Review of Trading Places (1983) by Dann M — 15 Dec 2013

Festively hilarious, Trading Places is a fun, classic '80s comedy. The story follows a bet made between two partners of a brokerage firm to see if they can turn a petty criminal into a savvy commodities trader and also get one of their own to resort to a life of crime.

Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy lead the cast and deliver excellent performances. The writing's well-done and is perfectly suited for Aykroyd and Murphy, who are able to carry both the dramatic and comedic tones of the film.

But in typical '80s fashion, there's some unnecessary gratuity to this hard R comedy that really serves no purpose. Featuring two of the greatest Saturday Night Live alums, Trading Places is comedic gold (despite some blemishes).