Danny DeVito,
Bette Midler,
Judge Reinhold,
Helen Slater,
Anita Morris
... see more 
The last film to be co-directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, Ruthless People stars Bette Midler (capitalizing on her comeback performance in Down and Out in Beverly Hills) as Barba... read more
Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
Release Date: June 27, 1986
Keywords:
bette midler,
bill pullman,
danny devito,
judge reinhold,
Bette Midler ,
Bill Pullman ,
Judge Reinhold ,
Ruthless People
DVD Release Date: April 2, 2002
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Stats: 631 reviews
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (631)
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February 5, 2012While not as entirely crazy and hilarious as their Naked Gun films, this comedy by the Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker team still shows some trademarks of the same kind of humor: wonderfully ditsy main characters, fights with kitchen utensils and plenty of mix-ups. While Frank Drebin's ... read more
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January 22, 2012This is THE ultimate film of misunderstandings. Every plan in this film goes wrong, and in an absolutely spectacular fashion. The plot for this one is dark and hilarious, making Danny DeVito one of the most loathsome (but funny) characters in film history. What makes this so surp... read more
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July 22, 2011Lighthearted 80's romp about the small mean places in some versus the great wide open of others, and how each side secretly, insanely envies the other. Zany fun.
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November 26, 2010"Ruthless People" is a farce directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, best known for the "Airplane!" and "Naked Gun" comedies and the comedy trio fill almost every scene with laughs. A couple (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater) cheated by a vile businessman (Danny... read more
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November 6, 2009This is one film that can always raise a smile with me. Even now, after all these years, it's still an outrageous, engaging, thoroughly nasty comedy that leaves me in fits of giggles. It has dated quite badly (just check out Sam's house, my god!), but the plot is still as fresh a... read more
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October 1, 2009Some of the greatest movies ever came from the 80's. Some of the worst movies ever came from the 80's. This is one of the bad ones. Bette Midler, ugh!
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December 25, 2008Funny movie about a rich man's wife who is kidnapped but he doesn't want to pay the ransom money to get her back! The wife then teams up with her kidnappers to fleece her husband. Great cast.
Critic Reviews
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety
May 21, 2003
Thomas O'Connor, New York Times
Though ''Ruthless People'' has few moments to equal the inspired lunacies of ''Airplane!'' it's a true farce -- uniformly, cheerily nasty... Full Review
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
DeVito is the mainspring of "Ruthless People," the engine of murderous intensity right at the center. His passion is so palpable that it adds weight to all the other performances in the movie. Full Review
December 4, 2006
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
DeVito at his best.
June 24, 2006
Time Out
A pity that the directors prove less ruthless than their own creations, but there is more than enough here for people who enjoy murder attempts on cute pet poodles. Full Review
March 11, 2006
Clint Morris, Moviehole
One of the best comedy capers of the 80's
September 9, 2004
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Funny and fearless
May 22, 2004
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
Funny, nasty 80s update of "The Ransom of Red Chief." The Ref found similar dark laughs a decade later.
October 9, 2003
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
A wonderful cynical comedy filled with mean-spirited, but humorous, zest. Loads of fun!
November 9, 2002
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a large number of Ruthless People's jokes work and work well. Full Review
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Ruthless People
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