There’s not much reason for this prince-and-pauper story to take place at Christmastime except that, in Philadelphia, it’s mighty cold on the streets, as Eddie Murphy already knows, and as Dan Aykroyd quickly learns. Plus, it gives Aykroyd an excuse to wear the world’s rattiest Santa suit, giving us the gruesome visual of a skuzzy Santa getting a slab of smoked salmon snagged in his scruffy beard. And there’s the sense that ruining someone’s life over a $1 bet, as Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche do, is an especially cruel thing to do at Christmas.
Fortunately, the New Year is just around the corner, as is a memorable New Year’s Eve party on a train, the crucial orange juice futures report, and a period of transition and renewal that sees everyone getting his or her just desserts.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od4nSd9AVH8]