Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) User Reviews

Not as funny as when I first saw it, but still good

[MovieLuvaMatt · 7/10 · 3 July 2003]

After seeing the movie about 7 or 8 times, some of the laughs have worn out, but I still have fun watching it. You can't completely negate a movie that involves a desperate man who tries to gain back the love of his fiance by jumping out of a plane dressed like Elvis. The flying Elvises concept is definitely an original touch, but there are others as well. I like the running gag involving Robert Costanzo suspecting that his fat, ugly wife is cheating on him with Mike Tyson because of obviously doctored photos of her and Iron Mike. There's also that great scene with the 5-year-old Elvis impersonator, who's actually quite good. Anne Bancroft makes a brief but funny appearance at the beginning of the film. Peter Boyle also has a funny cameo as Chief Orman, an Indian Chief who has a love for showtunes. James Caan gives his usually savvy performance. I could've done without the cliched fat henchman character, who basically repeats everything that Caan says and bumbles all over the place. Nicolas Cage is over-the-top as the paranoid Jack, but his overacting works in the context of the film, and he's often very funny. And finally, who can resist a film with tons of Elvis songs in the soundtrack?

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Funny and original

[thirdi · 31 October 2001]

Like in "Guarding Tess", I think this is where Nicolas Cage is at his best, although this one takes the cake as far as his comedies go.

A well-written, well-acted all around, original movie with some truly hilarious moments and enough drama and complexity to make it a solid, worth-your-while experience.

James Caan is perfect as the love-stricken gangster, and his object of affection, Sara Jessica Parker, is also great as the fiance who slowly begins to come around to his advances. (She's also quite easy to look at I might add).

Everything goes wrong for Cage, as he races across hell and high water trying to catch up with the girl he wants to marry, but of course wacky high-jinx ensues. Hey, if nothing else, you can't go wrong with Las Vegas and Hawaii as your two main locations. A very good, funny film.

A must for Elvis fans

[Boyo-2 · 7/10 · 27 November 2000]

As an Elvis fanatic, this movie is a necessity. Its possible it contains the word "Elvis" more than any other mainstream movie. The impersonators of every nationality, the Flying Elvises at the climax and, as user 'lawndale' pointed out, the soundtrack is one of the best.

Aside from the King, there is still a very funny movie here. Cage was doing small comedies at the time ("Guarding Tess" and "It Could Happen to You" are two of them), and this fits in with those other light entertainments, as far as that goes. He does 'frustrated' comedy pretty well; Ben Stiller would have been in this if it were made today, since he seems to be the new 'victim' in today's comedies. All the comedy is totally dependent on Cage's performance, and he delivers in ways I would not have thought possible. His next trip to Vegas (in "Leaving Las Vegas")should have been as much fun.

An odd combination of actors, but this romantic comedy works

[cricketbat · 7/10 · 13 July 2021]

It has been years since I've seen Honeymoon in Vegas, and while it wasn't as hilarious as I remembered it to be, it's still a charming romantic comedy. The unique combination of Nicholas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Caan, and a bunch of Elvis impersonators seems like a strange one, but it actually works. Go ahead and roll the dice on this ridiculous movie, you may actually enjoy it.

hedge your bets

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 22 January 2011]

Many a movie has been set in Las Vegas, and Andrew Bergman's "Honeymoon in Vegas" is probably the average kind. I didn't consider it anything special, but also nothing bad. Just an innocuously silly comedy about a man (Nicolas Cage) and his lover (Sarah Jessica Parker) who honeymoon in the noted gambling Mecca, only to have a gangster (James Caan) try to ruin their relationship. Without a doubt the highlight was the skydiving scene. The movie is certainly fun to watch, and I figure that in that great concert hall in the sky, Elvis Presley must smile every time that someone watches it.

Also starring Pat Morita, Peter Boyle, Anne Bancroft, Seymour Cassel and Tony Shalhoub.

