Review

by Sam S

Vintage DeVito

Between two more serious gangster staples, Scarface and The Untouchables, DePalma shot another crime epic called Wise Guys. Surprisingly, it is a light-hearted spoof of the genre that DePalma loved so much himself. All the stereotypical mob characters and gangster clichés are there. DeVito and Piscopo are still only errand-boys for the Newark mafia and they're sick of their jobs. They want to do a little double-cross on the mob but they fail completely and have to run for their lives. There are enough twists and comic details to give you a very good time. But this is DeVito's movie: he is in his element as the fast-talking smalltime hustler. A great comic performance.