User reviews

I don't know why this film was so horribly panned when it was first released, its just a harmless and lightweight gangster comedy. I will admit that director Brian DePalma who has directed such classics as Scarface and The Untouchables was taking a huge risk by agreeing to take on this lightweight comedy, but I think it ended up turning out just fine. DeVito and Piscopo have surprisingly good on-screen chemistry and DePalma's directing style shows through and works well in this film. This was certainly one of Danny DeVito's better comedies in the 1980's. I was also glad to see that Roger Ebert actually gave this fun comedy a good review. ***/****. Great fun.

This movie is silly but never stupid, so you can just enjoy it for what it is...a Jersey mob comedy. Principals DeVito and Piscopo are life-long friends who live next door to each other in Newark, and their source of income comes from the mob figure (Dan Hedaya) who allows them to pick up his dry cleaning and start his car (this was a funny scene..DeVito starting a car that might explode..the entire neighborhood clears out in 20 seconds! Plus the other mobsters bet on the outcome!) and go to the track for him. They are sometimes joined by Captain Lou Albano, who is out of his mind but at least did not attach those rubber bands to his face like he did when he was WWF-connected, and he has little patience for either of these flunkies.

Don't want to give anything else away, but the friends are put in the position of having to test their friendship and on the whole, this is a very satisfying comedy with a two leads in good form, great character actors like Julie Bovasso, Antonia Rey, Patti Lupone, Ray Sharkey, and an appearance by Harvey Keitel, too! Plus authentic Jersey locations, including a trip to Atlantic City..

Brian DePalma directed, and he is not renowned for his comedies but maybe he should be.

Let's just say it up front: Brian De Palma doesn't direct comedies, at least not as a major part of his career. When he's done so it's usually in the realm of black comedies or satires, like his early films (Greetings/Hi Mom) or the rightfully maligned Bonfire of the Vanities. His sense of comedy is BIG (note the caps) and broad, but his farce is nowhere near the kind of genius of Mel Brooks. His slapstick is so large and spread out in scenes that it makes Looney Tunes look subtle (having Captain Lou Albino as one of the main bad-guys, the "Fixer" as he's called, is part of it). And the story is fairly idiotic too.

Yet I found myself enjoying Wise Guys, but for the little it aimed for. This isn't a grand vision like De Palma would immediately after go for in The Untouchables and Casualties of War. It was a trifle, a way to test himself in a low budget with actors he hadn't worked with before- chiefly stars Danny De Vito and (yes, star) Joe Piscapo. They play grunts whose job is to serve at the behest of mob boss Castelo (Dan Hedaya, hamming it up like it's nobody's business). When the two dopes lay a bet on a horse that isn't the one Castelo bet on and loses, they're each given a charge: each must kill the other to prove loyalty.

This, of course, is another set-up for a series of missteps in the two knuckleheads running away from the Castelo bosses, all the way down in Atlantic City as Harry tries to find his Uncle Mike, very much dead. The subtitle for the film could be called 'Wackiness Ensues', and De Palma doesn't let anything go past as being unnoticeable. Particularly is one scene, perhaps De Palma's most daring (or just recognizably 'De Palma) cinematographic-ally when Harry has to go turn on 'the car' that might explode any moment (the shot speeds up and does a 360 as everyone runs away from the scene, a hoot-take on his usual style). And in the script, some lines of dialog and set-ups are so blunt you can feel the force at the back of your head.

But somehow, against all of the odds of the 'ho-hum' quality of the set-up, it's fun because of the acting. Joe Piscapo is mentioned today, just his name, as a punch-line, but there was a time when he was at least halfway amusing (mostly in skits with Eddie Murphy on SNL), and here he's let loose with the a character like Moe who, I guess compared to Harry, is the straight guy depending on the scene. Harry, meanwhile, gives Danny De Vito a real chance to chomp at the bit: he's so over the top, but he's also a believable luck-believer (he goes for it the way Bible-thumpers go for God), and in those moments when Piscapo falls totally flat, somehow De Vito comes back in to make things fun in the delirious way. Others like Lou Albino and, on a more subtle-menacing scale, Harvey Keitel, do a competent job in their roles.

So, going in and expecting a really great comedy or just an interesting piece of art will mean some disappointment. As a juicy diversion that ask for nothing except a few chuckles by way of the New Jersey Turnpike, it does its job reasonably well; De Palma fans who find themselves going through his thrillers and blockbusters first will come across this, possibly, last in his catalog. But it's far from his worst.

This movie was panned when it came out but I think it got a bum rap. Joe Piscopo has a tough role playing an idiot (not as easy as you would think it would be) and Danny DeVito's energy helps carry the film along. Great to see Harvey Keitel in a role that doesn't involve blowing someone's brains out. This is a great flick to catch on cable on a rainy afternoon. Silly but fun.

Mildly enjoyable diversion seems grossly out of place it De Palma's canon. The premise is interesting - two loser hoodlums (Danny DeVito and Joe Piscapo) try to screw over a mob boss and end up getting hunted down. However, it is never particularly funny and the story isn't really that interesting. De Palma's directorial mastery is nowhere to be seen here - the direction is competent but the script never really gives him a chance to demonstrate his skills. Not as bad as some make it out to be, but certainly a failure, especially considering that it came between Body Double and Casualties of War, two of De Palma's best films.

