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.
43 Reviews
New Jersey Mob Comedy..You Got A Problem w/That?
Boyo-227 August 2001
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.
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.
within its narrow ambitions, it's does alright, but only for what it is
Quinoa198413 April 2010
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.
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 got a bum rap
MysticYoYo8 May 1999
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.
Slickly made but short on laughs
gridoon202411 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
If there were no credits and nobody told you, it would be impossible to guess that this mob comedy was directed by Brian De Palma. The premise has comic possibilities (two good-natured, low-ranking hoodlums who also happen to be best friends are ordered to kill each other), but the story soon abandons that premise; this film is too touchy-feely for a black comedy. There is also a problem in the chemistry between Danny De Vito and Joe Piscopo: De Vito is full of energy, but sometimes he seems to be playing alone because Piscopo can't keep up with him. But the biggest problem is that the movie is short on laughs - I laughed out loud only twice: at De Vito's "Are You Talking' To Me?" impression at the start, and in the "Just do what I do!" scene in the church. Cute Italian-flavored music score by Ira Newborn. *1/2 out of 4.
Brian De Palma Offers Plenty Of Laughs
eric26200314 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I got to hand it to you all. Brian De Palma is an extremely versatile director. In the eighties, he created excruciating masterpieces like "Scarface", which was violent and brutal, but very effective. Shortly after "Scarface", De Palma creating another gut-wrenching psychological thriller "Body Double". Then in 1986, after the success of those two masterpieces of films, he decided it was time to go light on us and to likely poke fun of his Italian roots by giving us a comical caper known as "Wise Guys." To me it was and still is one of the funnier comedies of all time.
A brilliant ensemble of terrific actors like Danny Devito, Joe Piscopo and Harvey Keitel among others, compliment the script by George Gallo and the production by Aaron Russo. De Palma succeeds at every chance he gets to keep you entertained and to have you rolling on the floor with laughter with every line, every quip and the performers look like they're having a good time which makes this comedy a hit.
The story is about two friends Harry (Devito) and Moe (Piscopo) who reside from New Jersey who also work for a ruthless mob boss (Dan Hedaya). Both friends have ambitions to one day take their place as the cream of the crop and to have their own cronies. Right now, they're at the lower echelons of the mob family, acting as gophers to their boss, doing petty chores like laundry and stuff. One day, the scheming Harry makes a deal with his boss to get him to bet on the wrong horse at the tracks. That way Harry and Moe can run off with the money and to get them started in the right path to independence. But that path takes a wrong turn as both friends are forced to tattle on each other. However they don't due to their utmost respect for one another. This doesn't sit well with their boss. So he manipulates both friends to kill one or the other and gives them a pistol each. In the process, the boss' thugs start placing bets to see who'll strike first. When word gets around by the local bartender (Ray Sharkey), the loyal friends cruise off in the Frank The Fixer's (the late Captain Lou Albano) pink Cadillac and drive up to Atlantic City where they pay a visit to see Harry's Uncle Larry.
But after the cold response from Harry's aunt, they stay at another friend of Harry's, Bobby (Harvey Keitel) who let's them stay at his casino/hotel. This is the core to where all the zaniness comes along with the quick pace backed up by the various twists that come into the fray.
Sure it's a comedy by genre, De Palma throws in the odd twist in the end for good measure to hold his audience with an unexpected gasp. All the cast throw in very funny performances especially Albano, Piscopo and Devitowho literally were at their funniest. After "Wise Guys" their comedy roles started to fizzle.
In 1986, this film was garnered with mixed results even though giants like Siskel and Ebert praised this movie, this is the film dumb comedies like today can look up to for inspiration as a way to show how comedy is really done. Even after 23 years of it's release, it still is a fun film to watch and it still makes me roll on the floor laughing.
A brilliant ensemble of terrific actors like Danny Devito, Joe Piscopo and Harvey Keitel among others, compliment the script by George Gallo and the production by Aaron Russo. De Palma succeeds at every chance he gets to keep you entertained and to have you rolling on the floor with laughter with every line, every quip and the performers look like they're having a good time which makes this comedy a hit.
