This movie has some pretty good ideas, but you definitely need to turn off your brain while watching it. The pacing is weird, and the way the plot sets up things is really random, which is not necessarily a bad thing. In "The Jerk" it unfortunately is though. Steve Martin and all the other actors can be so over the top, that it ruins the fun in a scene. I know this is supposed to be a dumb movie, but look at other movies. Naked Gun etc. are much better at executing everything, and the actors aren't unbearable to watch or listen to. It would seem that the makers of this movie had a lot of brilliant ideas, but did not have the talent or time (or both) to put it together. I'm not really a fan of Steve Martin, but I'm not really too familiar with him either. In "The Jerk" he reminds me of Jim Carrey. I am rarely able to watch a Jim Carrey movie because a lot of his roles are so obnoxious, and Steve Martin is too in this movie. You never really get to feel anything for the characters, and you even hate them sometimes because of their poor acting. I can see why people like this movie, but it is not something for me at all.

Excellent is an understatement for the actors and director of this movie. Steve martin is truly a comic genius. I heard from a friend he's got a Super human IQ and he puts it to such good use. He portrays brilliance in comical situations, witty conversations and his energy is extra-ordinary. Bernadette peters is beautiful and quite enchanting herself. " loved the song they played with the Ukulele and the saxophone. Beautiful ! This flick is way ahead of its time, and the original spoof of many old and future Hollywood movies. With a ritz to rubble or a rags to riches kinda story and a light-hearted touch, this is a FUNNY FUNNY movie right from the start till the end that guarantees to tickle your funny bones for sure !! Cheers !

Steve Martin's first starring role brilliantly and perfectly displays his talents. Imagine a bit of Forrest Gump and sort of a prequel to Idiocracy. Martin's character has been raised by a black sharecropping family and decides to go out and see the "real world" when he reaches adulthood. Unfortunately, he is terribly naive (sort of like Norman in Drabble), which everyone else can sense and thus exploit to the absolute max. A glasses invention then turns things around and makes him filthy rich, but then things reverse.Everything about this movie is hilarious, especially with Steve Martin and his performance. It is an absolute comedy classic! I loved it and you will too. There were some great moments and lines.*** out of ****

Navin Johnson (Steve Martin) is down and out. He tells the story of his life. He grew up as a poor black boy with his black family. He's a clueless naive manic idiot who goes to the big city St. Louis. He gets a job at the gas station from Harry Hartounian (Jackie Mason). It's a random series of crazy events. He invents a way to support glasses and salesman Stan Fox (Bill Macy) goes 50-50 with him. A madman (M. Emmet Walsh) is after him for no good reason. He escapes to join the carnival as Guess Your Weight. He's taken by rough stunt bike rider Patty Bernstein (Catlin Adams) but he falls for sweet Marie (Bernadette Peters). Marie runs away and he ends up in L.A. That's where he reconnects with Stan Fox and finds out he's wildly rich.It's ridiculous and it's even funny. Steve Martin is putting all his skills of performance and writing to work in his first feature starring role. It's like half of 'Dumb and Dumber'. That's really my only wish. I wish he had another comedian to play off of. It would be even better if he was a comedy duo. He's funniest when Bernadette Peters is with him. This is completely ridiculous and stupid. That's where most of the humor comes from.