User reviews

In this silly, but fun comedy from director Alan Metter(Back To School), Richard Pryor plays an engineer finds what seems to be the perfect job. The only problem is that the job is in Idaho, which means that his family would have to sell their home in Chicago and move out to Idaho. Several disasters occur as Pryor attempts to pack up and move across country, everything that could possibly go wrong does. The film is not exactly a laugh fest, but Pryor keeps the film entertaining with his great comic energy. Dave Thomas and Dana Carvey are fun in supporting roles, as well as Rodney Dangerfield as a gambling loan officer. Overall, a harmless film that benefits greatly from the presence of Pryor. 5.8/10.

Yes, this movie is not quite what one would expect from Richard Pryor...light on the cussing, a touch of being almost a family comedy, but not quite that tame. In this movie we have a man who is laid off and is offered a very nice job in Boise. Of course, his daughter is rather upset about the prospect of going there, however his wife and twin sons are a bit more supportive. Also happy to see the family go is the crazy neighbor played rather good by Randy Quaid. A neighbor who for some reason must cut his rather small lawn with an industrial mower. Well he has a couple of moving agencies give their appraisal of what it would take to move and he goes with the more expensive as the cheap ones look like recently escaped convicts or something. They find a nice house in Boise where they meet the delightful owners who tell great jokes about how they are going to take everything from the doors to the pool with them. Then he finds just the perfect guy to drive one of his vehicles to the new house. Well everything begins to unravel rather quickly as the movers turn out to be familiar faces he does not want to see, the jokes on them with the new house, and the driver of the car has a bit of a mental problem. So all in all a funny movie, a few of the jokes miss the marks such as the giving the wrong finger thing, however most are pretty good like how the twin sons run track. So for a rather light Richard Pryor comedy that still has some good laughs, give this movie a try.

Moving should be rated higher! This movie's premise is great as it turns the act of moving into an absolute hilarity!! Family moves from New Jersey to Boise Idaho! You just know plenty of wacky hijinks are gonna occur!

I really think anyone who has ever experienced moving from one type of place to a completely different one, or anyone who just has had frustrations with moving in general will be able to relate. Nothing offensive about it, just plain good comedy, pretty fun to watch.

Moving (1988) was an fun film from Richard Pryor. Instead of making another cheesy P.G. rated family film, Mr. Pryor goes back to his adult tinged humor. In this starring vehicle, Pryor stars as a family man who learns that he has to move out of state if he wants to keep his position with the company. CAn the family make a smooth transition from one neighborhood to another? Will they have problems with the new neighbors or the strange movers? Find out when you watch MOVING!!

As with all of these type of films, you;ll have the kid who doesn't want to leave and the worried family members about the new community they're moving into. Randy Quaid co-stars (in two roles). King Kong Bundy plays a mover, Stacey Dash makes an early co-starring role as Pryor;s teenage daughter, Dana Carvey guest stars as a weird dude who's hired to drive Mr. Pryor's beloved Saab and Rodney Dangerfield makes an uncredited appearance as well.

I liked this movie for some reason. The humor was a little more towards old Richard Pryor. But it's not one of his best efforts. Mr. Pryor would make one more funny movie (Hear No Evil, See No Evil) before illness would force him into early retirement.

Recommended.

I thought the movie was pretty well written and Richard Pryor Beverly Todd got an excellent job in their roles. Randy Quaid was okay but not great.

The movie is worth watching, especially if your a Pryor fan

Richard Pryor struggles mightily with the forced, weak, idiotic material in "Moving". After each effort at generating laughs, there seems to be an uncomfortable silence as the audience consistently remains silent, or worse yet, sighs at this unbelievably unfunny movie. Vacilating wildly between slapstick and just plain nonsense, there are no more than two chuckles, and it leaves you feeling almost embarrassed for having watched. Do not be misled by the token appearance of Rodney Dangerfield, because he is almost totally wasted, and Randy Quaid's character is so repetitively abrasive, he quickly becomes boring. Very definitely not recommended. - MERK

I saw this back in '88 and hated it because it's so forced and contrived, but I just watched it, and it was fun. I had no expectations and it was still forced and contrived, but in a good way. I loved the finger bit, and the DOG was great.