The story is about two friends Harry (Devito) and Moe (Piscopo) who reside from New Jersey who also work for a ruthless mob boss (Dan Hedaya). Both friends have ambitions to one day take their place as the cream of the crop and to have their own cronies. Right now, they're at the lower echelons of the mob family, acting as gophers to their boss, doing petty chores like laundry and stuff. One day, the scheming Harry makes a deal with his boss to get him to bet on the wrong horse at the tracks. That way Harry and Moe can run off with the money and to get them started in the right path to independence. But that path takes a wrong turn as both friends are forced to tattle on each other. However they don't due to their utmost respect for one another. This doesn't sit well with their boss. So he manipulates both friends to kill one or the other and gives them a pistol each. In the process, the boss' thugs start placing bets to see who'll strike first. When word gets around by the local bartender (Ray Sharkey), the loyal friends cruise off in the Frank The Fixer's (the late Captain Lou Albano) pink Cadillac and drive up to Atlantic City where they pay a visit to see Harry's Uncle Larry.
But after the cold response from Harry's aunt, they stay at another friend of Harry's, Bobby (Harvey Keitel) who let's them stay at his casino/hotel. This is the core to where all the zaniness comes along with the quick pace backed up by the various twists that come into the fray.
Sure it's a comedy by genre, De Palma throws in the odd twist in the end for good measure to hold his audience with an unexpected gasp. All the cast throw in very funny performances especially Albano, Piscopo and Devitowho literally were at their funniest. After "Wise Guys" their comedy roles started to fizzle.
In 1986, this film was garnered with mixed results even though giants like Siskel and Ebert praised this movie, this is the film dumb comedies like today can look up to for inspiration as a way to show how comedy is really done. Even after 23 years of it's release, it still is a fun film to watch and it still makes me roll on the floor laughing.
Unpleasant, unfunny, unmistakably a miss.
quadbastard17 September 2007
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 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.
** 1/2 out of ****
kyle_c13 December 2002
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.
Forgotten De Palma
gavin69422 December 2013
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 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.
Brian De Palma is a very talented filmmaker; this is not one of his best
redcrossaint4 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Wise Guys (1986)
Dir. Brian De Palma
Rating: *** / ****
'Wise Guys' is not a very good movie. I enjoyed parts of it over others; and, I think that there are some extremely smart and funny moments. I also think there are some incredibly dumb and dully paced scenes; parts of it you can't wait for the next scene, and other parts you can't stand it. I eventually settled on a seven out of ten in my initial rating. Like I said; there are some really great parts, and some not so good parts.
The movie follows two down on life gangsters, Harry (Danny DeVito) and Moe (Joe Piscopo), who have very little rank in the mob. They're incredibly incompetent; and it's made obnoxiously clear. When they're asked to bet on a horse for their boss (Lou Albano), Harry makes a last minute decision to bet on a different horse than specified who he thinks will win. They lose 250,000 dollars. Unsure of what to do, their crew devises a plan for each one of them to kill each other. Not knowing what each of them is going to do, they run off to Atlantic City, and one mishap on top of another leads to endless hilarity.
Director Brian De Palma may be one of my personal favorite directors, but I personally don't think he's suited for a movie like this. Some of his best movies are 'Scarface' and 'Dressed to Kill'. He's a great genre filmmaker of thriller / crime. I just don't think he makes a very good comedy transition. There are a few scenes that really do shine under De Palma's direction and George Gallo's screenplay. My favorite scene of the entire movie is the horse race. They bet their 250,000 dollars on a different horse that their boss didn't ask for, and of course, they lose everything. It's VERY funny and witty, and it's one of the best moments of DeVito and Piscopo.
One major problem I have with the movie is Lou Albano, the boss that chases our two heroines through the entire movie. His entire performance is "Grrrrr!", "F**khead", and "RRRRRAAARRRR". It's way too over the top and takes away from the movie immensely. It doesn't even remotely interest you. It's a terrible performance. On the other hand, one performance that brightens up the movie is Harvey Keitel (but when is he bad). He's hilarious.
