Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, its time for yet another review and this one will be on a video game this time (or video games) and the games in question are the Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered trilogy, which are the original games from the 1990's featuring the legendary heroine Lara Croft. 

Now the remastered games are purely based on the originals in terms of controls, concept visuals and combat with only the updated graphics being the real difference here.Now, I won't really go into any real major plot details for the games, so I will instead say a bit about each game in terms of gameplay and features instead. 

So, with that, let's take a look at how these games fair after almost 30 years with their new update...

TOMB RAIDER I 

So, Tomb Raider I of course started the entire series and features archaeologist and adventurer Lara Croft travelling the globe for a precious artefact called the Scion under the employment of an entrepeneur named Natla. However as things progress, they take a sinister turn as on obtaining the Scion, Natla has her henchman capture her and take the Scion. So, from Lara follows them to try and take it back and stop Natla from using it for her own ends...

THOUGHTS

Well, there is little doubt that Tomb Raider I was a groundbreaking game with its impressive use of 3D graphics for their time (although by today's standards they are extremely dated looking of course!) as well as its use of platforming and puzzle solving combined with combat. However, depsite its great innovation out of the three games, it really remains my least favourite as I find the level design to be less compelling and side characters to be less interesting for the most part despite one or two exceptions. However, there is no doubt that the voice acting by Shelley Bond was excellent and she remains one of the most definitive actresses to do Lara's voice and the game's theme remains highly memorable, which was composed by English composer, Philip McCree.

So, even though I do not find the first Tomb Raider to be the great game it is often considered to be, its certainly still worth a look but I personally didn't feel greatly compelled to finish it compared to the sequels. 

GAMEPLAY 

As for the gameplay quickly I will say that it features a mix of combat, platforming and of course puzzle solving. In terms of combat, Lara will use her two pistols that have unlimited ammo but she will also pick other weapons such as a shotgun, magnum pistols and of course, uzis, which lara will find ammo for spread throughout the game. Lara mostly will shoot animals in the game such as tigers, monkeys, apes, rats and birds and even dinosaurs! However there are a limited number of human NPC's she will fight also as well as some humanoid bosses.

The game's platforming is of course very prominent here and Lara has an impressive moveset where she can run, jump, climb, shimmy on ledges, somersaults and backflips as well as swim underwater where she will have limited oxygen and drown if she stays under too long. The game will also provide quite a few puzzles for Lara to solve that will allow her to gain access to new areas or obtain key items, some of which will also be traps. Lara will also need to be wary of taking fall damage as she easily falls to her death and you will get that rather graphic sounding neck snap sound effect! Lara can also use medpacks to heal herself, which come in a small or large variety and can be found throughout the game.

CONTROLS 

The controls however remains faithful to the original game but they can of course be frustrating to adapt given the lack of a jump back option in the modern controls and a very annoying forced camera perspective that can result in getting players killed as you fail to keep Lara in a straight line! This even worse to contend with regarding the tank controls where its very difficult to keep Lara running straight also, so in that regard, general movement is better in the modern controls.

GRAPHICS

As for the remastered graphics, the visual upgrade is very impressive as its a big step up from the very dated visuals from the 1990's as environments now look very detailed and have more impressive shadows. Lara's character model is now much better looking and actually bears a resemblance to the Lara we see on the original game cover for TR1. The shadows however can be a too dark at times, which can impact your ability to see what is going on. However you do have the option to switch between the updated graphics and the original ones, which can be helpful in moments where areas are simply too dark in the remaster visuals, although apparently a new patch has been released that helps with this issue. 

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Tomb Raider I remains a classic title in its own right but for me its still the weakest entry in the three games, as it lacks the refinement that the sequels offfered, which made them more compelling games. So, with that said I will rate Tomb Raider I:

8 out of 10

TOMB RAIDER II

Now as for Tomb Raider II plot wise, Lara this time round is in search of the magical dagger of Xian, which gives its owner the power to turn them into a dragon. However, Lara encounters an Italian cultist group lead by Marco Bartoli, who are obssessed with the dagger and want it for themselves. So, Lara continually has to fight against Bartoli's men as they both have a race against time to seize the dagger for themselves...

THOUGHTS

Tomb Raider II is not only one the best of the three games in the trilogy, it is also one of my favourite games of all time and its vastly improves on the original in almost every aspect in terms of its gameplay, combat, visuals, story and music. The game's environments are also more expansive with more challenging puzzles and platforming than the original and there is a heavier emphasis on action this time round as Lara takes on Marco Bartoli's army of cultists.  

However there is one aspect of the game I am less impressed with this time round and that is new voice actress for Lara Croft, Judith Gibbons, who replaced Shelley Bond from the original, who was not available to return. So, unfortunately, Gibbons voice acting is pretty wooden by comparison as she delivers Lara's dialogue in a somewhat dull manner and Lara's quips also fall pretty flat as a result. So, overall, Gibbons perforamnce is the most disappointing aspect of the game imho.

GAMEPLAY

As for the gameplay however, this is where Tomb Raider II really excels as the sequel really upped the ante in terms of its ambition to make the follow-up a bigger and better game. This time round Lara in addition to her usual moveset from the original can now climb ladders and wade through shallow water to reach areas. Another new addition is the use of flares as Lara can light flares in darkened areas to see where she is going but they last only a limited time before they burn out but they can be found throughout the game. Similar to the first game, Lara will also use medpacks to heal herself from damage and come in the usual small and large variety. 

As for the combat, this is where things have taken a big step up as Lara is no longer just shooting at animals, she is plenty of human enemies to fight against as she is up against a number of armed men with guns and melee weapons such as crowbars and pipes. Then of course there are the VERY annoying snowbikers, who can run over Lara with great ease which can be very frustarting to deal with and are pretty hard to kill! Lara, also has a larger weapon selection this time round as in addition to her dual pistols, shotguns and uzis, she also can use automatic pistols, M16 assault rifle, harpoon gun and a grenade launcher (which literally blows enemies apart!).   

