Plot: What’s it about?
Louis Winthorpe (Dan Aykroyd) is a man of means, a well paid employee of the Duke and Duke brokerage with a beautiful fiancee named Penelope (Kristin Holby). He is a little out of touch with the world, but when you’re rich like him, you live in a world all to yourself. On the other side of the coin is Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), who is dead broke and panhandles to raise cash, but he rarely has success. What caused these two men to take such different paths in life? That is the question asked by brothers Mortimer (Dom Ameche) and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy), who argue over which factors make a man successful. In an effort to settle their debate, they decide to have Valentine and Winthorpe change places, setting up Winthorpe for a fall from grace, while Valentine will be pulled out of the gutter. But will this social experiment really provide the answers they seek and more importantly, will they get what they deserve for tinkering with people’s lives?
This is one of those movies you can watch over and over and without fail, it always entertains. Trading Places has memorable characters, hilarious lines, and some terrific performances, all of which combine to create this classic comedy. The cast is given some great characters to bring to life and not just the leads, even smaller roles here have a lot to work with. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd have the leads and as expected, deliver and then some. Aykroyd’s spiral from the top of the world is priceless, as he really brings the desperation across well. As you can tell from the gimmick for this new version (Looking Good, Feeling Good Edition), Trading Places is loaded with quotable lines and chances are, you’ll work some of them into your arsenal of quips. This new edition from Paramount isn’t a goldmine of supplements, but it does have a few nice additions. So if you’re a fan of the movie, you will want to upgrade to check out the new bonus materials.
Video: How does it look?
Trading Places is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The image here is more than solid, but is unremarkable and never rises above that solid level. The print is clean in terms of scuffs and nicks, though it does have some grain, but that never amounts to much. The colors are natural in scope and retain proper brightness, while black levels come off as accurate and well balanced also. So not an eye opening transfer and I certainly can’t wait to check out the high definition release, but for DVD, this is more than passable.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is mostly dialogue driven, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 surround option does find some ways to be on the active side. The music is able to use the speakers well and add some life, while a few scenes have some solid presence also. This is stuff like traffic noises, background audio, and other more subtle effects, but those add to the atmosphere, so don’t discount their value, especially in more reserved material like this. But the dialogue is still the main focus and it sounds great, very crisp and clean throughout. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, Spanish, Portuguese, and French language tracks, as well as English subtitles, just in case.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc has a lot bullet points, but doesn’t offer much substance. The featurettes here are brief, but have decent interviews that provide a little insight. You can watch pieces on the film’s costumes, as well as some general behind the scenes material. Of course, fans will be most excited about the deleted scene, which even boasts option audio comments from a producer. This disc also includes a brief promotional reel, as well as a pop up trivia track.