It's a very rough, uneven and even mediocre at times film. Funny at parts, but daunting at others. I think the movie is OK, there are a few moments that truly charm. Not great filmmaking, but reasonably harmless and diverting for a laugh.
'Wise Guys' is not a very good movie. I enjoyed parts of it over others; and, I think that there are some extremely smart and funny moments. I also think there are some incredibly dumb and dully paced scenes; parts of it you can't wait for the next scene, and other parts you can't stand it. I eventually settled on a seven out of ten in my initial rating. Like I said; there are some really great parts, and some not so good parts.
The movie follows two down on life gangsters, Harry (Danny DeVito) and Moe (Joe Piscopo), who have very little rank in the mob. They're incredibly incompetent; and it's made obnoxiously clear. When they're asked to bet on a horse for their boss (Lou Albano), Harry makes a last minute decision to bet on a different horse than specified who he thinks will win. They lose 250,000 dollars. Unsure of what to do, their crew devises a plan for each one of them to kill each other. Not knowing what each of them is going to do, they run off to Atlantic City, and one mishap on top of another leads to endless hilarity.
Director Brian De Palma may be one of my personal favorite directors, but I personally don't think he's suited for a movie like this. Some of his best movies are 'Scarface' and 'Dressed to Kill'. He's a great genre filmmaker of thriller / crime. I just don't think he makes a very good comedy transition. There are a few scenes that really do shine under De Palma's direction and George Gallo's screenplay. My favorite scene of the entire movie is the horse race. They bet their 250,000 dollars on a different horse that their boss didn't ask for, and of course, they lose everything. It's VERY funny and witty, and it's one of the best moments of DeVito and Piscopo.
One major problem I have with the movie is Lou Albano, the boss that chases our two heroines through the entire movie. His entire performance is "Grrrrr!", "F**khead", and "RRRRRAAARRRR". It's way too over the top and takes away from the movie immensely. It doesn't even remotely interest you. It's a terrible performance. On the other hand, one performance that brightens up the movie is Harvey Keitel (but when is he bad). He's hilarious.
It's a very rough, uneven and even mediocre at times film. Funny at parts, but daunting at others. I think the movie is OK, there are a few moments that truly charm. Not great filmmaking, but reasonably harmless and diverting for a laugh.
Brian De Palma doesn't do comedies
SnoopyStyle15 August 2013
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.
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.
Classic
djwhitebread13 March 2017
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!
Capt. Lou Steals the Show
yyeabby16 July 2005
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...........
Recommendation to avoid.
Krippler6 October 2005
"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?
What a Fun Movie! Two shmoes tick off the Godfather!
boris-2628 December 1998
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!"
Not Good
jed-estes18 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I bought this when the DVD came out as I try to do with all of Brian De Palma's movies. I had waited to see this one for a while and I was sadly displeased when I watched it. I thought it would be a real comedy and be funny, but is just what it is. Nothing happens that can be called funny or moving. I was not emotionally stirred through the whole movie and felt like I had just wasted two hours of my life. This and Sisters are De Palma's worst I say to everyone never watch these turkeys. Danny Devitto is usually a solid actor and can make me laugh but he has nothing to work with in this film. Joe Piscipo acts crappy as usual and I still can't stand him. What was De Palma thinking when he made this other than needing a check. He does not even have his signature style in this film the only thing that lets you know it's him is a shoddy 360 shot that he does in most of his films. Do your self a favor and avoid this one.
Definitely not as bad as you might be led to believe.
Hey_Sweden16 January 2023
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.
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.
Quick and Wacky gangster-snack!
Coventry10 January 2004
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!
What Was Brian De Palma Thinking?
zardoz-1316 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
"Scarface" director Brian de Palma's "Wise Guys" should have been called "Stupid Fellas." This uninspired Danny DeVito & Joe Piscopo Mafia comedy doesn't contain shred of humor. Suffice to say, DeVito and Piscopo are no Laurel and Hardy and de Palma doesn't have a funny bone in his body. Scenarist George Gallo wrote this turkey before he penned the classic "Midnight Run" and he concocted this crap with "Johnny Dangerous" scribe Norman Steinberg. "Wise Guys" qualifies as one of the worst mob comedies. Heavy handed with idiotic "Three Stooges" heroes who elicit no sympathy, this crime comedy is a flat line disaster from fade-in to fade-out. The Gallo & Steinberg jokes will make you cringe instead of grin and DeVito and Piscopo have no chemistry.