There are also a number of secrets to be found in the game in the form of small dragon statues and each level will have three to find in obscure areas. The bonus however on getting all three will result in Lara getting extra ammo for certain weapons and in later cases, she will be able to obtain again her weapons, which are taken from her at a certain point in the game.

Also traps and obstacles play a big part in the game too, where Lara will need to avoid falling boulders, spike pits, large spinning wheels as well as retracting blades that will cut Lara up! She will also need to watch out for certains areas that have pits of lethal substances such as acid or in some cases even lava all of which will cause Lara to give out a rather feeble groan rather than a major scream, particularly if she were to fall lava, you'd expect to react stronger than that!!

GRAPHICS

As for the graphics, the original TR2 visuals are even a big improvement over the first game, as they provide a good bit more detail (albeit they are still quite blocky!) and the environments feel more expansive as well as diverse as Lara travels to different places such as Venice, a Tibetan monastery and even the Great Wall of China. Again the updated visuals look very impressive as they are far more detailed although Lara's character model is still the same as in TR1 and in fact its identical in all three games come to think of it. However, dark areas can be a real issue here though again as some areas are way too dark, such as the spider cave, as I could barely what was going on in there at all even when I turned up the brightness to max on my TV!! However, I will need to check out the latest patch, which hopefully will have improved this issue with the darker areas of the game. 

SOUND AND MUSIC

As for the sound effects, they are pretty good but they do sound quite dated and also compressed in their quality but nonetheless they have their own charm and can even be quite brilliantly creepy, especially the sound effects in the Dagger of Xian and Floating Islands levels, which is very eerie. The music again by Nathan McCree again returns to composed the music and he does an excellent job as there plenty of new tracks such as the disco beats one when Lara uses a snowbike in Tibet and also the atmospheric one where Lara climbs ladders. Its a very solid score overall and quite memorable. 

SUM UP

So to sum up, Tomb Raider II simply put is a fantastic game and one of the all time greats if you ask me as it greatly expanded on the original in every aspect in terms of its platforming an action as well as intensifying the combat. It does still have minor issues to do with some very frustrating tank control and modern control issues, which can impact certain parts of the game badly at times and yes again the modern graphics are way too dark. However, all that aside, Tomb Raider II is a superb game and one that really warrants replaying. So, I will rate TR2:

10 out of 10 

TOMB RAIDER III

And finally onto Tomb Raider III in which Lara goes on a journey to find four pieces of meteorite scattered throughout the globe as she is recruited by Dr Willard, a scientist working for the company RX Tech to retrieve them. So, from here Lara goes on another dangerous adventure to find the meteortie pieces in different parts of the world.

THOUGHTS

Even though it doesn't quite hit the heights of TR2, Tomb Raider III is still a very enjoyable and worthy follow-up, which again expands on the previous games in terms of its environments, platforming and puzzle elements. The combat this time however has been scaled back a bit as while she fights some human enemies, its not the large numbers that we got in the previous game and instead its a mix of humans, animals and almost mythical like bosses. The game also sees the return of the Judith Gibbons in the role as Lara Croft and she does a better job this time round than in TR2 but she is still the weakest performer in voicing the role imho, she's not terrible, just her delivery is a bit flat even if her accent isn't too bad for Lara in general. Regardless of this though, this is still a very solid entry in the series. 

GAMEPLAY

As for the gameplay, TR3 adds some new elements this time round, which are quite welcome by this stage as Lara can now sprint (or dash) in order to cover ground faster, or run away from boulders or get through timed doors. Lara can now also crouch, as there numerous parts of the game where she will need to crouch to get in some tight small areas and passage ways, either to pick up items or progress through the levels. In addition to this in the remastered version, Lara can now do a forward flip to jump out of tight areas where she was crouching, which I believe wasn't in the original, so its a nice touch they added in. Lara can also now monkey swing using overhead grab bars to do so in order to get to other areas. Lara also can access new vehicles such as quad bikes and also kayaks in one of the water levels, where she has to navigate dangerous rapids.

Moving onto the combat, Lara similar to the previous will have her standard dual pistols but this time round she will have access to a few new weapons such as the desert eagle, which is pretty powerful, an MP5 assault rifle and also a rocket launcher, which comes in handy against powerful enemies. These weapons are all pretty good although the MP5 is probably a bit slow to aim, which can be annoying against faster enemies.  

As for the enemies, Lara will face again a mixture of humans, who are often armed with firearms and in some cases also flamethrowers (similar to TR2) and just like the previous games, they will drop ammo or medpacks on dying. Lara will also face the usual mix of animals such as tigers, monkeys, birds and this also dinosaurs such as a T-Rex and raptors (similar to the original). However there is one new enemy, which is easily the MOST annoying one in the entire game and that is the green wasps as there are tons of these not-so little buggers and they DO NOT stop respawning in a later level! Lara will also encounter several bosses throughout the game but fighting them can take different methods to complete rather than just shooting them although Lara of course does that too! 

Last of all are the platforming and puzzles elements, which this time round are pretty challenging as there are various traps and dangers Lara will need to overcome such as spike traps, falling boulders, collapsing spiked ceilings or sliding spiked walls. There are also some invisible platforms in certain parts of the game, which Lara can only see through statues that emit fire to make them visible.

GRAPHICS

As for the graphics, again even the original game's graphics are pretty impressive this time round with improved lighting effects and better texture and details and Lara's chest is now more smooth and not so pointy and polygonal! ;-) However the remastered graphics are easily way better of course with much more detail and the character models much improved over the blocky originals but again the game suffers from excessively darkened areas in shadowed or sheltered areas but again hopefully the new patch will have resolved this.

