If you love Eddie Murphy, then you’re most likely familiar with Trading Places. It’s vintage Eddie Murphy, not the garbage he has been involved in recently. He definitely made his best movies in the 80s. Why he changed course, I have no idea. But let’s focus on the positives. Trading Places is one of the funniest movies you will ever see. What’s also neat about it is that there’s also a suspenseful story unfolding, which you don’t get with most comedies.

Eddie Murphy plays a bum on the street. But when Mortimer and his partner in crime decide to make a $1 bet on whether or not they can turn a bum into a millionaire via a Wall Street firm, Murphy becomes rich and legendary. He’s through running away – or wheeling away – from the police, and he expects the highest of standards everywhere he goes. That said, he doesn’t lose his cool. He’s not stuck up, which makes him likeable.

Toward the end of the movie, when he goes to the bathroom, he overhears Mortimer discussing the $1 bet. This is when Murphy first becomes aware that he was used. Instead of saying something right there, he devises a plan. He steals the information on the orange juice report. When Mortimer is looking to corner the market, Murphy flips the switch on him. Mortimer goes broke and Murphy becomes rich for real. It’s a typical karma-based movie that you would find in the 80s, but it’s done very well. And if you have ever seen the movie Coming To America, there is one scene where Mortimer and his partner in crime are wrapped in a blanket on the street. Murphy throws them some cash and they claim they’re back. It’s all pretty funny.

If you want a good laugh and you enjoy Eddie Murphy at his best, Trading Places is highly recommended. I caught it one of the direct tv channels the other night and it was a great time.

Thanks for the guest spot, Vinny Thomas!