Harry Valentini (Danny DeVito of "Batman Returns") and Moe Dickestein (Joe Piscopo of "Dead Heat") serve as a couple of errand boys for heavyweight crimeboss Anthony Castelo (Dan Hedaya of "Freeway") who has been pick-up and deliver his laundry and groceries. When we first see them in action, Harry has to crank up Castelo's car so that if any of his enemies has wired dynamite to the starter or the door, Harry will be blown to smithereens. A delayed timer saves Harry's life, but this scene is the only one where de Palma conjures up in suspense as everybody makes bets that Harry will never survive. Castelo surrounds himself with equally heavyweight thugs and they are literally a who's who of Mafia crime movies. The only one who amounts to a character is Frank the Fixer (Lou Albano of "Stay Tuned") whose enormous appetite is exceeded only for his hate for Harry and Moe. He shows nonstop contempt for Moe and calls him 'dickmeat.' He takes our disastrous duo out to the race track to place a bet for Mr. Castelo on a horse. Since Moe always loses Castelo's money, Harry comes up with a surefire scheme to make them heroes in Castelo's universe. Instead, Harry and Moe don't bet on the right horse and lose. Now, they owe Castelo a whopping quarter of a million dollars.
Castelo has his henchmen separate and question Harry and Moe under the worse circumstances and neither of our protagonists sells each other out. Castelo cannot believe their loyalty to each other and decides to test it by letting them live if they will kill each other. Of course, our heroes have no idea that they are gong to shoot each other. Castelo's bartender Marco (Ray Sharkey) dons a disguise and tries to warn them. They plunge into a church where Marco tries to tell them that they have been assigned to kill each other, but the Fixer shoots him. Here's an example of the lame-brained comedy in "Wise Guys." To make themselves appear inconspicuous to everybody else in the church, Marco demands that they behave exactly like him, so when he takes a bullet in the back, they imitate his dying actions. Hah! Hah! Hah! Eventually, Harry spots the Fixer with a smoking revolver in his fist and they flee, stealing Fixer's Cadillac.
First, Harry and Moe phone up their relatives and warn them about the impending trouble so that they can get out of town alive. Second, Harry fakes a phone call to his Uncle Mike in Atlantic City because he believes that Uncle Mike-a connected mobster-can bail them out of their predicament. They repaint Fixer's caddy pink and wreck it considerably on the way to a luxurious motel in Atlantic City where they settle into the most expensive suite using Fixer's credit card and proceed to wine and dine themselves in preparation for visiting Uncle Mike. They run into an old friend, Bobby DiLea (Harvey Keitel of "Reservoir Dogs") who owns the motel and Harry promises to tell him everything. DiLea already has a glimmer of an idea because he has learned that they are charging everything on Fixer's credit card. Later, the scene shifts back to Newark in a restaurant when Fixer watches in rage as the waiter cuts up his credit card because his credit has been overextended. Not long afterward, Castelo calls in his henchmen and dispatches them to Atlantic City to complete the job that they previously bungled. Predictably, Mike is no longer alive and our heroes find themselves deeper in doo-doo. Moe leaves Harry, but Harry's grandmother gives him the quarter million that they need to pay off Castelo.
Brian de Palma shoots "Wise Guys" without any of his swirling characteristic camera work. He sticks with straight cuts and plain-Jane camera work. The humor is labored and the wrap-all-the-ends-up conclusion is the best thing about his movie. The only surprise is the one that DiLea pulls on Castelo's men as well as us because we think that he is a rat, too. Only die-hard de Palma fans will like this if they can handle the half-witted humor.