Dana Carvey was Great. Course he always is. Pryor has been better. Like in Stir Crazy, or Live in Concert, but he's still Pryor here. Quaid, seemed like a rip off from Vacation, or maybe that was a rip off of this? Maybe Quaid was one diminutional, on second thought maybe he still is. I like him anyway. Morris Day had a cool cameo.

Apparently I need 10 lines to post an opinion, but there is not much to add, it's a simple movie, what else can I say? The credits were cool. I bet the titles guys are evenious of PhotoShop. I can see them now saying back in my day we had to skew those titles by hand.

Now that I think about it, this could have been better if they just played up some of the bits and ignored others. Like the house, who is going to remove that from the back yard? But the old packing guy was great, yet they just dropped that.

This is what happens when you try to restrain Richard Pryor's talents to a relatively safe and formulaic setting. It just doesn't fit. The film's writers and producers obviously couldn't make their minds up about what direction they were going to take this in. Family comedy, Pryor vehicle or kick ass suburban nightmare send-off? In they end they tried to attach all three and not surprisingly the result is a poorly paced and confused affair lacking coherence and overall good direction.

'The Burbs' was intelligent because it kind of put you in a safe and familiar environment then turned it on it's head. It also had some really well developed characters. But there is little at best of that here.

Randy Quaid's character is supposed to be the neighbour from hell. At least that is what we're told and what is instigated through Pryor's reaction to him. But we don't actually see much evidence of this. Which kind of made me not really understand why Pryor hated him so much. Shame as well because this is the kind of role that big Randy usually kicks ass in ie. - 'National Lampoons Vacations I,II and IV' and 'Next Door'.

The removals guys were just really predictable (with the King Kong Bundy joke not really working nowadays) and though he usually makes me laugh the Dana Carvey section just wasn't well.......funny.

The side stories about Pryor's daughter staying behind in Jersey because of her new boyfriend also just falls apart. He doesn't answer a call from her the night after her folks leave so from that we are meant to infer I think that he is cheating or something so she just ups sticks and moves out after her folks. Okay. But what the hell does this contribute to the story? Similarly Pryor's two twin sons decide to pass themselves off as one person throughout the movie. Ah the old identical twin joke. So their parents never went to a parent's night obviously as they claim that nobody ,outside the family home, has ever clocked onto it in their 12 years of existence. And this plot device is used for? Well nothing. Just another inconsequential little side story with no resolution.

The whole bit involving Pryor becoming a Post-Apocalyptic like, Kung-Fu using warrior out of frustration is more embarrassing than entertaining sadly. This films just left me feeling disappointed as there were certainly the tools and potential for something more.

As it is it's more of a kind of mild and forgetful rainy Saturday afternoon type of experience. Check out 'Neighbours'and 'Funny Farm' if your looking for something in the same territory which hits the mark more often. See 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' or 'The Burbs' if your looking something along the same lines but which is completely superior.

This movie is silly as hell, but if you watch it just for laughs it's very good. There are some nice cameo appearances, especially Dana Carvey and Randy Quaid, that make this worth checking out. Don't expect any kind of blockbuster, cause it's not. But for a good laugh be sure and check it.

I recently rewatched Moving (1988) on Tubi. The storyline follows a man in the city who loses his job and financial stability, only to be offered his dream job with a substantial raise-there's just one catch, he has to move to Idaho with all expenses covered. He decides to take the job, setting the stage for a comedic adventure.

Directed by Alan Metter (Back to School), the film stars Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), Beverly Todd (Lean on Me), Stacey Dash (Clueless), Raphael Harris (Scrooged), and Randy Quaid (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation).

This classic 80s comedy thrives on over-the-top circumstances, situations, and character reactions, reminiscent of a National Lampoon's movie. Richard Pryor delivers a solid performance, setting himself up for disaster in a way that keeps you eagerly anticipating the unfolding chaos. Randy Quaid's performance is exceptional and reminiscent of his National Lampoon's performance. The karate scenes with Pryor are hilarious, the kitchen table announcement and swear jar sequence are legendary, and the house selling scenes and movers' antics are entertaining. Even the soundtrack adds to the film's overall charm.

In conclusion, Moving is an underrated 80s comedy that is an absolute must-see. I'd give it a score of 7/10 and strongly recommend it.