MUSIC AND SOUND 

As for the music, we get another score by Nathan McCree and this is easily the best score yet in the series up to this point with plenty of new tracks with some favourites include the one where Lara has to solve puzzles and there is also another where Lara is generally in combat. It also recycles some of the music from TR2 at cetain points particularly the atmospheric track for Lara climbing or the one for her making discoveries. So, overall this is an excellent score, which also has a nice warm vibe to it too. 

Sound effect wise, TR3 is also a big improvement as the audio is now a lot cleaner sounding with general sound effects sounding less compressed than before especially Lara's footsteps when running or the sounds for firing weapons. Basically the in-game sound effects now match the quality of the cutscenes, which is a welcome change and a step in the right direction audio wise. 

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Tomb Raider 3 is an excellent sequel to TR2 and again offers a nice visual upgrade and particularly a nice audio one in terms of the sound quality of the effects for gunfire and other effects. The game also features a good challenging mix of platforming and puzzle solving, although if there is one big cavaet here its to do with finding the secrets as they are a bit too well hidden this time round and it can be very difficult to get them all and yes the tank and modern controls can wreak havoc again with the gameplay. 

The game also sees the return of Judith Gibbons, who I always thought was lacklustre in the role of Lara Croft but she does OK here but she would then be replaced by the excellent Jonelle Elliot in TR4: The Last Revelation, who did a terrific job in the role and her voice much suited Lara better. 

Regardless of any of its drawbacks though, TR3 is still a very solid entry in the series and one, which is well worth replaying or playing for the first time, just be prepared to get used to those pesky controls like in the previous games though! 

So, I will rate Tomb Raider III:

9 out of 10

So, that's it for my review of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered and I will be back again soon with another post.

Until then bye for now! 

Trading Places Review "Happy New Year!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, as its Easter weekend, I thought I'd start by wishing everyone a Happy Easter and as this post will be typed over a day or two, it will eventually be posted probably by the end of the Easter holidays (or try to but I digress!). 

Anyway, so this post will be a new one and not a revisitation as I will look at a comedy from the 1980's I haven't reviewed, which is Trading Places starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Akyroyd in a modern version of th Prince and the Pauper. So, after 41 years how does Trading Places far??? Let's find out!

And the usual warning is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!! 

STORY

So, the story is set in Philadelphia around Christmas time and follows the fortunes and misfortunes of two men from different backgrounds, Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) a well to-do, successful managing director of a commodities brokerage and a small time crook, Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy). So, one day, both men clash as Valentine accidentally bumps into Winthorpe, who drops his briefcase, who Winthorpe thinks wants to steal it and Valentine himself is soon arrested by the cops when they spot him with it as he flees into Winthorpe's club. On being taken away, the founders of the brokerage, Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche) witness Valentine's arrest and the brothers decide to make a bet to switch both men's lives by having Winthrope disgraced and made broke and letting Valentine take his place in the firm.

So, the following day, Winthorpe is framed by the Dukes security associate Clarence Beeks (Paul Gleason) for theft and is soon fired from the firm and arrested and at the police station, he is also charged for possession of drugs (planted by Beeks). Winthorpe is eventally released after being bailed out by his fiance, Penelope (Kristin Holby) but Beeks frames him again as being unfaithful to her by getting a prostitute, Orphelia (Jamie-Lee Curtis) to come onto him infront of Penenlope, who walks out on Winthrope in disgust. Winthorpe also has his bank cards and accounts frozen and is locked out of his house by his own servant, Coleman (Denholm Elliott) leaving him penniless and homeless, he begs for Orphelia to help him, which she does but insists she wants a financial reward in exchange for doing so once his name is cleared. 

Meanwhile, Valentine learns the ropes of his new job and of the Dukes brokerage as well as moving into Winthorpe's home. Valentine at first goes on a self indulgence binge as he goes to a local bar he hangs out at and invites everyone there home for a party, however its not long before he grows tired of the mess they make and soon throws them out. Valentine soon learns fast in the job and impresses Randolph with his business acumen much to the displeasure of Mortimer, who looks set to lose the bet as Valentine impresses and charms his peers and everyone else he meets. 

In the meantime, Winthrope becomes more desparate in his efforts to get back at Valentine as he goes to a pawn store to sell off some of his valuable items but also spots a gun for sale, which he buys. Winthrope then decides to try and frame Valentine as a drug pusher, as he sneaks into his office at a Christmas Eve party (dressed as Santa Claus) and tries to plant various drugs in his desk but is soon caught by Valentine. The Dukes also soon walk in on the scene, where Winthorpe desparately pulls a gun on them warning them they will all be sorry and runs out the office into a rainy night.

The Dukes afterward express sympathy for Winthorpe's breakdown but Valentine insists that they shouldn't take him for a fool as he had money to buy the drugs and they can't be easy people on like that. Not long after, Valentine goes to the bathroom to smoke a joint (which he confiscated from the stash of drugs Winthorpe planted!) but the Dukes soon go into the bathroom (unaware that Valentine is in one of the stalls) and Randolph declares he has won their bet to Mortimer, which Mortimer begrudgingly pays the sum of one dollar. Valentine then overhears their scheme and how they plan to use Beeks to help them with secret work that will make them very wealthy. 

Valentine then goes after a very drunk Winthrope, who get's on a bus and later get's off and after a dog urinates on him and it begins to rain, realising he is at rock bottom, he tries to shoot himself with his gun but the safety is on and he throws it away (only then to go off!). Winthorpe then heads back to Orphelia's apartment where he takes an overdose of pills, just as Valentine enters looking for him. 

The next morning, Winthorpe is nursed back to health by a doctor called by Coleman as Winthorpe wakes up back in his own bed but on seeing Valentine, he tries to throttle him but Valentine explains the Dukes set them up and used them in their experiment. Winthorpe and Valentine however soon see Beeks on television and both identify them as being secretly on the Dukes payroll and Winthorpe deduces that the Dukes are trying to corner the orange juice market to make a huge profit. 