Harry Valentini (Danny DeVito) and Moe Dickstein (Joe Piscopo) are both errand boys for the Mob. When they lose $250,000, they are set up to kill each other. But they run off to Atlantic City and comedy follows.

This film is a bit of an enigma in Brian De Palma's career, not fitting in with the themes or style he is known for. In fact, I would have expected something like this to come from Billy Wilder before De Palma, but yet it exists.

I do have to say I loved the roles filled by Lou Albano and Harvey Keitel. I mean, wow, despite a relatively weak film, Keitel still brings his A game.

Roger Ebert wrote, "Wise Guys is an abundant movie, filled with ideas and gags and great characters. It never runs dry." Apparently this enthusiasm has "run dry" since its release, as now the film is largely forgotten and Rotten Tomatoes gives it a poor 33%. Personally, I thought it was just average.

This is one of the best movies of all time, a Brian De Palma film with an all star cast featuring Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Joe Piscopo, & staring Capt. Lou Albano who delivers a Marlon Brando Academy Award performance as only he can do. Wrestlers are naturals as actors & Capt. Lou was the perfect choice to play Frank the Fixer. At first I didn't recognize him all cleaned up without his trademark beard tied in a rubber band, but the voice & mannerism was classic Capt Lou. The Clark Gable mustache looked good. A bit of trivia, this is the third movie that Harvey Keitel has appeared in, where there was a character role titled the "Fixer" & he was the "Fixer" in two of them. Can you guess what they are? This masterpiece is synonymous with Gone With The Wind, The Godfather, & Madam Savant.......Buy & watch it today, you half wit savants...........

Harry Valentini (Danny DeVito) and Moe Dickstein (Joe Piscopo) are the lowest part of Mob boss Anthony Castelo (Dan Hedaya)'s gang. Everybody laughs at these least wise guys. They lose $250k of gangster money. Each one is offered a way out if they killed the other. Instead, both of them high-tail it out to Atlantic City.

After watching this, I understand why Brian De Palma doesn't do comedies. Any jokes that come off only do so by the power of Danny DeVito's manic performance. Danny and Joe have good chemistry as a couple of stupid guys. In another director's hands, this could have some potential. Certainly, the two guys work well together.

I've just caught it on TCM and can't wait the 5 weeks till it comes out on DVD. This is a gangster spoof at its best, full of lovable characters well played by top actors of the mob genre. Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo make a great loser couple, Dan Hedaya stars as the dreary mob boss, whose henchmen include Frank Vincent and hilarious Lou Albano that steals every scene he's in. We even get to see Harvey Keitel in a classy supporting role! The plot is simple and has been done before and after, but rarely with such charm and lightness. With a current rating of 5.2, it's a severely underrated gangster comedy able to deliver entertaining evening for every fan of the genre.

Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo prove to be a solid comedy team in this fairly amusing skewering of mob movies. They play two glorified errand boys for a Newark mobster (Dan Hedaya). When compulsive gambler DeVito causes Hedaya to lose a lot of money at the horse races, Hedaya decides that whacking them won't send enough of a message. No, he decides to test their loyalty to each other by assigning each man to bump the other one off.

This sets in motion a series of wacky comic misadventures that is not the "almost total misfire" that this viewer was told it was. Granted, some jokes & gags do work better than others, but director Brian De Palma certainly knows his way around a serious crime or mob film, and he displays a good touch with this comic approach to such stories. Written by George Gallo (who hit it big two years later with his script for "Midnight Run"), it gets a lot of mileage out of the chemistry between the two leads. De Palma had seen them in the 1984 mob spoof "Johnny Dangerously", and had laughed heartily enough to want to put them to use here. They're surrounded by a top supporting cast: Harvey Keitel, Ray Sharkey, Patti LuPone, Julie Bovasso, Frank Vincent, etc. Wrestler Captain Lou Albano goes WAY over the top in a priceless way as a psychotic muscle man, Frank "The Fixer" Acavano.

See this one for yourself and you'll see that it does provide *some* laughs. At the least, it does have plenty of energy and a decent pace, wrapping up in a very trim 92 minutes, and delivering a satisfactory denouement.

Seven out of 10.

Director Brian De Palma (Scarface, The Untouchables) seemed to have really missed the mark with this unsuccessful attempt at what could only be interpreted as a morbidly dark comedy, but I'm still not sure "comedy" is among the words I am looking for to describe this outing.

This movie kicks off with some fun animated cartoon credits, which would have you initially believe this to be something good-natured, with some clever lighthearted Mobster capers to proceed. But then when the movie actually begins, the wolf takes no time to reveal itself from its sheep's clothing, and proceeds to claw at the viewers resiliency to tolerate ill humour such as this.