I saw "Moving" in the theater when in first came out (Movie World, Douglaston, NY). I've seen it a few times since (including tonight). It's pretty bad. The movie is almost laughless. It has one lam joke after another. The cast is appealing so "Moving" is watchable but just barely. Honorable mention: a dreamy Stacey Dash.

this movie is very funny. it's second only to see no evil hear no evil for richard pryor's funniest movie. i have watched moving since 1989. i never really get tired of it.

everything that could go wrong while moving does for pryor in this movie,and more. it's an hilarious movie. i give moving *** out of ****

"Moving" a 1988 comedy film from late comedian and comedy film legend Richard Pryor was sure far out and crazy as nothing seemed to go his characters way. Pryor is Arlo Pear a suburban engineer who lives with his attractive wife Monica(Beverly Todd) and two young boys and sexy teen stubborn daughter Casey(one of Stacey Dash's first appearances). And he has a life until one day his company changes up the game and decides to move and relocate his job to Idaho of all places. Soon the movie becomes a crazy adventure of selling the house and taking to the road look for Dana Carvey in a small role and Randy Quaid is wild and sadistic as Richard's next door Jersey neighbor! Plus the Pear family move crew is a bunch of ex convicts headed up by late wrestling legend King Kong Bundy! Funny movie even Rodney Dangerfield(I don't get no respect) makes an appearance as a bank loan officer! And stubborn go against the grain daughter Casey who tries not to move and leave New Jersey during her senior year of high school, is tied up and has her mouth taped(Stacey Dash with a damsel in distress scene!) by mom and dad so they can show off the house to wanting buyers! Wow crazy wild and far out for sure one of the late memorable Richard Pryor movies!

Man do I feel sorry for Arlo. That poor man. If that were me I would be kicking myself. This movie was funny and amusing though. Hes got movers who won't deliver his stuff, a crazy guy driving his Saab, he got scammed on his house and hes getting blamed for all of this stuff at his new job when all he did was sharpen his pencil. Some great actors and actresses in this movie like Richard Pryor, Randy Quaid, Stacey Dash, Dave Thomas and Dana Carvey (The younger, funnier Dana Carvey before Mike Myers ruined his reputation). This is the only movie I have ever seen with Richard Pryor without Gene Wilder. I thought they were only funny when they were together, but Pryor did a great job in this movie. I should go see a just Gene Wilder movie and see if its the same for him too.

A sad look at the waning talent and life of Richard Pryor.

Rife with clumsy setups, lead-balloon jokes and worn-to-death clichés, this movie is a snooze-fest from beginning to end.

There is a reason this movie is not even on DVD: there is not demand for this dreck.

I only stopped by to write this review as a warning to others not to get suckered into watching this film like I did, simply because it has Richard Pryor's name on it.

Ice Cube's role in "Are We There Yet" is to his rapping career as this movie is to Richard Pryor's comedy legacy.

In the mid-1980s, Richard Pryor's longtime drug addiction began to affect his physical appearance, he began to look sickly and pretty frail on-screen, due to his early stages of multiple sclerosis. Despite the fact this was Pryor's last starring role in a feature film, this comedy has quite a few laughs.

Arlo Pear is a mild-mannered engineer from New Jersey who is given a new job position in Boise, Idaho. His family is not happy with the idea, but have no choice but to go with it. Unfortunately, things fall apart quickly: their rebellious teenage daughter (a young Stacey Dash) tries to sabotage every open house that happens, the three movers hired to transport the belongings to the new house actually steal them, and the new house they arrive in is a dumping ground for construction equipment.

The cameos in the film are worthwhile, as well. Randy Quaid as crazed army veteran neighbor Frank, Dave Thomas as Arlo's friendly boss, Rodney Dangerfield as a loan officer with a serious gambling problem, Morris Day as a overconfident young man smitten with Arlo's daughter, and Dana Carvey as a multiple personality maniac who is hired by Arlo to drive his priceless Saab to their new house in Idaho.

Definitely worth watching.

In the '80s Richard Pryor jumped the shark with THE TOY, which kicked off a string of forgettable films. Ranging from awful (SUPERMAN III) to merely mediocre (CRITICAL CONDITION), his Reagan-Bush output didn't produce anything decent until he reteamed with Gene Wilder for 1989's SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL (which, granted, was no classic).