So, its from here that Winthorpe and Valentine set their plan into place to try and get back at the Dukes for their experiment and find a way to put them into the poorhouse for a change...

THOUGHTS

There is little doubt that Trading Places is a very entertaining and clever comedy, which is a modern take on the classic novel by Mark Twain, the Prince and the Pauper. The film itself was actually originally cast in mind for the comedy duo of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder however both actors were not available to play the lead roles, so the roles eventually went to Aykroyd and Murphy as Landis worked previously with Aykroyd and Murphy had become a very popular name after his screen debut in 48 Hours. 

The film also is well known for its clever ending (SPOILER WARNING!!!) where Winthorpe and Valentine turn the tables on the Dukes, which is done on stock exchange trading floor as the Dukes trying and corner the orange juice market only for them to be foiled. Now, I'll be the first to admit, I don't fully understand the financial jargon that goes on in that trading scene but ultimately, I get the gist of the outcome but it is of course explained in numerous videos on Youtube and even on Wikipedia. 

With that said though, the film also makes good use of its themes and also brings in good supporting characters with Orphelia, the prostitute that helps Winthorpe and Coleman, Winthorpe's faithful servant, who is forced to then serve for Valentine during the experiment. Then of course there are the manipulative Dukes, who are both pretty devious and loathsome yet also very shrewd although ultimately they bring about their own downfall. 

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section contains strong language and spoilers!) 

As for the performances, the cast are all excellent here and on top form. 

Starting with Dan Aykroyd is excellent as Louis Winthorpe III, a snobby managing director of the Dukes broker firm, who is soon discredited and fired from the brokerage to be replaced by Valentine, a small time crook, who unwittingly bumped into Winthorpe and picked up his briefcase only for Winthorpe to think Valentine was stealing it, which lead to Valentine's arrest and the Duke's devious plan to switch them. 

And Dan has some great moments in the film such as the scene where he boasts to his fiance, Penelope about how he stood up to Valentine. So, in the scene both Winthorpe and Penelope have dinner, which is prepared by Coleman and he says to Penelope "You know what its like in these situations, its either kill or be killed" and Penelope says to him quietly "I want you Louis...now!" and Winthrope says to Coleman "I think we'll have our drinks in the other room" and Coleman asks "What about your desserts, sir?" and Winthorpe dismissively says to him "You have them" and Coleman says "Thank you, sir". Then in the next scene, Winthorpe and Penelope undress as they discuss their future plans and he says to her "We're going to have a great time, we're going to have a great life" and Coleman sudddenly appears and asks him "Excuse me, sir but will you be needing me again tonight?" and as Penelope, in her underwear hides behind Winthrope, who has his trousers down, he says "No, I think I have everything I need" and smiles at Penenlope.

Then there is the scene where Winthrope having been fired from the firm for alleged theft and taken to the police station, he is met by some hostile police officers, who want him to undress for strip search. So, as one of the cops says to Winthorpe "Take off your clothes!" Winthorpe taken aback says "Now, you are making a serious career mistake here" and the cop repeats firmly "Take OFF your clothes!". However Winthorpe continues to complain and a black officer stands up and threatens him and says "Strip, you little shit before I tear you a new asshole!". Winthorpe then says "Did you hear what this man said to me?! I have witnesses! This man is physically threatening me!!" and the two cops grab him. 

Another good scene is when Winthorpe, posing as a Santa, turns up at Valentine's office (or his old office) to plant drugs in his desk during a Christmas party. So, as Winthorpe plants the drugs, Valentine walks in on him and asks "Just what do you think you're doing?!" and Winthorpe shouts out "Randolph! Mortimer! Come in here quickly! I've caught him!". So, the Dukes then come in and Winthorpe shows the suppy of drugs in Valentine's desk drawer and says "See! He's get all the drugs here, uppers, downers, amphetimines, crack pipe, cocaine grinder! HE'S the pusher NOT me!!". Valentine however says to the Dukes "Really?? I just came in here and found this man planting this stuff in my desk! Its obviously some primitive attempt to frame me!". So, as Valentine tries to call security, Winthrope takes out what he thinks is a gun but is a cut of beef and he says "Put that phone down!" and Valentine dials and then speaks to someone and says "Hello security..." and Winthorpe then pulls out his gun and Valentine smiles and quickly says "Merry Christmas!" and he hangs up. So, as the Dukes plead with him, Winthorpe refuses to listen and backs out and says "You're gonna be sorry! You're gonna be very, very sorry!!" and he runs out screaming and jumps up on a table and spins around with the gun in his hand, people duck for cover and he smiles to himself and jumps down and strolls out.

Then there is the scene where the following morning, Winthrope wakes up from having had an overdoes the night before in his own bed rather than at Orphelia's place. So, he sees Coleman infront of him who says "Good morning, sir. Merry Christmas" and Winthorpe smiles with relief and says "Oh, Coleman! I had the most absurd nightmare. I was poor and no one liked me. I lost my job, I lost my house and Penelope hated me and it was all because of this terrible, awful negro". Winthorpe however then looks up and sees Valentine and he leaps out of bed and tries to strangle him, as Valentine choking says "It was the Dukes! It was the Dukes!" but Winthrope says full bloodied "You're dead man, VALENTINE!!!" but he is pulled away by Coleman and Orphelia. So, as Valentine get's his breath back he explains the Dukes scheme. So, Winthorpe asks "The Dukes ruined my life over a bet?! For how much?" and Valentine says "A dollar" and Winthorpe trying to control himself says "One dollar...if that's how they want to play it, fine, no problem!". 

And lastly there is the scene where Winthorpe and Valentine head to the World Trade Center in New York city and Winthorpe gives Valentine a pep talk on how to deal with the trading. So, Winthorpe confidently tells Valentine "Think big, think positive, never show any sign of weakness. Always go for the throat. Buy low, sell high. Fear? That's the other guy's problem. Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the absolute carnage you are about to witness. Super Bowl, World Series - they don't know what pressure is. In this building, it's either kill or be killed. You make no friends in the pits and you take no prisoners. One minute you're up half a million in soybeans and the next, boom, your kids don't go to college and they've repossessed your Bentley. Are you with me?!" and Valentine fired up says "Yeah, we're gonna kill the motherfuckers! We're gonna kill them!" and they both smile and walk to the center.

Eddie Muprhy next up is great in his role as Billy Ray Valentine, the small time crook, who takes Winthorpe's place as part of the Dukes bet.

So, Murphy himself has plenty of great scenes starting with the one where he is in a jail cell after being arrested for allegedly stealiing Winthrope's briefcase. So, in the scene, Valentine brags to some of the other cellmates about how he took on the cops during the arrest but he is challenged by two big black cellmates. 

So, in the scene, Valentine says to the cellmates "I beat the shit out of 10 cops, and I had to change my strategy all around". However, one of the big black cellamtes challenges Valentine and says "Hey when they booked you and brought you in here, you were cryin like a pussy!" and the other black cellmate sitting next to him says "Yeah!". Valentine then lies and says "Because they used teargas on me, so I still walked in here like a man, so get outa my face!". The big black cellmate then says "I mean you beating up 10 cops. You put a man in hospital. How come I don't see any marks on you?!" and the other black cellmate again says "YEAH!". So, Valentine bluffs them saying "Because I'm a KARATE MAN and karate men bleed on the inside! They don't show weakness! But you wouldn't know that because your a big Barry White lookin motherfucker! So get outta my face!".

Then there is the scene where Valentine is shown around Winthorpe's place as they try to place him in his job and Valentine keeps trying to steal items that surround him as he keeps asking if these are his own personal things. 

So, in the scene Valentine says "So, this is all mine! All my own stuff! I like this TV, its very nice! You know this stuff happens to me every week!". However, Mortimer approaches Valentine and removes the items that he put in his pockets "This is YOUR Home! These are YOUR possessions! You would only be stealing from yourself!". So, Valentine skeptically asks "First off, you throw me into jail, then you bail me out and tell me this garbage and how this is my place, my stuff and this is my own personal slave too?!" referring to Coleman. Randolph however assures him that it is his place and his own belongings, so Valentine spots a vase and picks it up and says "So, this is my place and my stuff? This is Billy Ray's vase?" and he picks it up and starts playing with it "So, I can do some Harlem Globe Trotter shit with it yeah?!" but he drops and breaks it. Valentine then says "Hey, I'm sorry about that" but Randolph reassures him that its insured and they estimated its value as being higher and they have just made a profit of it 15,000 dollars, so all the men laugh together. So, Valentine smiles and asks "You want me to break something else?" and they all say "No!".

Then there is the scene where Valentine impresses Randolph by showing his shrewd business acumen as there is a sell going on and Valentine recommends they hold off and explain why. So, Valentine says "Okay. Pork belly prices have been dropping all morning, which means that everybody's waiting for it to hit rock bottom so they can buy cheap and go long. Which means that the people who own the pork belly contracts are goin' bat-shit. They're saying, "Hey, we're losing all our goddamn money, and Christmas is just around the corner, and I ain't gonna have no money to buy my son the G.I. Joe with the kung-fu grip, right? And my wife won't f... my wife won't make love to me 'cuz I ain't got no money, right?" So they're panicking right now, they're screaming "SELL! SELL!" to get out before the price keeps dropping. They're panicking out there right now! I can feel it! They out there!". So, Randolph looks at the prices on their computer and says "My God, Mortimer! He's right!" and Valentine says "I'd wait until you get to around sixty-four, then I'd buy. You'll have cleared out all the suckers by then".

Then we have the great scene where Valentine catches Winthorpe planting drugs in his office desk, so in the scene Winthorpe calls in the Dukes and shows them the drugs. So, in the scene, Valentine says "Really?! I just caught this man planting this stuff in my desk. Its obviously some primitive attempt to frame me. This man is obviously a lunatic, I'm calling security". So, Valentine picks up the phone and Winthorpe goes to his Santa outfit and pulls out some beef and says "Put that phone down" and Valentine continues to dial and says on the line "Hello secuirty?" and Valentine pulls out his gun and Valentine suddenly smiles and says on the phone "Merry Christmas!" and he hangs up.

And then there is the scene where Valentine having discovered the Dukes bet and tells Winthorpe about it, he states his plan to make the Dukes poor. So, Valentine in the scene watches Winthorpe check a double barreled shotgun and he says to him "You can't shoot a guy in the kneecaps with a double barreled shotgun just because your pissed at them" and Winthrope asks "Why not?" and Valentine says "Because its called assault with a deadly weapon, you can get 20 years for that shit". Winthorpe snobbily then asks "You got any better ideas?!" and Valentine says "Yeah, it occurs to me the best way to hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people". 

And last of all is the scene on the New Years Eve party train, where Valentine and Winthorpe concoct a plan to steal the fake crop report from Beeks and replace with the genuine one, so they both dress up as does Coleman and Ophelia. 

So, in the scene on the train, Valentine turns up in an African outift in Beeks's carriage and grins and says "Merry New Year!" and Beeks corrects him "HAPPY new year. In this country we say Happy New Year". Valentine than laughs exaggeratedly and says "Thank you for correcting my English, which stinks! I am Nenge Mboko, exchange student from Cameroon! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha ha ha!!". So, as he sits down he begins to say prayers in a very exaggerated and loud way and then says "Beef jerky time!" and as Coleman comes in dressed a drunk Irish priest, Valentine in his Nenge accent "Happy New Year!" and he smiles at Beeks as he get's it right. 

