Don't listen to the negative reviews

A Disappointing Continuation

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Rival aluminum-siding salesmen find themselves an increasingly hostile tit-for-tat feud spurred on by an automobile accident this Barry Levinson movie. One of two films that Levinson made in 1987, 'Tin Men' never quite found the same audience as 'Good Morning, Vietnam', which is a shame as it is arguably better, even if its lack of appeal to some is understandable. Both protagonists are, after all, very lowdown and despicable characters and while both have their occasion quirks, this is one of those films in which there is not a single likable character in sight. This is a deliberate move by Levinson though as the pair's feud is constantly contrasted against their shady business practices and salesmanship techniques, such as dropping a $5 note and insisting that it is not yours to convince a potential client of your honesty. The feud also coincides with the whole aluminum-siding industry being investigated for unfair selling practices and there is a sense that the protagonists are driven to their extremes as a result of the way they have learnt to work; "deceit is an occupational hazard" as one claims. Knowing this does not make Barbara Hershey's subplot any more credible, nor does it render either lead especially sympathetic, but it does provide some sense of perspective as the idea here is to observe how the characters operate, not to get to like them for who they are. Add in some genuinely funny moments (Dreyfuss realising that DeVito actually doesn't love his wife) and 'Tin Men' is a flawed film that still works surprisingly well. The conclusion is pitch perfect too.

This was a comedy near masterpiece and one of the best movies about Salesmen ever made. This vastly underrated and obscure movie really entertains as Dreyfus and DeVito deliver a bellicose duet of tit-for-tat with no holds barred ferocity. The dialogue, acting and pacing of this movie are wonderful and it's all about the sleazy world of Aluminum Siding Sales. There is not a shred of virtue among the two stars or their magnificent supporting cast. We are shown Sales techniques that we all suspected existed, and the Home Improvement Commission is also interested in these guys, but not in a good way.Mix into the fray of these questionable business practices the intense and violent personal feud between BB Babowsky and Ernest Tillie and the never-ending personal waterloos for the latter, and you have a recipe for hilarity. A fender bender with two Cadillacs erupts into full scale war and the ultimate outcome is hilariously surprising. I cannot say enough about the supporting cast and their continuous contribution to this movie, this is what made it great. The never-ending discussion about the deficiencies in realism of the time period show Bonanza ("This show is about a 50 year old father and his 3 47 year old sons…from different mothers!") was genuinely inspired, as well as Sam's vegetable epiphany about god at the smörgåsbord (salad bar).Nothing goes right for Tillie, as he deals with setback after setback. His car is smashed, he is broke because he's lost his Sales touch, his marriage is in shambles and the Home Improvement Commission as well as the IRS are knocking on his door. BB Babowsky seems to be winning their violent feud, but in a surprising twist, his plan for the ultimate revenge has some very unintended consequences.These men love their dark and questionable careers as much as they love their Cadillacs and the continuous revelations about their trade, and its shoddy sales practices, are priceless. If you can find this movie, buy it.

I saw this when it first came out, and I said to everyone- "this has one of the best soundtracks I have heard in a long while". I kept telling everyone that the song in the background-which is of course, "Good Thing" when Dreyfuss is kind of jigging thru the bar, was a great song, with a very catchy melody. So, I was not surprised at all, when the Fine Young Cannibals CD, "The Raw and the Cooked" released after this film- went all the way to the top (it contained 2 songs from this film) That said, I LOVE the storyline, the acting, Richard Dreyfuss is adorable, looks wise and character wise. I loved him in "The Goodbye Girl" but LOVED him in this! The funniest scene in my opinion involves Danny DeVito, at the buffet, I will not spoil it-but I thought it was hysterical! Barbara Hershey BEFORE she had collagen lips-is charming too. Highly recommend and I want this in my DVD collection!!!

Oddball, retro films like this never make the all-time top 100 lists – like one of its characters, "Tin Men" comes across as a bit of a small guy, not one of life's winners. But you're missing something quite special if you let the sound of the film put you off. Two rival salesmen in a tough market play dirtier and dirtier in a childish tit-for-tat game, raising a storm of revenge and recrimination until they drag long-suffering wife Barbara Hershey into their fight, raising the stakes for them all. Crackling with expertly ad-libbed dialogue from actors who are clearly enjoying themselves, it's like a masterclass in flowing, naturalistic dialogue – and it's very, very funny. Richard Dreyfus (he reminds me of Richard Widmark – a reliable character actor who never gets his due) and Danny DeVito are a marvel of casting perfection. Scenes such as those in the diner where the rival groups of tin men chew the fat in their own unique and entertaining ways, show pale imitators how it's done: shame on all modern Hollywood scripts that pad out a weak story by having actors babble a great deal of nonsense, very fast (Lethal Weapon 4, anyone?).I hate films about salesmen: that isn't what this is. "Tin Men" has rounded characters in a believably drawn world (in which a man's car might just come higher up the list than his wife) and a story that's really just about human beings who laugh, fail, make mistakes and don't always triumph at the end – shot and scripted with a light touch. I'd recommend you make this one you try and watch, if you can ever find it playing. A rare treat.