With the introductory titles at the beginning of the movie, one can sense that this film is in big trouble. After all, how much emphasis should a palm tree receive - shot and reshot via redundant closeups and pull backs? The first set of scenes seems to set the tenor of the movie and is a grand hint that what follows has the potential of being awful. Cheesy sets, lousy dialogue, poor editing - all worthy of a ninth grade film buff student in his first big homework assignment. The framing of the shots almost seem to be out of "How to Make a Movie 101," with the subsequent movie having a very cook booked feeling or how to make a movie by the numbers. Somewhere about the 30 minute mark, it becomes exceedingly difficult to suppress the thought that the producer, director, and writer, John Landis, should not be taken outside and shot. It is amazing how he can take a more than capable cast and have most of them looking like low IQ dimwits. The movie's only saving grace is that it is highly uneven, meaning that there is something there to almost balance out its dreadfulness, but not quite. That factor is Dan Aykroyd whose reputation as a comedian proceeds him and without that awareness, the movie would be a complete failure. As the character, Bob, Akyroyd does his version of Tom Hanks in "Road to Perdition" - a deadly serious killer whose lack of on screen humor makes him very funny. The basic plot of the movie is contained within its title, "Dying to Get Rich! --- Susan's Plan," and revolves around Susan, played by Nastassja Kinski, scheming to get rid of her ex-husband to collect his insurance money. Characterizing the film as a "black comedy" cannot mask its gross deficiencies. It is painful to watch an actress of Nastassja's caliber having to mouth some of the lines that are liberally interspersed with a four letter word, starting with "f" and ending in "k." This must be a Guinness world record for Nastassja uttering the "f" word in any of her movies. It is my fervent hope that Nastassja will never have to attend a film festival of her works and have to provide commentary on a frame to frame basis for this movie. Because this movie is like a sitting duck, it is too easy to blast it out of the water. One scene has the major participants openly discussing the murder in a crowded, public restaurant! The awkwardness and stiffness of some of the scenes should constitute a nice lesson on how-not-to-make a movie. This is one movie that not even Nastassja can escape unscathed as she leads her merry band of idiots down a path of ruin.

With some wonderful names attached to this film you would expect to see some great acting... no disappointment there. All the main cast were superb in their roles.So why am I not enthusing over this film. There seemed to be something just slightly off key with the humour. It had all the trappings of being exceptional but, perhaps it went a little too far overboard and became a little confusing - in the 'why did the Director want to do that?' sense of the word.The highs: Michael Biehn as the inept, would-be-killer, Bill, stuck in the closet with panicking Billy Zane's Insurance salesman and Bill's 'flatulent' best buddy.Dan Ackroyd in a wonderful deadpan role as 'Bob'.The Lows: The script - it was a little too flat and I am amazed the actors did such a great job given some of the lines they had to work with.

Right up until the ending, I had been enjoying this film. It's dark humour and well defined characters brought together by a great cast. It was very interesting to watch Michael Biehn play someone very different to his usual characters.The only (and unfortunately, quite a major) drawback to this film was its ending, which made it look like the writer ran out of ideas and after deciding they were bored, quickly slammed on a hurried ending. I gave this film a 6/10 (because mainly, the ending killed the whole film for me).

WARNING!!!!WARNING!!! In case you haven't seen the movie. then do not read this comment I do mention main things about the ending. Did Paul (adrian paul) die in the movie or what. After he is supposed to have been smothered to death by bob. Adrian paul's character calls his ex-wife susan(nastassja kinski)and says he been been in an accident but he is fine.so is he dead or what, or was it all a scam.Then at the end it shows betty (lara flynn boyle) in vegas who happens to run into the doctor (thomas hayden church),when he asks her how she's been. she says she does not know him. This would only make sense if paul"s character really died. So could someone please explain this. I really liked the film thought it was very funny,I laughed a lot.