Jamie-Lee Curtis next is also really good in her role as Ophelia, a prostitute, who helps out Winthorpe with his plight as he loses his job and is framed for theft and drug dealing. 

And Curtis has some good scenes of her own that include the one where Ophelia takes Winthorpe back to her apartment and tells him about herself and her intentions to get Winthorpe back on his feet. So, as Winthorpe complains about his situation, Ophelia snaps and tells him "Shut up, Louis! Look rent costs money, food costs money! If you want my help, I expect alot in return. Look, I'm 24 years old and from some small mining town you've probably never heard of. All I've got in this world, is this body, this face and (points to her brain) what I've got up here". Ophelia then takes off her curly wig to reveal she has short dark hair and she tells Louis "I don't do drugs and I don't have a pimp. I have 42,000 dollars in NT bills, I figured I'll retire a few years from now" and Winthorpe looks at her and twigs and says "You're a prostitute!". Ophelia then goes up to Louis and says to him "I'm offering you a business proposition, Louis" and she goes back into the bathroom and undresses and says to Louis "By, the way, food and rent aren't the only things that cost around here. YOU sleep on the couch!" and she kicks the door shut. 

Then there is the scene where Winthorpe is ill having been out in the rain, getting drenched, Ophelia checks his temperature with thermometer but then a client of hers rings the door and we see Ophelia is wearing a cocktail dress of sorts. So, Ophelia goes to the door and we see a middle aged man with some flowers and he says "Here's Johnny!" and Ophelia says "I'm sorry, baby, my mother's in town just now and she's really sick, can we do this another time?" and she looks at the flowers and take them and says "Oh, flowers for me" and she shuts the door on him. Ophelia then goes back in and stops Winthorpe from getting out of bed and she strips off and get's into bed with him and strokes his hair gently, as he lies on his side. Winthorpe soothingly says "Oh, Ophelia! I can' tell you how good that feels" and Ophelia says "I'm just protecting my investment, that's all. Shut up and go to sleep". 

And last of all is the scene where Winthorpe, Valentine along with Ophelia and Coleman are at Grand Central station and they have their money in envelopes ready to give them for the trading. So, Ophelia tells Winthorpe as she hands her money over to him "I've worked real hard for this money, Louie. I hope you know what you're doing" and Winthorpe says "Thank you, Ophelia" and Ophelia asks "What ARE you doing?" and Winthrope just smiles and he kisses her for good luck after she takes her gum out and hands it to Coleman. So, after Winthorpe and Valentine go, Coleman says to her "I could use a stiff drink. Would you care to join me?" and she locks arms with him and they walk off.

Next up is the duo of Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, who are both great in their roles as the Duke brothers, Randolph and Mortimer respectively and as their scenes are often together, I thought I would quote their scenes together. 

So, their first scene of note together is the one where after they witness Valentine being arrested at their club, Randolph says to Mortimer "That man is the product of a poor environment, there is nothing wrong with him, I can prove it" and Mortimer says "Of COURSE there's something wrong with him, he's a negro! Was probably stealing since he could crawl!". Randolph then surmises "I bet he could run our business as well our man Winthorpe" and Mortimer intrigued asks "Are we talking about a wager here, Randolph?" and Randolph smiles and says "We've done it before". So, Mortimer says "Suppose Winthorpe was to lose his job" and Randolph suggests "Oh, I think we could heap more misfortune on those narrow shoulders. If here we to lose his job, his house and his fiance then I think he would take to crime like a fish to water!". 

Then there is the scene where Randolph and Mortimer sit Valentine with them in what was Winthorpe's office and they have laid out some food items such as bread, orange juice and pork bellies to explain what they do. 

So, as Valentine sits down and looks at the food items he says "Its Ok guys, I already ate breakfast this morning" and Mortimer testily says to him "This is NOT a meal, Valentine. We are trying to explain to you what it is we do here". So, Randolph says to Valentine "We are 'commodities brokers,' William. Now, what are commodities? Commodities are agricultural products... like coffee that you had for breakfast... wheat, which is used to make bread... pork bellies, which is used to make bacon, which you might find in a 'bacon, lettuce and tomato' sandwich" and here Valentine breaks the forth wall and looks at the camera. Randolph then continues to explain "Now, some of our clients are speculating that the price of gold will rise in the future. And we have other clients who are speculating that the price of gold will fall. They place their orders with us, and we buy or sell their gold for them". Mortimer then says "Tell him the good part" and Randolph says "The good part, William, is that, no matter whether our clients make money or lose money, Duke & Duke get the commissions". So, Mortimer than asks "Well, what do you think, Valentine?" and Valentine smiles and says "Sounds to me like you guys are a couple of bookies!" and Randolph pats his back and says "I knew he'd understand".

And then there is the scene where after a deranged Winthorpe turns up at the office Christmas party dressed as Santa and fails to incriminate Valentine by planting drugs in his office desk, he runs out wildly. So, afterward, the Dukes go into the men's room and Randolph looks under the stalls to see if anyone is there and fails to notice Valentine is sitting on the seat in his cubicle. 

So, Randolph gloats to Mortimer "Pay up, Mortimer, I've won the bet!" and Mortimer grudgingly hands over a single dollar bill "There, one dollar!". So, both men stand at the sinks and wash their hands and Randolph cheerily tells Mortimer "We took a perfectly useless psychopath like Valentine, and turned him into a successful executive. And during the same time, we turned an honest, hard-working man into a violently, deranged, would-be killer!". Randolph then asks "Now, what are we going to do about taking Winthrope back and sending Valentine back to the gutter?" and Mortimer says "I don't want Winthorpe back after what he has done". Randolph then looks incredulously at Mortimer and asks "You mean keep Valentine on as managing director???" and Mortimer looks at him in disbelief and asks "Do you really believe I would have a NIGGER run our family business, Randolph?!" and Randolph says "Of course not! Neither would I" and we see Valentine's eyes widen with shock as he hears this. 

