Ishtar

PG-13

Released May 15, 1987

1 hr. 47 min.

Comedy

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List

41%

59 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Booked in Marrakech, two New York singers (Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman) stop in Ishtar, meet a beautiful rebel (Isabelle Adjani) and alarm the CIA.

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Critics Consensus

Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, and laughter itself get lost in the desert during a flawed spoof of classic road movies that proves ill-suited for its mismatched and miscast stars.

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Jeff G

If you've ever tried to be creative this movie will hit home in a big way. It isn't a "classic" but it does pull off some nifty tricks. I think my favorite is Warren Beatty presented as a big oaf, and Dustin Hoffman as a suave ladies man. The songs go into the "so bad they are good" category. They are perfect for two song writers who don't realize how bad they are. Dustin Hoffman even thinks they are in the same league as Simon and Garfunkel. If you simply take it for what it is, "road picture" style comedy, it is very good. There are scenes that are very funny. People's chief complaint seems to center around how much it cost to make. I don't know about you but I don't use a film's budget to determine whether or not I like it. It is worth watching if you can keep an open mind and look for the gems.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

Narciso R

Gross, gross, did I mention gross. NRJ.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/02/23

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Casey M

Ishtar is my all time favourite movie. I saw it in the theatre in 1987 and continue to watch it a couple times a year if I need a pick-me-up. I sing along to every one of the ridiculous songs and know all the words. It's full of hilarious lines! Chuck trying to teach Lyle how to say the word 'schmuck' cracks me up every time!! "Say 'shh'" "Shh" "Now say 'muck'." "Muck". "Now put them together." "Smuck." I truly believe that the majority of people who call this 'the worst movie ever made' have never actually seen it. Ask Gary Larson! He actually apologized for his Far Side cartoon depicting hell as a video store where the only movie available is Ishtar. He later watched the movie and took it back. Ishtar is far from the worst. Give it a chance and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

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Steve D

Of all the films of 1987 this was technically one of them, I am almost sure of it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/23

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Shioka O

Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman are doing ridiculous from the very beginning, and this caused me difficult to watch til the end. This is one of the famously low rated films in Hollywood. So my expectation was so low and my mid was biased. Bad to be bad.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/06/22

Full Review

Audience Member

"Two schmucks in the desert." You've gotta be the blind camel to watch it, just feeling the flow of comedy wrapping around your heart. Amuse yourself, believe in what you do, be on that tiny scene, be ridiculous, sing it out loud, there's no age to do that! Hoffman and Beatty having a ball together, that's irresistible my friends!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Elaine May

Director

Warren Beatty

Lyle Rogers

Dustin Hoffman

Chuck Clarke

Isabelle Adjani

Shirra Assel

Charles Grodin

Jim Harrison

Jack Weston

Marty Freed

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Ishtar: Trailer 1

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

An elaborately antic musical of startling, even disturbing, originality.

Nov 21, 2022

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

The film fails at every level.

Rated: 0.5/4

Mar 19, 2019

Full Review

Sheila Benson

Los Angeles Times

It is a smart, generous, genuinely funny affair. Sometimes, like the camel who almost ambles away with the picture, it's longish in the tooth, but it is based on an extremely astute vision of life.

Mar 19, 2019

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Plays its humor much more straight than the Hope/Crosby comedies, which may explain why it never connected with audiences, but it's that deadpan nature that really makes it work.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 24, 2024

Full Review

Steve Warren

Bay Area Reporter

Ishtar must have started as a small idea. Unfortunately, only the budget grew.

Mar 29, 2023

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Terribly handsome (as shot by the great Vittorio Storaro), sleekly entertaining, usually amusing, and sometimes flat-out hilarious.

Sep 12, 2022

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Synopsis

Booked in Marrakech, two New York singers (Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman) stop in Ishtar, meet a beautiful rebel (Isabelle Adjani) and alarm the CIA.

Director: Elaine May
Screenwriter: Elaine May
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 15, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 6, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.7M

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