Scarecrow-88 Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker once again pull out all the stops with this multi-layered comedy featuring one absurd surprise after another. The general plot has two kidnappers (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater) taking the wife of a mini-skirt spandex king for ransom. A greater motivation is behind the kidnapping: Slater was actually the one who came up with the mini-skirt spandex idea, but Danny Devito betrayed her with a crooked handshake! What Reinhold and Slater didn't anticipate was that Devito hates his wife (Bette Midler, in ferocious form), has a piece on the side (luscious red head Anita Morris), and had previously planned to have her abducted and killed himself! This has as good a comic cast as the 80s could provide: Slater is so adorable as the sweet wife who really was hesitant about the kidnap job, Reinhold's eyes are working overtime (this is a case where eyes produce some animated expressions, as Midler also bugs those bad boys in opportune moments) as are his funny reactions to one complex situation after another, Devito's facial expressions to the highs and lows that the plot provides are pure gold, the running gag of the police chief (William G Schilling) caught shagging a hooker (who agrees to make loud noises to arouse her client, ultimately sounding like she is being killed!) and Anita Morris (who keeps calling him, not realizing it was him in the car instead of Devito!) produces some uproarious dialogues, and Bill Pullman (his hair colored blood and costume imitating Sonny Crocket from Miami Vice!), as Morris' *other* lover, is as moronic as they come.How Midler bonds with Slater after the comment of weight loss (Midler spends her past time while in the basement, chained, working out to exercise videos!), Slater's talent at fashion designing (well, 80s fashion design), Reinhold's "bargaining down" the ransom price of Midler ("I've been kidnapped by K-mart!), the sex tape of the chief of police getting eyes from a number of television sets in an electronic store thanks to Pullman's miscalculation, Pullman believing Devito was killing a girl instead of the chief banging a call girl causing him to get queasy, Midler getting quite intense (her Rocky training, you could say) working out in the basement, Pullman's rather clueless attempt to steal from Reinhold (in clown mask) as the police tell him to stop, Devito's joy when it appears his wife is kidnapped and could be killed, Midler kicking Devito's ass while the cops walk away believing their marriage is on solid ground, and Reinhold's electronics salesman scenes (his dialogue about big speakers twice gets amusing results; one is equated to sexual compensation, another nearly lands an impressionable teenager with a pregnant girlfriend, overpriced speakers they certainly couldn't afford to be stuck with) all provide a wealth of inspired hilarity, spirited exchanges, and clever touches here and there. Ultimately, seeing Devito get his comeuppance makes for a satisfying finish. Midler is almost Devito's equal in terms of how the dialogue explodes off their face and rumbles volcanically from their voice. A strong 80s example of the right actors with the right kind of material at the right time. How the film inserts so many moving parts and yet ties them together where Devito is trapped in an ever-increasing bind is actually quite brilliant!

BlackJack_B Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams are known for their spoof movies such as Airplane!, Hot Shots and The Naked Gun trilogy but they did direct some straight comedies and Ruthless People remains uproariously funny in 2014. In fact, it seems more realistic nowadays.Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) is a slimy little man who is married to Barbara Stone (Bette Midler), a frumpy and gaudy woman who he detests. He has plans to kill her for her 15 million dollar fortune and run off with his long time mistress Carol (Anita Morris). The day he plans to do the dirty deed he finds out that she's been kidnapped by Ken (Judge Reinhold) and Sandy Kessler (Helen Slater) and they demand a huge ransom or else they will off her. Sam, of course, refuses to pay since now they will do the dirty work for him. Meanwhile, Carol is planning to double- cross Sam by filming the murder and she has her punk boyfriend Earl (Bill Pullman) do it. He ends up filming the guy who played the Principal on Head Of The Class having sex with a hooker instead but Carol never bothers to watch the film because of the screams of joy the hooker makes and just assumes it's Sam murdering Barbara.It turns out the Kesslers aren't "ruthless people" and seemingly won't carry out the murder despite Sam making a decent fortune himself from stealing Sandy's ideas years ago and leaving the Kesslers living in squalor. Barbara teaches them how...Ruthless People is a sassy R-rated comedy with attitude and the dialog and situation comedy is zesty, rich and bursting with constant laugh-out loud moments. Everybody in film is appealing despite being evil, weak- minded, dumb or a monster and that's why it has aged extremely well. It feels more like a 2014 film than a 1986 film because our society seemingly is like the one featured in Ruthless Peopl.DeVito, Slater and Reinhold deliver terrific performances but the film is owned by Midler. The Divine Miss M dominates the film playing a profanity-spewing, gaudy, frumpy and angry shrew who changes into a sassy, beautiful and fit woman in captivity but still hasn't lost her talent for down and dirty ruthlessness.Still a wonderful film 28 years later. I wish the Zuckers and Abrahams made more R-rated fare; this is one of the best comedies of the MPAA era. See it!

ComedyFan2010 The movie is a great 80's comedy about a rich man's wife being kidnapped by people he betrayed right when he wants her to be gone and who are not very good in doing it.It doesn't even start slowly. The first scene is a dialogue of Sam (Danny DeVito) and his mistress Carol (Anita Morris) where he passionately describes how much he hates his wife and how he wants to kill her so she suffers. Danny DeVito is great in this scene, as through the whole movie. He does a great job playing the bad guy and his character seems to have so much (evil) energy and strength.Other characters are also very well selected and played. There are moments where it seems that Bette Midler is overplaying it, but considering that the movie is to some point a farce comedy it doesn't seem to be too out of line. As well it gives her character the craziness that makes her a bit scary and yet lovely. The kidnapping couple (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater) are greatly created characters, they are so kind and nice that one just has to root for them and feel for them. They are so not made to be evil that their failings in it bring us a lot of amusement. To make it a bit more complicated throw in the mistress I mentioned before and her dumb lover (a great career start for Bill Pullman) who have their own shenanigans planned and the movie gets even more complicated and hilarious. One basically laughs at every scene and the 90 minutes pass by very quick.Sure, it is predictable most of the time, but it sure doesn't ruin the movie that is mainly made to make us laugh and truly accomplishes it both with plot related and the side jokes. I loved the movie when I first saw it (must have been in the 90's) and it still didn't lose it's humor for me 3 decades after it's release.It is actually funny that back in the days it was promoted as crude, adult humor and now it seems to be so innocent. Times sure have changed the average comedy.

Ed Miseta Ruthless People is, without question, the funniest movie that most people have never seen. Released in the mid-1980s, I do not recall this flick getting a lot of exposure or box office hype. Still, it is one of my favorites of all time and a must see comedy for everyone. A man and his wife kidnap the wife (Midler) of a fashion executive (Devito) to get payback for him stealing the wife's fashion designs. What they don't know is that he had plans to kill her the very day they kidnapped her. They demand money, unfortunately he doesn't want her back. What follows is an absolute comedy of errors. Devito's girlfriend has plans to get rid of him so she can profit. Her boyfriend (Pullman) is one of the dumbest (and funniest!) people you will ever meet. There is a detective who gets pulled into the mess via a video of himself with a hooker, a serial killer, and more to keep the laughs rolling. All of the characters are amazing. This is one comedy that will keep you laughing and that you will not regret watching. If you enjoy this, check out Quick Change with Bill Murray as well.