Randolph then continues and says "I do think we should hold off on switching them back until we get that crop report New Year's Eve, dont you?" and Mortimer agrees "Absolutely, no sense in rocking the boat until then". Randolph then says "If Mr Beeks does what we paid him to do, then we are going to have a very happy new year" and Mortimer grins and says "Indeeeeed!" and they both laugh and walk out.  

And last of all is the scene where (SPOILER!!!) the Dukes are left completely broke when their plan to corner the orange juice market backfires on them after the genuine crop report they publish scuppers their plans. 

So, in the scene after they have lost their fortune to Winthorpe and Valentine, the officials of the exchange appear to settle their debts. So, the President of the exchange says to the Dukes "You know the rules of the exchange. All accounts are to be settled at the end of the day's trading, without exceptions". Randolph outraged then shouts "You know perfectly well we don't know 394 million dollars in CASH!!". The second official then says "I'm sorry boys. Put the Dukes seats on the exchange up for the sale at once and freeze all their accounts associated with Duke and Duke Commidities Brokers and all personal holdings of Randolph and Mortimer Duke". 

Mortimer then furiously says to the official "This is an outrage! I DEMAND an investigation! YOU can't sell our seats! A Duke has been SITTING on this Exchange since it was FOUNDED! We FOUNDED this Exchange! It's OURS! It belongs to US!". Randolph then clutches his chest and says "My God!" and collapses and the official says "Mortimer, you brother is not well, we should call an ambulance" but Mortimer callously shouts "FUCK HIM! No, you listen to me! I want trading reopened! Get those brokers back in here! TURN THOSE MACHINES BACK ON! TURN THE MACHINES BACK ON!!". And as Randolph is lead away in a stretcher, Mortimer yells at him "You and you're noble prize! YOU IDIOT!!". 

Denholm Elliot next up is also excellent in his role as Coleman, a butler in the service of the Dukes and works for Winthorpe and Valentine and later helps them both out in their plan to get back at the Dukes.

Elliot also has some good scenes that include the one where he takes a phone call from one of the Duke brothers about their plan to switch Winthorpe for Valentine. So, Coleman answers the phone and says to the Duke brother (not sure who it is) "Hello, Mr Duke" and after a pause he says "Well, that all sounds original. Well, it is your house, sir and I work for you. Yes, I will make the necessary arrangements. Goodnight sir" and he hangs up and says to himself "What a scumbag!".

Then there is the scene where Coleman drives Valentine to work for his first day and having encountered Winthorpe earlier in a taxi in traffic, Valentine is suspcious. So, Valentine get's out the car and says "There is some strange shit goin on here, Coleman" and Coleman tries to play innocent "You better go in, sir, you don't want to be late for your first day". Valentine doubtful then says "But what if I can't do it?" and Coleman says "Just be yourself, sir. They can't take that away from you".

And then we have the scene where Valentine and Winthorpe learn of the Dukes plan to corner the orange juice market. So, Winthorpe watching the TV and seeing Beeks, the Dukes security associate in charge of the fake crop report and framing Winthorpe, he puts two and two togther and says "My God, the Dukes' are trying to corner the entire frozen orange juice market" and Ophelia says "Unless someone stops them" and Coleman joins and suggests "Or beats them to it! and he offers them bowl of eggnog "Eggnog?!". 

Then there is the scene where Coleman on the train pretends to be a drunken Irish priest and enters the same carriage as Valentine, who pretends to be a Cameroon student and Beeks. So, in the scene as he sits down, Coleman in his Irish accent offers whiskey to Valentine "Would you like a sip of whiskey?" and Valentine says in his Cameroon accent "It is against my religion to drink" and Coleman says "Religion, is a good thing I say, taken in moderation". Valentine then offers Coleman some beef jerky "Beef jerky?" and Coleman "Oh no thank you, son, it gives me the wind something terrible!".

And last of all is the scene where Coleman hands his life savings over to Valentine as Valentine and Winthorpe prepare to head to the World Trade Center to carry out their plan to get rich and put the Dukes into the poor house. 

So, in the scene Coleman hands his life savings in an envelope over to Valentine and he says "These are my life savings, sir. Don't lose them." and Valentine reassures him "Lose them? Why, in a couple of hours you're gonna be the richest butler that ever lived, man!". So, as Winthorpe and Valentine leave for their train, Coleman looks to Ophelia and says to her "You know I could do with a stiff drink, would you care to join me?" and they lock arms and walk off.

Last of all in the cast members is Paul Gleason is who very good also in his role as Clarence Beeks, the Dukes devious security associate, who they hire to frame Winthorpe and take care of the fake crop report, so they can get rich off their plan to corner the frozen orange juice market.

And Gleason has a couple of good scenes I will mention starting with the one where Beeks is on a payphone to the Dukes outside and we see a woman waiting behind him. So, in the scene Beeks says to the Dukes on the phone "Operation Strange Brew proceeding according to plan. I anticipate penetration and acquisition at 2100 hours tomorrow and on noticing the woman he says "Hold on" and he tells her bluntly "Fuck off!".

Then there is the scene on the train where Winthorpe, Valentine, Ophelia and Coleman all dressed up enter the same carriage as Beeks. So, as they play around with him, he notices them switch briefcases for the crop report, and as Winthorpe disguised as a black student asks Beeks "Will you be getting off at the city of brotherly love, Mr Beeks?" and Beeks suddenly produces his gun and says "Yeah I will but you won't, Winthorpe!" and he pulls off Winthorpe's dredlock wig. So, at this point the two men looking after the caged gorrilla suddenly but into the room and Beeks warns them "Hey back! I'll rip out your eyes and piss on your brain!" so they leave. Beeks them grabs Ophelia at gunpoint and warns them "Alright you bunch of fucking weirdos! I want you all to leave now, and if anyone tries anything then the whore loses a kidney!". 

