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Used Cars

Play trailer Poster for Used Cars R 1980 1h 53m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell) is an unscrupulous car salesman who aspires to become a politician. In the meantime, however, Rudy works for the nice but ineffective automobile dealer Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden). When Luke dies, Rudy takes over the lot, but he faces stiff competition from the scheming Roy L. Fuchs (also Warden) who wants his brother's business for himself. In order to get more customers, Rudy and Roy each devise ridiculous promotions to gain the upper hand.
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Used Cars

Used Cars

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Critics Consensus

Robert Zemeckis' pitch-black satire of American culture doesn't always hit the mark, but Used Cars has got enough manic comic energy to warrant a spin.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Zemeckis and Gale’s movie is really a more restless and visually high-spirited version of the W. C. Fields comedies. Jan 3, 2018 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post Director/co-writer Robert Zemeckis has undeniable energy and flair, but it's being misspent on pretexts and situations that seem inexcusably gratuitous and snide. Oct 2, 2015 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Most of the time, I didn't know whether to laugh or shudder, and I ended up doing a lot of both. Oct 2, 2015 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Used Cars improves substantially as it progresses... Rated: 3/4 Mar 28, 2024 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Everything one would expect from an R-rated comedy from the early ’80s is present and accounted for: gratuitous T&A, profanity that flies like poetry, then-timely potshots at famous figures, and plenty of impressive vehicular stuntwork. Rated: 3/4 Apr 16, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It has some raunchy fun pillaging used car salesmen as untrustworthy. Rated: B Apr 15, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Erin M Great acting and funny as hell! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/16/25 Full Review phil d One of the best movies you will ever see! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/03/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, o filme nao tem cenas relevantes e boas, a história é fraca, o elenco quase não ajuda a melhorar o filme, nem o protagonista kurt Russell melhora o filme. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/25 Full Review Jarrod R Zany fun, and wildly ridiculous, and chock full of genuine laughs along the way. While this had more than a few dated and problematic moments, and a tacked-on courtroom scene, the third act brings it home. I would also like to give a nod to the duo of David L Lander and Michael McKean, who were paired up in much different roles from their Lennie and Squiggy characters from Laverne and Shirley. Also of note, when Kurt Russell and his gang put on their "Disco Night," it makes me wonder if that was written before the infamous Disco Demolition Night in July of 1979. Jack Warden was juggling two roles this one, playing a pair of brothers and rivals in the "pre-owned" vehicle sales game. His fight scenes were something to behold, but then, a paratrooper in 101st Airborne, I'm quite certain he knows how to hold his own in a fight. Can I please send out some love for Toby, played by Peanuts, one of the finest canine actors in the history of cinema. He stole every scene he was in, including the climactic car stunt. The cherry on the top? A brief but amazing segment with the incredible Dub Taylor. The more I see him, the more I appreciate his talent. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/25 Full Review John D A masterpiece of comedy. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/29/24 Full Review Audience Member This was an absolute masterpiece! It was a very simple storyline to follow with some pretty radical twists. I was blown away with the ‘anything goes’ competition and it shows how intense the storyline got. Long story short: this movie is a very underrated and an unpopular movie. It was released prematurely and its marketing was belittled so it only gained a cult following when it was released on VHS and DVD. 5 stars hands down! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/27/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Used Cars

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Zemeckis

Director

Kurt Russell

Rudolph "Rudy" Russo

Jack Warden

Roy L. Fuchs

Gerrit Graham

Jeff

Frank McRae

Jim

Deborah Harmon

Barbara Jane Fuchs

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Used Cars

Used Cars (1980) Used Cars (1980) Used Cars (1980) Used Cars (1980) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell) is an unscrupulous car salesman who aspires to become a politician. In the meantime, however, Rudy works for the nice but ineffective automobile dealer Luke Fuchs (Jack Warden). When Luke dies, Rudy takes over the lot, but he faces stiff competition from the scheming Roy L. Fuchs (also Warden) who wants his brother's business for himself. In order to get more customers, Rudy and Roy each devise ridiculous promotions to gain the upper hand.
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Producer
Bob Gale
Screenwriter
Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Columbia
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 11, 1980, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Runtime
1h 53m
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