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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Trading Places
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 9 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 2 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by:
Timothy Harris
Herschel Weingrod
Directed by: John Landis
Release Date:
Theatrical: June 8, 1983
DVD: September 24, 2002
Running Time: 118 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R
Starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, and James Belushi
Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy), a street con man and Louis Winthorpe III, a commodities broker (Aykroyd) agree to trade places after monied Mortimer Duke (Ameche) bets Billy Ray could pull in more money than Louis could on the streets.
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Animal House Beverly Hills Cop III Coming to America
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
But what's most visible in the movie is the engaging acting. Murphy and Aykroyd are perfect foils for each other.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Jay Carr
It's easily the best of the movies I've seen by the various "Saturday Night Live" alumni, and part of the reason it's funny and satisfying is that it doesn't strain. [09 Jun 1983]
Time Richard Schickel
[Murphy] makes Trading Places something more than a good-hearted comedy. He turns it into an event.
Read Full Review >Variety Staff (Not Credited)
Trading Places is a light romp geared up by the schtick shifted by Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy.
Read Full Review >Empire Staff (Not Credited)
Saturday Night Live activist Murphy, capitalising on the promise he showed in "48 Hrs.," steals the show as the quick-witted Billy Ray Valentine in what is certainly more mainstream fare than the earlier SNL staffed capers.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ethan Alter
Although it tends to rely heavily on slapstick in the second half, the movie provides plenty of laughs and is one of director Landis's best efforts.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Matthew Fraser
Trading Places, which is wildly funny at times, is Murphy's film. [10 Jun 1983]
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Directed by John Landis with a surprising amount of class, though he lets some of his old ''Animal House'' vulgarity slip ostentatiously into the action.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Dave Kehr
Director John Landis is so deficient in basic storytelling skills that he must spend hours explicating the most elementary plot points while and Murphy are sidelined.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Pat C. gave it a9:
The ease in which the hilarity oozes from this movie obscures its greater achievement, which is the deft way it presents its plot. It takes a broad spectrum of characters and plays them off each other in a merciless mix of outrageousness and serious restriant. This is textbook on how to tell a story. Top drawer comedy.