So, they head through the carriages to the section where the gorilla is being held in a cage and he cocks his gun at quartet, So, Beeks then gloatingly says to them "This is as far as we go. No more cockamamie cigar smoke. No more Swedish meatballs there, tootsie. And no more phony Irish whiskey. No more goddamn jerky beef! The party's over!". At this point one of the passengers dressed as a gorilla walks in and says "The party's over?! Its not even ten o'clock ya dummy! Come on, lighten up, its almost New Year's Eve!" and Beeks knocks him out and the gorilla outraged knocks Beeks unconscious, leaving the others to tape him up and put him in the gorilla outfit along with the real gorilla.

DIRECTOR 

As for the director, John Landis does a fine job here with the direction as he keeps the film's pace moving along nicely and the laughs aplenty as you would normally expect from Landis's films, as this was a real purple patch during Landis's career having already directed a string of hits before this. Landis also does the usual thing of including his sight gag of "See you next Wednesday" which is incuded as a poster in Ophelia's apartment. So, this is defintely one of Landis's best films of his career although it would take a bit longer for him to return to form with his next collaboration with Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, five years later.

MUSIC

As for the music, the score was composed by the great Elmer Bernstein, who often composed Landis's movies back then and here he provides another fine score here. The score itself is most notable for starting with a rendition of Mozart's opera, The Marraige of Figaro during the film's opening credits. This was quite apt given the the Marriage of Figaro was about a servant who was wrong by his employer, a Count, who the employee takes his revenge on. The film also includes some vintage pop tracks such as "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva and "Jingle Bell Rock" by Brenda Lee. 

FLAWS

As for flaws, yes Trading Places does have some worth a mention.

For starters, I think the film does have some uncessary moments of racism in it, particularly with the scene the Dukes have a private chat in a bathroom where Mortimer expresses his disgust at the notion of having a black man run their family business. Its a pretty unpleasant moment in itself and ironically Don Ameche was opposed to it and saying any of the bad language he was given to say during filming as he would often apologise for it on set. I guess though, it does highlight that the Dukes are very much old fashioned and traditionalists, who aren't very forward thinking in their approach to how their business is run.

Another issue I had was to do with Valentine's suddent and abrupt change from being a sleazy small time crook to a snob overnight as he invites a bunch of people he meets in a local bar he use to frequemt back to his new home (i.e. Winthorpe's). However, as soon as he invites them back, he does nothing but complain about the mess that they have made. Its like his snob genes suddenly kicked in as soon as he arrived at the place with them there and in short, he really shouldn't have invited them back in the first place! 

Then there is the issue of the Dukes plan to switch back Winthorpe with Valentine only for Mortimer to say in the bathroom scene to Randolph "I don't Winthorpe back after what he's done" as Winthorpe pulled a gun on them earlier. Yet in the next moment, Randolph talks about switching them back anyway regardless and Mortimer even agrees to it despite what he just said! Ah well, you could put it down to old age and forgetfulness maybe. ;-) 

Another issue I had was to do with just how did Winthorpe and Valentine manage to get Beeks into the gorilla's cage??? Because I am guessing that the gorrila cage is locked and they didn't appear to have access to a key to get him inside, so its somewhat bizarre in that respect that they somehow managed to get him in there without one unless the two workers watching the gorilla were daft enough to leave the cage unlocked (which they could have as they did go off to get drunk!) but who knows??? 

I also have to say that being very much a layman in terms of understanding financial jargon, that I found the film's climax at the stock exchange to be very hard to follow and just how Valentine and Winthorpe thwarted the Dukes plan to corner the frozen OJ market and because of this, I think the finale would be quite hard for most audience goers to understand also. From what I do understand, I know that the Dukes having driven the prices up for orange juice based on the fake crop report suddenly lose their value once the real crop report is announced, forcing all the other brokers to sell their shares at a lower price and this somehow results in what is a called a "short" that allows Louis and Billy Ray to make a huge profit. But again this is bound to be pretty baffling to the average person and can be easily missed, so ultimately we just have to accept that they got rich and the Dukes got poor.

Further to this also, I found it wasn't at all well explained just why Ophelia and Coleman had to give over their life savings to both Winthrope and Valentine at the train station either. Is this so they could use it as funds to buy up the contracts they wanted for the orange juice market?? Im guessing this is why they did hand their savings over but again it just isn't explained in the film and you are left scratching your head here if you are none the wiser to all this kind of stuff. 

And last of all, I thought given all this, it was a pretty stupid gamble by the Dukes to bet everything they had on this scheme of theirs to corner the frozen orange juice market and this is reflected in the line where Mortimer angrily shouts to Randolph "I told you we shoudn't have commited everything, you asshole!!". This left them with a massive financial hole that would and did bankrupt them, so given that, shouldn't they have held some of their assets back, so they weren't left completely broke by the end of it?? But I guess their greed got the better of them in the end.

So that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to finally sum up, Trading Places is a very funny and entertaining comedy, which is also very clever in how it swaps the fortunes of two men's lives at the whim of two greedy brorthers. The peformances of the film are also excellent all round as Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy making a successful and unlikely pairing and Jamie-Lee Curtis also adds some nice sex appeal as the hooker, Ophelia as well as two great performances by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche as the two wealthy and devious Duke brothers. The film does however have a confusing climax, which if you are not up on your financial jargo, can be hard to follow but that aside, this is a lot of fun and worth watching. 

So, with that said, I will rate Trading Places:

8.5 out of 10

So, that's it for now and I will be back soon with another post, until then Happy Easter!