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Harlem Nights (1989) More at IMDbPro »

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42 comments in total

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34 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
I can't believe this movie is a 4.8!!, 25 May 2000
Author: (sysop@tje1.com) from Maryland, US

Yeah, yeah this movie is full of profanity and I see other users saying that Eddie couldnt decide if it was a comedy, drama, etc. I personally thought the movie was hilarious and quite clever. I never really thought it was anything other than a comedy. Tell me how a movie this good gets a rating of 4.8, when an awful movie like The Thomas Crown Affair (the remake) gets a 7.0!!! Try this everyone, sit down, relax and don't try to "read" anything into this movie......just enjoy it...

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32 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
Trashed by critics with no logic at all, 5 November 2001
Author: Chris Casino (ccasino@comcast.net) from Montgomery County, PA

The most common thing critics said to trash Harlem Nights was that it was too profane to be set in 1938. Well, this statement here was completely without logic. Two points to back myself up:

1. In almost every 1930's/40's/50's gangster movie, the characters

are very profane. Look at any movie directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci for evidence of this

2. What do you expect from a movie starring Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Redd Foxx? If you expect these three men to watch their language, you are truly a stranger in the ways of their material

As for the movie's sexist feel, I cannot dispute this. However, I can defend it. I am not a sexist young man despite being only

twenty-one years of age. I feel that women should have the same rights as men. However, I think Eddie Murphy was young and dumb and only felt the way he did because he was not mature enough to understand women. Now he is happily married and expecting his fifth child, so I think he is a little wiser today.

As for one review I read that said every white man was a bigot in this movie. Guys, come on, it's Harlem in 1938!

Despite all of this, the movie is a well-made, well-characterized, entertaining film. It was taken too seriously when it was first released, and I'm glad many people here seem to agree with me.

The plot concerns Sugar Ray (Pryor, who was sadly the only disappointing performer here) and his adopted son Vernest Brown, a.k.a. Quick (Murphy) owners of the hottest nightclub in Harlem. It becomes the target of gangster Bugsy Calhoune (an impressive performance by Michael Learner) and his buddy Sgt. Phil Cantone (A terrific Danny Aiello). They plot with their employees to scam him out of his money by placing a fake bet on a boxing match and leave Harlem.

The movie is not without plot holes and the occasional bad line of dialogue, but other than that, it's funny and entertaining. A particular highlight are Foxx's nearsighted Bennie Wilson and Reese's Vera Walker, who exchange profane banter throughout the film, which is hilarious. A cameo by longtime Murphy friend Arsenio Hall (whom I usually dislike) as a crybaby mobster is also very funny. Don't listen to the critics, this movie is funny as hell!

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18 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Three comic legends in a great film, 28 March 2002
Author: Smooth_Cinema from Woodbridge, VA

Harlem Nights is a great that stars the funniest three black comics to ever grace a comdey stage. Eddie Murphy knew what he was doing when he decided to cast Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor in the other two male leads. The film has great one-liners and a amusing fight scene between Eddie and Della Reese. If you've never seen this film, you're in for a treat.

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10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Bullets and Blue Language, But Laughs, Too, 15 January 2001

Author: EmperorNortonII from San Francisco, California

A lot of people have commented on the violence and profanities in this movie. I guess it could have gotten by without so many foul words. But this movie is still funny! The most hilarious scenes are Eddie Murphy's fistfight with Della Reese, and his shootout with Arsenio Hall. Say what you will about Eddie Murphy, but he can still crack you up!

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Enjoyable, 25 May 1999

Author: joey526 from Baltimore

I found this movie to be very enjoyable. I do have to say there was a lot of profane language but that was probably why it was made for adults. I would recommend this movie to the comedy lovers,(that don't mind the language), and give it a solid 7. If you give the movie a chance you will probably like it...