Harry Valentini (Danny DeVito of "Batman Returns") and Moe Dickestein (Joe Piscopo of "Dead Heat") serve as a couple of errand boys for heavyweight crimeboss Anthony Castelo (Dan Hedaya of "Freeway") who has been pick-up and deliver his laundry and groceries. When we first see them in action, Harry has to crank up Castelo's car so that if any of his enemies has wired dynamite to the starter or the door, Harry will be blown to smithereens. A delayed timer saves Harry's life, but this scene is the only one where de Palma conjures up in suspense as everybody makes bets that Harry will never survive. Castelo surrounds himself with equally heavyweight thugs and they are literally a who's who of Mafia crime movies. The only one who amounts to a character is Frank the Fixer (Lou Albano of "Stay Tuned") whose enormous appetite is exceeded only for his hate for Harry and Moe. He shows nonstop contempt for Moe and calls him 'dickmeat.' He takes our disastrous duo out to the race track to place a bet for Mr. Castelo on a horse. Since Moe always loses Castelo's money, Harry comes up with a surefire scheme to make them heroes in Castelo's universe. Instead, Harry and Moe don't bet on the right horse and lose. Now, they owe Castelo a whopping quarter of a million dollars.
Castelo has his henchmen separate and question Harry and Moe under the worse circumstances and neither of our protagonists sells each other out. Castelo cannot believe their loyalty to each other and decides to test it by letting them live if they will kill each other. Of course, our heroes have no idea that they are gong to shoot each other. Castelo's bartender Marco (Ray Sharkey) dons a disguise and tries to warn them. They plunge into a church where Marco tries to tell them that they have been assigned to kill each other, but the Fixer shoots him. Here's an example of the lame-brained comedy in "Wise Guys." To make themselves appear inconspicuous to everybody else in the church, Marco demands that they behave exactly like him, so when he takes a bullet in the back, they imitate his dying actions. Hah! Hah! Hah! Eventually, Harry spots the Fixer with a smoking revolver in his fist and they flee, stealing Fixer's Cadillac.
First, Harry and Moe phone up their relatives and warn them about the impending trouble so that they can get out of town alive. Second, Harry fakes a phone call to his Uncle Mike in Atlantic City because he believes that Uncle Mike-a connected mobster-can bail them out of their predicament. They repaint Fixer's caddy pink and wreck it considerably on the way to a luxurious motel in Atlantic City where they settle into the most expensive suite using Fixer's credit card and proceed to wine and dine themselves in preparation for visiting Uncle Mike. They run into an old friend, Bobby DiLea (Harvey Keitel of "Reservoir Dogs") who owns the motel and Harry promises to tell him everything. DiLea already has a glimmer of an idea because he has learned that they are charging everything on Fixer's credit card. Later, the scene shifts back to Newark in a restaurant when Fixer watches in rage as the waiter cuts up his credit card because his credit has been overextended. Not long afterward, Castelo calls in his henchmen and dispatches them to Atlantic City to complete the job that they previously bungled. Predictably, Mike is no longer alive and our heroes find themselves deeper in doo-doo. Moe leaves Harry, but Harry's grandmother gives him the quarter million that they need to pay off Castelo.
Brian de Palma shoots "Wise Guys" without any of his swirling characteristic camera work. He sticks with straight cuts and plain-Jane camera work. The humor is labored and the wrap-all-the-ends-up conclusion is the best thing about his movie. The only surprise is the one that DiLea pulls on Castelo's men as well as us because we think that he is a rat, too. Only die-hard de Palma fans will like this if they can handle the half-witted humor.
got exactly one laugh from this
cansslec16 February 2019
One of the best mob comedies ever
fce221 July 2005
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.
I have a weakness for this movie
BandSAboutMovies22 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Wise Guys may not have the visual excess that De Palma was once known for, but it does what so few of his past comedies did for me. It made me laugh. I watched this movie several times as a kid - blame Captain Lou Albano for being in it - but I always loved it, because Harry Valentini (Danny Devito) and Moe Dickstein (Joe Piscopo) may never rise to the head of Anthony Castelo's (Dan Heyada) gang, it's not always because they have a bad boss. The secret plan of the universe that Harry keeps following inevitably means that they are going to screw up any good luck that comes their way.