MOVING wasn't his worst movie, but it certainly didn't help his career. Playing a meek suburbanite, Pryor's raw comedic persona was castrated with a silly name (Arlo Pear???) and a bland, inoffensive script. Watch him in this movie and note how defeated he appears. In a decade Pryor went from STIR CRAZY and BLUE COLLAR to a feature-length sitcom that could have starred anybody.

That's not to say MOVING is without merits. It provided Dana Carvey with his funniest role that didn't co-star Mike Myers, and Randy Quaid (a good actor who can do comedy as opposed to a good comedian) earns a lot of laughs here in a dual role.

But the efforts of the supporting cast are wasted by a script that should have gone through more re-writes. A comedy about moving your family across the country could find a lot of humor in the small but countless frustrations that can happen when undertaking such a challenge. Instead of wringing laughs from human foibles, here we've got stupid professional movers who do things to be funny, therefore making what they do unfunny. That old guy wrapping every toy separately? The other guys breaking furniture and taking a side trip to New Orleans? It's dumb, and not believable, and not funny. (However, Carvey acts like he's in a whole 'nother--and better--comedy. I gotta admit: his shtick in drag was hilarious.)

The movie has structural problems too. It spends half the movie packing their things and dealing with the slob neighbor, and -- bam! -- it jumps to the family's new home. What happened during the 3000-mile drive to get there? Did the kids get on the parent's nerves while cooped up in the back seat the whole time? Surely there are possible cross-country mishaps that weren't already explored in NAT'L LAMPOON'S VACATION, right?

(One minor thing. What road did they take out of Jersey? They're on some blacktop with a sign stating they're leaving the Garden State. Um, don't they have to cross the Delaware River to enter Pennsylvania?)

And I wonder if a black family from Jersey would assimilate so easily in suburban Idaho. Since anybody could have been cast in the role, was this movie written with Pryor in mind? Doesn't seem so, since this family is white in every way except skin color. Their closest friends are an elderly white couple, and their daughter, played by Stacey Dash, appears to have blue eyes (leading me to believe she should have been cast instead as a Wannabe in Spike Lee's SCHOOL DAZE). Forgive me for raising racial issues in a lightweight '80s comedy, but wouldn't this affluent black family from the East Coast have any reservations about relocating to Aryan Nation? A 1990 census shows that Idaho was over 94% Caucasian while Blacks made up less than one percent around the time the movie was made. (American Indians, at 1.3%, were more represented.) Wouldn't this have been a factor in their decision to move there?

Finally, for a movie that's barely ninety minutes long, MOVING coughs and wheezes to the closing credits. It somehow feels both overlong and too short, if that makes sense. And there's a chase scene to wrap things up. A chase scene to end a bad comedy? What else is new?

This story has been told before: the neighbours from hell. Nothing new is added.

Several scenes are funny, but most of this movie is a bit bland and even tedious to watch.

Not terribly bad, but definitely not hilarious. Flopped at the box office. I couldnt remember it even existed and I havent missed much...

This movie is one of my favorites. Richard Pryor was such a rare comic genius and talented actor and it still saddens me that we've lost him. He brings so much humanity into his performances that you instantly relate to his characters. This movie is no exception. So many great cameos as well. The cast is stellar, can't think of a weak link.

In the mid-1980s, Richard Pryor's longtime drug addiction began to affect his physical appearance, he began to look sickly and pretty frail on screen. Despite the fact, this was Pryor's last starring role in a feature film. This comedy has quite a few laughs.

Arlo Pear is a mild-mannered engineer from New Jersey who is given a new job position in Boise, Idaho. His family is not happy with the idea, but have no choice but to go with it. Unfortunately, things fall apart quickly: their teenage daughter tries to sabotage every open house that happens, the three movers hired to transport the belongings to the new house actually steal them, and Arlo hires a young man with multiple split personality disorder to drive his priceless Saab to the house.

The cameos in the film are worthwhile, as well. Randy Quaid as crazed army veteran neighbor Frank. Dave Thomas as Arlo's friendly boss, Rodney Dangerfield as a loan officer with a serious gambling problem, Morris Day as a young man smitten with Arlo's daughter, and Dana Carvey as the multiple personality maniac.

Definitely worth watching.