Both leads - Devito and Piscopo, both give enthusiastic energised performances, but it is all for nil, as they don't have anything targetable to work for generating funny moments. The script here is by and large just one exasperating concoctions of sleaze and bad taste humour which, in my opinion, was no fun at all to watch in action. And unfortunately on the other hand, the more visual-based attempts at humour don't really come off well either, as they are constructed without any light touch and hammered home in such a deliberated fashion, ultimately resulting in predictability.

As this movie makes some winks at Taxi Driver, I would say it is fair to admit that Wise Guys as a comedy was about as funny as that movie. I approached this with hopes of a fun Mobster movie, but in the end find it difficult to think of any redeeming aspects about this fiasco. Skip it.

This has to be Brian dePalma's best film to date. Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo are two losers who get the crummiest jobs and errands from a Newark mob boss (Dan Hedaya). After truly "dissing" the mob boss to the tune of $100,000, our two heroes head to Atlantic City for safety. However, they travel in the prized convertible of the bosses tough, enormous right hand man, Frankie (Captain Lou Albano in a hysterical, priceless performance) They even have Frankie's gold card! Thru elaborate, strange run-ins, DeVito and Piscopo wipe out the entire Newark mob clan, and live happily ever after. The performances are all over the top, and it's great! Hedaya's mob boss who prays when he's at his angriest, DeVito's unbearable older female relatives, Hedaya's mob (Including Frank Vincent in a haircut and sunglasses only mobsters wear), and Harvey Kietel doing a wonderful, soft-spoken turn as the well respected Atlantic City mob boss. The physical comedy is wonderful. We know Frankie is annoyingly careful with his "baby", a classic convertible. When DeVito and Piscopo get revenge by taking it out on the highway and guzzling fast food (and smearing it all over the dashboard!), you'll either howl with laughter or just gape. Sample dialog: Mobster looking at big piece of fabric: "Frankie, Awfully strange looking pillowcase." Frankie (Mad as Hell): "That's not my pillowcase, that's my underwear!"

"Wise Guys" is about as much fun as getting teeth pulled. This was probably the worst DePalma film I have seen...and I've seen "Raising Cain". Devito is so over the top & annoying that I actually wanted him to get killed half way into the movie. Also, how many movies did you see Joe Piscopo in after this? Yeah, he's that bad! Not even Captain Lou or Harvey Keitel could save this one. "Wise Guys" is a truly unfunny film that exceeds in getting crappier with every scene. Worth a look for DePalma fans, if only to say you've seen it. I've seen worse films, but this is pretty bad considering the filmmaker. When will Hollywood realize that mobsters and comedy don't mix?

between two very serious and successful gangster movies ( Scarface and The Untouchable ), DePalma shot another crime epic called in the 80's called Wise Guys. Well, he changed one's tack here completely. Wise Guys may handle about emotionless gangsters and vengeful extorts, it is in fact a wacky comedy and a light-hearted spoof towards the genre that DePalma loves so much himself. All the stereotypical mob-characters are there and all the gangster-clichés are being mocked (the scene where DeVito has to start the big Boss ' car while everybody is waiting for the possible bomb to explode is hilarious). DeVito and Piscopo are still only errand-boys for the Newark mafia and they're sick of their jobs. They want to do a little double-cross on the mob but they fail completely and have to run for their lives. That is more or less the plot of Wise Guys but there are enough extra twists and surprises added to this to give you a very good time...a great ending included. Of course, it doesn't come close to the other gangster-epics DePalma shot do to its playful character. But I guess DePalma and the complete cast was aware of that as well. In general, a nice change and fun to watch...the only irritating aspect from time to time is DeVito's overacting!

One of the most entertaining movies ever made. A true Classic! Watched as a teenager and grew up trying to emulate a lot of this movie using it's timeless one liners even today. Funny, smart and exciting. Met Joe Piscapo decades later and used the "thank you Mr. Acavano" he was blown away. Sure he went home that night and said Holy sh** that guy remembers the lines! I watch it twice a year, still kills me all the time!

...and the laugh I got was when I saw how many positive reviews this bomb received. It absolutely STUNK

Not funny, DeVito, Piscopo, and Keitel will manage to keep your interest. I think.

Albano was annoying. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Deliberately bad 2 I don't want to see it 3 I didn't finish and or FF'd through it 4 Bad 5 I don't get it 6 Good 7 Great but with a major flaw 8 Great 9 Noir with moral.

Could've been worse, I guess. It feels as though Brian De Palma is really on auto-pilot for this, and Harvey Keitel is wasted, but I dug some of the other performances and there were occasional laughs to be had here.

It's a broadly comedic crime movie about two low-level gang members who get in over their heads, eventually finding themselves in danger, and then plenty of stupid things and scenes of black comedy play out. Crime and comedy are two genres that almost always combine in interesting ways, but Wise Guys does feel strangely mild and a little bit whatever, especially considering the talent involved and the potential, which is only occasionally realized.

Still, it's watchable. It's probably not the worst Brian De Palma movie I've ever seen, but I imagine if I were to rank those I had watched, it would hover somewhere near the bottom (and the enjoyable parts here really don't feel like they're enjoyable because of De Palma's involvement, funnily enough, which is just a weird thing to feel considering the bold and distinctive filmmaker he usually tends to be).