They may dream of opening deli, but for now, all they do are the worst of jobs: testing out bulletproof jackets, goldfish watching and starting the car to make sure it doesn't explode. Then they get an actual assignment: go with Frank "The Fixer" Acavano (Albano) to the racetrack to make a bet. Harry thinks he can get in the boss' good graces by switching his bet. Catelo's horse wins $250,000. The boys didn't bet on it. They're tortured for an entire evening before they individually agree to kill one another. Neither can pull the trigger.
After seeing Harry's cousin Marco (Ray Sharkey) get wasted, they freak out and steal Frank's car and head down to Atlantic City, hoping that Harry's Uncle Mike, who was once Castelo's boss, can save them. Well, he's dead. And now they probably will be by the end of the day, especially after they use Acavano's credit cards to stay in a five star hotel owned by their old friend and now successful businessman Bobby DiLea (Harvey Keitel).
The twists and turns at the end of this are worthy of the biggest movies that De Palma made, as the two men - so often screw ups - must somehow get out of all this trouble and get away with it. Time has been kind to this, as years after I first saw it I just kept laughing.
Back when he was in the tag team The Sicilians with Tony Altamore, Lou Albano was warned by organized crime figures to cool the gimmick if he wanted to live. As an Italian American of great pride, this is where I remind you that there is no such proven Italian American crime family and we don't mention any names for such organizations in print.
They may dream of opening deli, but for now, all they do are the worst of jobs: testing out bulletproof jackets, goldfish watching and starting the car to make sure it doesn't explode. Then they get an actual assignment: go with Frank "The Fixer" Acavano (Albano) to the racetrack to make a bet. Harry thinks he can get in the boss' good graces by switching his bet. Catelo's horse wins $250,000. The boys didn't bet on it. They're tortured for an entire evening before they individually agree to kill one another. Neither can pull the trigger.
After seeing Harry's cousin Marco (Ray Sharkey) get wasted, they freak out and steal Frank's car and head down to Atlantic City, hoping that Harry's Uncle Mike, who was once Castelo's boss, can save them. Well, he's dead. And now they probably will be by the end of the day, especially after they use Acavano's credit cards to stay in a five star hotel owned by their old friend and now successful businessman Bobby DiLea (Harvey Keitel).
The twists and turns at the end of this are worthy of the biggest movies that De Palma made, as the two men - so often screw ups - must somehow get out of all this trouble and get away with it. Time has been kind to this, as years after I first saw it I just kept laughing.
Back when he was in the tag team The Sicilians with Tony Altamore, Lou Albano was warned by organized crime figures to cool the gimmick if he wanted to live. As an Italian American of great pride, this is where I remind you that there is no such proven Italian American crime family and we don't mention any names for such organizations in print.
Mildly entertaining
Delrvich7 June 2021
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.
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.
Only Fools and Horses
tieman6427 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"Wise Guys" is probably the least regarded movie that Brian De Palma has ever made. After the financial failure of "Body Double", but before his blockbuster "Untouchables", this flat little comedy is an attempt to regain some clout and profit for the studios.
A gangster comedy in the vein of "The Freshman" (Brando) or "Analyse This" (De Niro), "Wise Guys" revolves around two friends who bumble from one silly situation to the next as they "try to make it big". There are traces of "Abbot and Costello" and traces of the "Two Stooges" (De Palma names numerous characters after each troupe), but the comedy feels dated and needs more wit. Worse still, "Wise Guys" finds De Palma reigning back all his better instincts, the film devoid of the flamboyant camera work which so defines the rest of the director's filmography.
5/10- Worth no viewings.
A gangster comedy in the vein of "The Freshman" (Brando) or "Analyse This" (De Niro), "Wise Guys" revolves around two friends who bumble from one silly situation to the next as they "try to make it big". There are traces of "Abbot and Costello" and traces of the "Two Stooges" (De Palma names numerous characters after each troupe), but the comedy feels dated and needs more wit. Worse still, "Wise Guys" finds De Palma reigning back all his better instincts, the film devoid of the flamboyant camera work which so defines the rest of the director's filmography.
5/10- Worth no viewings.
Middling
Jeremy_Urquhart29 November 2023
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).
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).
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