Trading Places

Fresh off of his breakout hit 48 Hrs., Eddie Murphy teamed with fellow Saturday Night Live cast member Dan Aykroyd for director John Landis' generally funny 1983 comedy about two rich commodity brokers--the brothers Duke (a wonderfully paired Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy)--who make a capricious “nature vs. nurture” bet: replace their haughty accountant (Aykroyd) with a street bum (Murphy) and see how each takes to his new environment. Jamie Lee Curtis co-stars as a helpful hooker with the proverbial heart of gold, and Denholm Elliott is wonderfully deadpan as the butler. Despite a disappointing lack of extras, this cleanly transferred disc trades quite profitably in laughs and is recommended. (T. Rich)[DVD Review—May 29, 2007—Paramount, 116 min., R, $29.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1983's Trading Places (Looking Good, Feeling Good Edition) boasts a fine transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include a pop-up trivia viewing option, a 19-minute “Insider Trading” making-of featurette, a “Trading Stories” featurette with 1983 interviews with costars Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis (8 min.), a “Dressing the Part” costume featurette (7 min.), “The Trade in Trading Places” on commodities (5 min.), an industry promo segment (4 min.), one deleted scene with optional commentary by executive producer George Folsey, Jr. (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a solid comedy.]