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Show Let's go to the movies! I Cinematic Sentiments by j Dr. Allen llasson j "TRADING PLACES"!") (WW 2, Ch-1, OC-1, Sk-3 in Rating Guilde) "Price and Pauper", updated and i weakened Fans of 21-year-old "Saturday Night Live star Eddie Murphy will come to any movie that has him in it. We happen hap-pen to think that he and Dan Aydroyd '' are only as funny as their material. -,; But there is enough material in "Trading Places" to satisfy their fans, and many others as well. This film will be a big summer hit. The story and situations are at times comical, but as with so many of these vehicles, this one is weak in nearly every spot where it tries to be serious. Comedy and pathos are effectively blended in TV's "MASH", as well as "E.T." and "War Games", l)ut it's too big a challenge for most writers and directors. Aykroyd is Louis Winthorpe, whiz-kid whiz-kid of the giant Philadelphia com-moditcs com-moditcs firm of Duke an Duke, and Murphy plays a con man named Will iam Valentine. The Duke brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don AnWehe) love to argue about heredity versus environment, en-vironment, so Bellamy makes a bet with his brother. He bets that the con man could successfully run the cem- ' pany, and the whiz kid would turn to a life of crime if stripped of pownr, position and money. Their scheme is carried out with predicatable results, but Aydroyd and Murphy finally learn they've been had. They team up to turn the tables on their malevolent benefactors - or is it beneficent malefactors? : "Trading Places" has a lot going for it : two big comedy stars, two big old- ' time stars, a host of excellent character actors, Elmer Bernstein's classy score, beautiful '; cinematography, Christmastime, New Year's Eve, funny st illations, anil some room for Murphy to show his ; serious as well as comic side. i But this John Laudis him might lie i heller if the story were made more believable in spots, and it the tragedy were a little less stark and realistic. We also had difficulty with the heroes' ' turning, at the end, to the same iinderhandedness displayed hy lie vidians It's all crowd pleasing stuff, -i though, and pretty fair social cnui .' meiilary. Hut somehow, we're not sure Mark Twain would enjoy, Haled R for nudity and strong ' "street" language. |