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9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
It isn't terrible at least, 2 September 2000
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States

Some might think that this effort from Eddie Murphy (who wrote, directed, executive produced and starred in) might not be up to his and the co-stars efforts. They might be a little right, but it isn't a waste to say the least. The talent is still vibrant even with a not too great script from Murphy including him, Richard Pryor (who gives his best, most recent performance to date), Redd Foxx (one of his last) and Danny Aiello. So sure it may be profane with a story that isn't too credible, but that's fine. Not great, but in truth, not to be missed either. B-

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Great to see these 3 awesome comedians together, 27 March 2006

Author: ladye316 from United States

Three of the greatest (and dirtiest) comedians ever together in this one movie. Funny, hilarious, yes at bit off color with the many uses of the f word but still a great movie with a nice sting at the end. Get over the F word! If you haven't seen this movie in a while, go back and watch it. The first time I watched it, I was lukewarm about it. Now I go back and watch it, grateful that it was made especially since the passing of Richard Pryor (and Redd Foxx).

If you haven't heard any of their stand up, go listen. It's awesome. Richard Pryor is the best.

My only complaint is that Arsenio Hall's character was stupid.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Overall, a good movie, 9 March 2002

Author: The Movie Buff from Nyc

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Contrary to popular belief, this is actually a pretty good movie. The problem is that people go in expecting a goofy comedy. If so, you will find this movie to be terribly boring. The movie is more of crime and drama mixed with a little comedy here and there.

The cast is excellent. The acting is superb, though its expected with names like those. The set is also good . You feel like your in the time period that the movie is supposed to be in, there are no goofs. The first half of the movie will seem a little boring with few laughs, but then the second half is much funnier. The best , and funniest line of the movie was when Dela Reese is hounding Red Fox for only leaving a "swallow fill of orange juice". He responds by saying "Well swallow it and shut the F*** up".

The plot really picks up in the second half. Murphy and Pryor attempt to pull a sting on their enemies and in the end are successful. The plot is very interesting, with twists and turns here and there. You never know who to trust. Overall I would give the movie a 7. If you go in not expecting laughs, you will find it to be a very enjoyable movie.

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
The BEST Eddie Murphy comedy of all time...., 28 June 2000

Author: sevenhiggins from Tokyo Japan

...Thats right the best. This movie was a hallmark for standup comedy. For the first time you had all the greats in one movie, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Robin Harris. Especially since the last 2 have passed away and Richard Pryor is too ill to do a movie again. When he made Nights he had to sit in his wheelchair when he wasn't filming, hence you never see him do anything physical in the movie. I first saw this movie one I was 10 with my dad, uncles and my grandmother. Of course she was turned off by the profanity but we all were laughing untill our sides hurt. I also remember all the things the great voices of cinema said about this movie. And to that i say how can you look down at this movie for profanity and praise movies like Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction (great movies by the way) when they have twice the vulgar langauge. And to those that say, well why did they portray the white mobsters as the bad guys? Well its Harlem in the 30's and ask any black person who owned a place of buisness then how hard it was. To me this wasn't just about Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, this was an epic for comedy and I hate to use the clinche but "Black" movies as well. The only other Murphy movie that comes close is Nutty Professer. I hope the sequel to that is half as funny as Nights. One last point that I think why critics panned this movie is, we all now Eddie is a comic genuis, but people were so use to seeing him play to a white partner or sidekick (i.e. Trading Places, All the Beverly Hill Cops and 48 Hours) But to a comedy standup fan like me, Murphy, Pryor, Foxx, Hall, Harris in one movie was like giving a Star Wars fan (as I am) premire tickets to Ep. 2 & 3. If you haven't seen this I recommend it just for the fact that half the cast had passed on and this was their last work, but its also a fun take on the mobster movie craze of the 30's and 40's.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
A New York Retro Classic, 16 December 2003
Author: TheReporterFish from Pensacola

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

*Contains Spoilers* Harlem Nights is one of the greatest films of the 80s with and all star

cast and an"old school"sense of humor.Also with rich dialog.This movies scores big about a ganster who is running an illegal casino and fools around ending up with a battle with the mob.This shows a great preview and look of the New York scene with the gansters and mobs in the 30s,40s,and 50s.The best scene has to be when Eddie was fighting Della and shot her pinky toe,knowing she was asking for it.And the guys I call "the wise men"was enjoying it just as much as I was.Also the way the mob was killed by a bomb was just a classic,and so was the drive by shooting,which Asenio Hall was just funny in.All in all,I give this movie a A+,and it deserves more than a 100.

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