Funny movie starring Eddie Murphy as Billy Ray Valentine and Dan Aykroyd as Louis Winthorp III. Winthorp is a commodities broker working for Duke & Duke (Don Ameche and Ralph Belamy), and he is a stuck-up, Ivy-League snot who looks down on every one around him. Valentine is a black, scamming, street person, paracitically living off what he can beg, borrow, or steal. While trying to avoid being busted by cops, he accidentally runs into Winthorp and knocks him down on the sidewalk. Billy Ray picks up Winthorp's brief case to hand it back to him, and like the giant sissy that he is, he screams for the police and swears that Valentine assaulted him and tried to rob him. The police arrest him. The Dukes are two total pieces of sh_t. They enter into a bet that Valentine is trash because of his environment, and that if the roles were reversed between him and Winthorp, that Valentine would be successful and Winthorp would be like Valentine. The bet is one dollar. At their posh club, Winthorp is set up with stolen money and accused of theft. He is arrested and fired. While he is under arrest, the Dukes screw his credit, discredit his name, take away his swanky townhouse and butler, car and chauffeur, and everything else. His girlfriend, a snobby, privileged, little stuck-up bitch, goes to jail to bail Winthorp out. He is now accused of selling PCP also. When she arrives he is dirty and beat up and all of his clothes stolen, he is wearing discards. As soon as he walks out of the building, a prostitute runs up to him and kisses him begging for some drugs. Winthorp's girlfriend is appalled. The prostitute, Jamie Lee Curtis, was paid $100 to give that performance. She really looks the part of a whore - kind of like an ugly man with big tits. (Perhaps she missed her true calling in life) It was supposed to be a joke! He is really screwed. The Dukes bail out Billy Ray, and give him everything that belonged to Winthorp. His job, home, car and driver, butler, lifestyle - Everything! He is soon a total gentleman, and highly successful as a commodities broker (Right!). Winthorp is a street person. Curtis, not knowing exactly what is going on, feels sorry for him. She knows that she was used, somehow to screw him around. This soon becomes evident, and when Billy Ray hears the Dukes laughing about it, he looks Winthorp up and they formulate a plan for payback. The Dukes have bribed an insider for information on the upcoming orange juice crop, so that they can corner the market. Winthorp and Valentine, along with Curtis work out a plan to intercept the courier and switch the information, then go to the commodities exchange and make a killing, and destroy the Dukes. With everything his butler (and friend) could muster, plus all of Curtis' savings, they prepair for battle. They swing the market, suckering-in the Dukes, buying wildly. The Dukes also buy everything they can, driving the price way up. They suddenly sell at a huge profit and the Dukes keep buying loosing everything.Read full review
A very funny, sting type, revenge movie starring two of the best SNL comedians. Lots of familiar supporting cast members round it out. Great story, funny acting, satisfying ending. This movie is one of Hollywoods standout comedies. They don't make them like this anymore.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Why I had to buy Trading Places? For the laughs and the plot. Also for the great actors in the cast. Everyone needs a good - no, a lot of laughs now and then, and this movie will give you all the laughs you need everytime!! You've got Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd - what more could you ask for to get lots and lots of laughs and hysteria! You've got the good guys and the bad guys and one heck of a bet. But the end is definitely sweet revenge. Jamie Lee Curtis plays her role perfectly to a tee! But lets not forget the Butler who really does have a warm heart at the end. Dan Aykroyd's girlfriend is probably the most shallow person you'll ever meet, not to mention his club friends. Great plot, great laughs - what more can you seek in a great comedy. This is definitely a must and would make a great Christmas gift for the entire family!!! A MUST SEE!!! A MUST HAVE TO KEEP ON HAND FOR THOSE "FUN AND GOOD TIME" and let's not forget those "DOWN" TIMES.Read full review
A fresh appeal to the boring dung Hollywood is accustomed to putting out about real life situations. Nothing is more real today than Aaron Russo's productions of a film by Paramount that will never be forgotten from 1983. This wonderful film that was directed by the illustrious John Landis is absolutely so hilarious that you wouldn't have believed it was even dreamed up and concocted by anyone knowing the likes of Wall Street moguls that you would think you probably died and went to heaven after Barney Madoff got caught scamming hundreds of millions from unsuspecting souls for more than 20 years. Being a normal business person, you probably would run into people like this eventually, but perhaps not. This film was purposefully aiming at poking fun at the filthy rich elite that own the right to steal from the poor on Wall Street. The rich always seem to get richer and the poor always seem to eat more rotten food. As Aaron Russo grew more wise and continued to spread his message of corporate greed of institutional corruption and government railroading of the masses, the powers that sat in the back rooms had amassed enough clout to figure out how to take total control of the world's monetary systems leaving the poor working class citizen speechless and broke. This couldn't go unnoticed by Aaron Russo. He, along with the the writer Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod struck gold. Hail to the chief! Aaron Russo was the strong advocate for the working class. He worked night and day to fight governmental corruption and unfair taxation for decades after this film was produced. We owe a great deal to him alone for helping expose Wall Street corruption way before his death in 2007. His documentary filM "America: Freedom to Fascism" is one of his best projects. If you are not sure about the film you need to know that millionaire commodity brokers Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) wager a bet that pits environment vs. biology and turns the lives of their two unsuspecting victims upside down. Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), a streetwise hustler gets pulled off the street and traded into the life of top Duke Brother's broker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd), gets thrown out of his posh townhouse and kicked to the curb. Murphy and Aykroyd are pitted against each other at the beginning, yet soon wise up as they struggle to accept their new stature. Billy Ray is forced to learn proper etiquette, manners, and business sense while uptight Louis scrambles to make it on the streets, befriending a prostitute (Jamie Lee Curtis) who takes him in and helps save him. When the two innocent victims realize the scheming brothers' plot, they unite and devise a fabulous revenge to prove that their lives can't be controlled by the power-grubbing Duke brothers. The film features outstanding work by Denholm Elliott as the butler and Curtis as the working class with a heart of gold. Curtis was especially revealing in this film, which was quite surprising at the time. If you want a total wonderful time, forget the kids and watch this film regardless of the language and stunts that make this film a totally memorable joy you will carry back to the minds of the workplace robots that get trampled on daily. My estimate of this film is 5/5 for total perfect execution and delivery of the message that makes a fool look like a fool and a greedy person look like the devil. IF YOU LIKE MY REVIEWS, DON'T HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW BY VOTING!Read full review
This is an all time great Classic Comedy. Very entertaining with awesome scenes and locations. The NY Stock Exchange, The Twin Towers, Philadelphia and more. Great actors and characters in what is a really good story with great life lessons and a very satisfying ending. I bought it to add to my collection of movies that will never be matched in their quality and magic!!! It is a keeper!!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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