Mafia salad...

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 is a great gangster spoof movie. It is probably one of the funniest gangster movies ever. Devito and Piscopo are great together, however, Lou Albino, as Frank the fixer, steals the show. He stole every minute of the film that he was in. It was almost like watching an old marx brothers film, where you only keep your eyes on groucho, in the scenes that he is in. In this one, you keep your eyes on Frank the Fixer. The acting is funny and the script is also very clever. I would put it as one of the funniest movies of the 80's

This is a great movie if you like the life. They teach you how to outsmart the mob and come out on top. Harry & Moe want to be somebody but when they make a mistake it could cost them their lives. They take off to Atlantic City and hide out from the mob bosses and from their-selves only to find the true meaning of friendship and loyalty. Casting such talented people as Danny Devito, Joe Piscopo, Dan Hedaya, Harvey Keitel, Captain Lou Albano, Patti Lupone, Ray Sharkey, working from a script by George Gallo, produced by Aaron Russo, DePalma put his trademark stamp on this film, and turned out something so funny that you will be screaming with laughter the entire time.

Yes, even though it is a comedy, DePalma throws in a terrific last minute twist that is utterly climatic and fantastic and hilarious. Everyone in this is hilarious, especially Albano, Devito, and Piscopo, who never did a funnier film before or after this one. Not to be mistaken and/or confused with the dreadful "Johnny Dangerously".

Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

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.

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.