Easy Money (1983)

Three years after Caddyshack showed that he could get laughs on the big screen, Rodney Dangerfield headlined his own feature, Easy Money. The dusty story line about a slob trying to earn millions by improving himself is ancient, but Dangerfield's spin on it provides a fair number of laughs. From the opening scene involving a disastrous attempt by Dangerfield's character to photograph a children's birthday party, the film revels in bad behavior. Joe Pesci provides adequate support as the best friend. He does not have much to do, but to be fair, it is not his movie. It's easy to lose interest in the film when anybody other than Dangerfield is onscreen, but there are very few of those moments. Easy Money is a pure example of a film that works better than it should thanks to the energy and persona of the star for whom the film was tailored. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide