gwnightscream Steve Martin, Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack star in this 1990 comedy. Martin (Planes, Trains & Automobiles) plays mobster, Vinnie Antonelli who is in the witness protection program. Moranis (Ghostbusters) plays Barney Coopersmith, a square, FBI agent who is assigned to protect Vinnie in a suburban town in California. Vinnie starts off getting into some trouble, but betters himself trying to help Barney build his self-confidence as well as help provide for the community. Cusack (In & Out) plays D.A., Hannah Stubbs who finds romance with Barney. Daniel Stern (Home Alone), Carol Kane (The Princess Bride), Bill Irwin (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and the late, William Hickey (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie) are also featured. I've always enjoyed this film and Martin and Moranis are great together. I recommend this good comedy.

MartinHafer This Rick Moranis/Steve Martin film is relatively fun and entertaining, but also quite forgettable--mostly because the film is mostly founded on a single joke that isn't all that funny. Martin plays an obnoxious crook that Moranis has been assigned to protect and it's the standard "buddy film" where two totally dissimilar guys are thrown together with "hillarious results". Generally, while the results are slightly amusing, that's all there really is to the film. Martin hams it up with an over-the-top stereotypical cheap hood performance (which, frankly, isn't too good, since it's so broad and overdone) and Moranis plays a dull befuddled FBI agent. Really, this is only a very slightly better than average time-passer and nothing more. If it comes on TV and you have nothing more important to do, then give it a watch. Otherwise, it's pretty skip-able.

jnaradzay My blue heaven is a wonderful farce made in 1990 starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cussack. In classic fashion this movie presents situations that are so humorous because of their ridiculous nature. But don't underestimate the power of this farce as a vehicle to show the transformation each character. Vinnie becomes an honest citizen, Barney learns how to spice up his life to a salsa, and Hanna gets rid of her Army shoes.You may see similarities between this movie and Martin Scorsese-type New York gangster movies. Purportedly My Blue Heaven was loosely based on the story of Henry Hill, Good Fella and famous snitch. Many of the external characterizations by the stock characters are seen in both types of "hey-howya-doin" movies.True to being full of exaggeration, watch how Vinnie (Martin) talks his way out of grand theft auto when talking to Hanna Stubbs (Cusak) a prudish assistant DA. Little things are exaggerated but divulge the essence of each character like Barney (uptight, by-the-book geek) getting caught by his seat-belt harness.All of the verbal and physical humor is way over the top using deliberately exaggerating gesticulations, footwork, and language.Great songs set the farce in motion and vaudevillian acting keeps it going. The movie opens with My Blue Heaven as song by Fats Domino; Angel in paradise belted out by Tony Bennet's. You will want to learn how to do the merengue and salsa after watching Barney get an education from Vinnie and girls in New York. For the action loving fan watch the wham-bam-sock'em number Barney does on Daniel Stern, Hanna's ex-husband. A real treat is watching Bill Irwin playing Kirby, Barney's FBI partner. Irwin is a Tony award winning comic, mime, choreographer, Mr. Noodle on Elmo's world, and star of the stage. A lot of viewers have no idea the Bill Irwin is the Charlie Chaplin of our time.And Shaldeen (Carol Kane) as the leopard skin wearing hootchie-mama. Vinnie: It is dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section Shaldeen: Why is that? Vinnie: Because you could melt all this stuff. And she buckles at the knees. What a hoot!I gave My Blue Heaven movie ten stars because it is a classic farce that uses quick physical comedy and tight dialogue to generate a good feeling for you.

jotix100 Heaven help those communities that are chosen as a haven for criminals that are cooperating with the government. Most of them are out of the way, and in the case of this movie, Vinnie Antonelli, the FBI's witness from hell, sticks out like a sore thumb! This film had the right ingredients going for it. Where did it go wrong?, one will never know! With a talent like Herbert Ross directing, and a screen play written by Nora Ephron, one of the best women in the business, as a writer and a director, it sounded like the perfect team to make this film a winner. Not having seen it when it first came out, and having heard it was not worth the effort, we decided to watch it when it was shown on cable recently.Steve Martin is a genius in his own right. That said, like some other funny men, without the reining power of a good director, Mr. Martin tends to overdo his roles. This is unfortunate because when he is good, he is excellent. The problem with the film is that we don't buy the idea this jerk, Vinnie, has any redeeming qualities. In fact, he goes into his own criminal activities, which seems to be possible. We have heard how a famous criminal, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, doing this type of thing while in protective custody, with a new identity getting into drug trafficking!The film will not add anything to Mr. Martin's resume, or to Joan Cusak, Bill Irwin, Karol Kane and the rest.Don't say you weren't warned.