Greedy (1994)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

hyped garbage

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I thought this was a pretty decent comedy. I like seeing Michael J. Fox in movies, in television shows, and in real life. There's a very likable quality about him, I think. Anyway, "Greedy" has an interesting plot. Sure, it's not the most intelligent film of all time, but it's funny and entertaining, which is undoubtedly what the filmmakers behind this movie tried to achieve. I especially liked the ending of the film, which I found the funniest part about this whole movie. I'd say it's worth a watch. It's not a masterpiece, but I sure liked it anyway.

First off, let me just say that the Blu-ray looks bloody AMAZING for a film that is over 20 years old! Very impressive...I know that Comedy is HIGHLY subjective. What one person finds extremely funny, another person will be left completely cold. So, when rating or reviewing Comedies (which I don't do very often) a person HAS to realize this and try to decide if this is the KIND of Comedy that they would appreciate.Probably one good clue would be who is in the film. If you are already a fan of Michael J. Fox then you will probably like it. Although it isn't one of his more prominent performances, I find it interesting that this could be one the better MOVIES that he has been in (not counting all you avid 'BACK TO THE FUTURE' fans of course : ) Seriously though, although I REALLY love some of his specific performances in other films more than this one, this movie was SO frigg'n entertaining OVERALL, that it was one of the better Comedies that I've seen in a while (thus the somewhat unusual '8' rating that I gave it...)I have never really been familiar with Phil Hartman's work, as I did not watch SNL during the years (8 apparently) that he was on it. This is the first film I think that I've seen with him in it, and man let me tell you, the guy frigg'n KILLED it! Damn was he funny! Some of his lines were great, as was most of the dialog overall, which I feel GREATLY contributed to why this film was so good and so DAMN funny.It had a nice 'Heart' to it too. Especially considering the overall theme of Greed and how it can affect people. BUT... it wasn't overly sentimental or preachy about it at all. And, the surprising way that the story eventually develops gives it a nice sense of depth, much more so than you would expect from most superficial Comedies.The writing was brilliant, the acting is excellent, and the characters are really very funny. And, although it is COMPLETELY unnecessary for me to mention it, Olivia d'Abo was absolutely stunning, of course... Kirk Douglas did a great job; I have a TON of older Film Noir movies and such with him in them, some of them quite Classic. But, I don't think I've really appreciated what a good actor he can be and he did a wonderful job here. His face and eyes were extremely expressive and conveyed subtle changes of emotion and mood. Also, the director Jonathan Lynne did an awesome job playing Kirk Douglas' British butler. One thing that made this movie so enjoyable was a number of 'little' scenes with secondary characters. Like the director of the sports show where Olivia worked. He was really funny.So, I would say that if you like Comedies that have a strong story line and good quality writing and acting, and if you HAPPEN to like Michael J. Fox, and you are not looking specifically for either a low-brow Comedy or one with pitch Black humour that is typical in many modern Comedies today (which DO have their place of course :) and if your looking for a Comedy that is a little sharper and has a nice, good flow to it, then there is a decent chance that you might really enjoy this very clever and entertaining movie...

This comedy from the same director that brought us My Cousin Vinny is certainly a bit of a buried treasure. A well-cast, surprisingly effervescent production that has a good number of genuine laughs. Kirk Douglas is an aging millionaire, whose immediate family is comprised of a loathsome greedy horde of bloodsuckers who spend their time in outrageously sycophantic displays while trying to undercut their competition. Their plans hit a snag with the arrival of sexy pizza delivery girl Olivia D'abo who stays on as Douglas' caretaker. To attempt to ameliorate her influence, the clan seeks out Douglas' favorite estranged nephew - a down-on-his-luck bowler played by Michael J. Fox, who does his best to rise above the shenanigans, but finds himself drawn ever further into the melee.If the film has a major weakness, it is that once the family unites to draw Fox into the game, the entire group of them (including Hartman, Jere Burns, Colleen Camp, etc.) suddenly operate as one mind rather than continuing to undermine each other. It would have been far more intriguing to see each specific relative continue with schemes of their own. Otherwise, the film is a lot of fun. Douglas is hilarious as the millionaire, who knows all too well what the family is doing and always seems one step ahead of their foolishness. Phil Hartman is a deadpan delight as the primary golddigger, who spends his time disparaging his relatives to Douglas with acid backhanded "compliments". Director Jonathan Lynn is acerbically funny as the put-upon butler and D'abo is suitably sexy as the wild card in the mix. The usually capable Nancy Travis is stuck with a largely humorless role as Fox's well-meaning girlfriend and the voice of reason in the film. Truthfully, her character could have been omitted or combined with the D'abo character without any deleterious impact. Fox himself has rarely been better outside of the Back to the Future franchise. This is one of his most appealing and consistently amusing performances. I would also be remiss in not mentioning his pleasantly surprising extended nude scene. I mean, WOW! Who knew? Sharp-eyed viewers will figure out the ending, but it does not make it any less satisfying. A film comedy that definitely needs to be rediscovered and re-evaluated by a new crop of viewers. They will definitely be rewarded.

Michael J. Fox, Ed Begley,Jr and the legendary Kirk Douglas are ALL likable performers- no question about it. Too bad they're stuck playing TOTALLY despicable and UNlikable characters in this movie! After being introduced to one greedy, scheming relative after another for the zillionth time, WE GET IT! The love of money is EVIL-DUH! Even those characters the audience is *supposed* to think are likable (Fox's too-loyal girlfriend and principled hippie dad)fail to be. The girlfriend keeps threatening to leave Fox if he doesn't walk away from this mess- again and again. After the zillionth empty threat instead of thinking he's risking losing a good girl (like the script would want us to believe), I got the idea she was JUST as unprincipled and manipulative as the rest as she definitely STAYS to the end. Oh, and his dad was portrayed too much like a utopian hippy to be believable.I DO urge everyone who has the chance to watch the opening credits for the Late Jimmy Durante to sing his signature song of 'Inka Dinka Dinka Doo'! Durante definitely steals the show because he is the ONLY vaguely likable character in this whole movie! Yeah, Fox does a good imitation of Durante but is it worth going through the REST of the movie to see? I think not.