source: Ruthless People

Trailer—Ruthless People

Ruthless People

Excellent black comedy from the eighties with DeVito and Bete Midler as always are funny, the plot is perfect, the supporting casting is quite good in special way the stupid Bill Pullman and the hampered Judge Reinhold, therefore the main character is heart of the picture Devito as disguised and Midler angry screaming, all the situation is funny especially when the tape is sent to chief of police who is actually is the guy with prostitute in the car, all kind of misunderstanding build this movie, the soundtrack fit at the eighties all them made by computer and finally Zucker brothers and Abrahams have a great job really!!

Another somewhat forgotten '80s comedy (at least in my circles), "Ruthless People" has its share of genuine laughs and plot twists, but doesn't feel anything like you'd expect from a Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker joint. It takes a while for the movie to really get going, and the opening is carried entirely by Danny Devito. That said, it's a worthwhile comedy, and features excellent performances by its two leads. But here's why I would highly recommend this to anyone and their mother: this is the kind of villainous turn that DeVito was seemingly born to play. He's got the face, mannerisms and voice to really epitomize the slimy cretin who's trying to get away with murder; almost the living embodiment of the wicked sneer. This is something akin to his role in "Romancing the Stone" but he is undoubtedly enjoying his time making this movie. It is pure delight.

Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) married the boss's daughter Barbara (Bette Midler) expecting he would quickly die. Instead it took him 15 years to die and now Sam wants all of the family fortune. He relishes his plan to kill her with his mistress Carol. To his surprise, Barbara has been kidnapped by nice couple Ken (Judge Reinhold) and Sandy Kessler (Helen Slater). The amateur kidnappers demand $500k but Sam has no intention of paying and would love to have them kill her. The Kesslers blame Sam for stealing her spandex ideas. Carol plans to blackmail Sam with her real boyfriend idiot Earl (Bill Pullman). The team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker try their hands in a black comedy and deliver. It doesn't have the same silliness of Airplane! and Top Secret!. It is still hilarious and much darker. I might even like it more darker. Devito and Midler are wild. The whole cast is great. It is super fun.

Danny DeVito in the kind of role he does best: a lying, cheating, stealing scoundrel trying to bump off his shrewish wife...and devilishly delighted when a naive couple whom he's victimized kidnap her for ransom he never intends to pay. Loose rendering of O. Henry's story "The Ransom of Red Chief" by screenwriter Dale Launer is all set-up, no pay-off. The talented trio of directors (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker) give Bette Midler a great deal of elbow-room to comically cuss and fuss, but no one behind the scenes was apparently able to come up with a satisfactory conclusion. "Ruthless People" is all over the place: screwball nonsense, black comedy, slapstick, warmhearted sentiment. It treats the audience like juveniles who need to be buzzed every few minutes to keep their attention. The cast is bright, and a few of the one-liners are memorable, yet overall the film is pretty thin. ** from ****

I saw this film in the theatre when it was released in 1986. I have been to a lot of movies, and this is the only one that I HAD to see again--just to hear the lines that had been drowned out by the audience's laughter! Often a movie's previews will give away all the funny lines of a movie, and I remember that the previews for "Ruthless People" gave away the classic "I've been kidnapped by KMart" line. But for once, there were so many hysterically funny moments in this movie that it didn't matter. It's just that funny. So if you haven't seen it, you really are missing something. Rent it and be prepared to hurt your sides laughing.

80's hidden gem. Rude, crude and very funny. Danny DeVito on top form, Bill Pullman is fantastic playing the idiot. Watch it

Brought by the makers of AIRPLANE, RUTHLESS PEOPLE is a laugh riot of a movie. Danny DeVito leads the pack as a greedy millionaire who plans to murder his wife for her money, but becomes rapturous when she is kidnapped. DeVito is hilarious in the lead role. Judge Reinhold delivers a wacky performance as the kidnapper. Helen Slater does a great job – and she's also beautiful – as the kidnapper's fashion designer wife, but the real star of the movie is Bette Midler, as DeVito's kidnapped wife. Though this movie lacks a little bit of the quality that AIRPLANE had, it still has its share of really good performances and hilarious one-liners. Great entertainment! 4 out of 5