Navin sets off to see the world, and a hilarous journey ensues - everything from a dog named sh*thead, assasination attempts to love to riches to insanity happens to poor Navin, but it's a great journey!
***** 5 stars for this classic Steve Martin comedy
Rating:
Summary: Where's the widescreen version?
Review: A classic but demand a widescreen version.
Rating: 
Summary: Not that bad but martin's done better
Review: This movie is too inaccurate and revolves around different storylines leaving it to be too annoying and the different charecters in this movie like, the dad and the police, what the hell are they doing in this movie, not too much detail put into this movie, worst cast in the world and bad coustumes. 3.5/10.
Rating:
Summary: I can't tell you the name of the Dog
Review: "I was Raised a poor Black child" Thus began the opening lines to a very funny movie. Steve Martin is riotous in this no-holds-barred broad slapstick comedy. This is the Steve Martin in his younger days before he(in my humble estemation) sold out anyone who doesn't beleive me can go rent "Bowfinger" anytime these have 5 dollars they want to waste. The movie itself is just a laugh riot and is in fact a tribute to simpletons of all ages. Its almost sad because these on film these moments of the film are very funny I doubt I could post any of them in their entirity. If you haven't seen this please do yourself a favor and do so. The DVD is where the movie loses that extra 5th star, to have a great movie like "The Jerk" and than not even to have so much as a few deleted sceans or even a blopper reel is an insult. Its actually one the few times I went and returned a DVD, just don't waste your time.
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