Cage, Parker Get Laughs In Vegas

[jhclues · 6/10 · 3 November 2000]

Writer/director Andrew Bergman offers a humorous take on romance and the consequences of procrastinating when it comes to commitment, in `Honeymoon In Vegas,' a comedy of love, loyalty, longing and an airplane filled with skydiving Elvis impersonators. Nicolas Cage stars as Jack Singer, a guy in love but hampered by a promise he may or may not have made to his mother, Bea (Anne Bancroft), on her deathbed, which causes him to drag his heels on the path to the altar. When he finally manages a breakthrough, he spirits his girl, Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker), off to Las Vegas with the intention of tying the knot once and for all. But before the plan can come to fruition, enter professional gambler (and widower) Tommy Korman (James Caan), who spots Betsy in the lobby of a hotel. what follows involves something of a twist in plot, but suffice to say, Jack is about to face a personal baptism by fire. And Betsy may be the flame, but Korman is the flint. It's an amusing comedy that never gets too deep beneath the surface or purports to be anything but what it is, though the plot does dip in to a bit of a gray area, morally speaking. The performances are good all around, though nothing here is anything approaching a stretch for any of the principals involved. Cage conveys the angst of his situation with aplomb, and employs that hang-dog look he does so well to great effect while his emotions implode. Parker looks fetching and makes a credible character of Betsy, but even though the action revolves around her there is not a whole lot for her to sink her teeth into with this part. But to her credit she handles what she is given to work with convincingly enough. Caan looks every bit the part of Korman; in fact, to put this part over he had little more to do than show up. Even at that, there are times when he takes it just a trifle over the top. The supporting cast includes Pat Morita (Mahi Mahi), Johnny Williams (Johnny Sandwich), Seymour Cassel (Tony Cataracts) and Peter Boyle, who creates one of the more memorable scenes in the movie, as Chief Orman. With `Honeymoon In Vegas,' Bergman has put together a film that, while not entirely memorable, is good for some laughs (the highlight of which is when Jack must of necessity interact with the flying Elvis impersonators). In the end, with some popcorn and a little imagination, for Cage fans especially, this movie will make for a satisfying evenings entertainment. I rate this one 6/10.

Bland

[davispittman · 3/10 · 31 January 2016]

Honeymoon in Vegas is just a bland and pretty boring film. I was hoping for a fun and entertaining film, but honestly it's just not. I love Sarah Jessica Parker, she is usually great in all her films, and she wasn't bad in this movie, it's just that she simply didn't have a lot to work with in this film. Nicholas Cage was pretty good here, just not as good here as he has been in other movies. The script for honeymoon in Vegas is really just average, kind of mediocre in my opinion. James Caan was actually pretty spot on in his own role and I thought it was a good casting decision to cast him in Tommys role, but once again nothing all that great to work with I'm afraid. The comedy in this film is pretty poor, it's not funny as all. I literally never laughed once, not once, and that is a very bad sign for a comedy film, a very bad sign obviously lol. Listen, this movie is just best left alone, pass it on by if by chance you see it on TV or something. Your time is much better spent on higher quality films. 3/10

Funny and enjoyable

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 6/10 · 3 January 2011]

This was what "Indecent Proposal" wasn't and couldn't be: a watchable movie dealing with a unusual situation and make fun of it. Instead of a boring melodrama as Lyne film was "Honeymoon in Vegas" (awkward title considering that the main characters weren't married yet) is a funny and entertaining story.

The movie tells the story of Jack (Nicolas Cage) a detective afraid of commitment after a promise he made to his mother (Anne Bancroft) on her deathbed: never marry. He's dating a beautiful woman (Sarah Jessica Parker) who wants to get involved in a serious relationship, wants to raise a family and what these two are gonna do? They make a trip to Vegas to marry but he gets involved in a poker gambling with a gangster (James Caan, he's a master in creating these types of role), loses a large amount of money (which he doesn't have). The gangster makes a strange proposition to Jack: he doesn't need to pay his debt but instead he wants to spend a weekend with Jack's girl. From this point the movie enters in typical and clichéd comical situations and some funny and original moments (like all the Elvis Presley impersonators that appears countless times).

The trio of actors is very good, Cage and Caan offer great funny moments; Pat Morita playing a taxi driver that impeaches Cage of trying to reach his destiny is incredibly funny and has some of the greatest lines in the film. It is a good film, enjoyable for the most part but it hardly takes off from being a great movie. But director Andrew Bergman knew how to take advantage of a strange situation and show to viewers its comical aspects, and this was a huge deal considering that in the following year a disappointing film appeared using the same strategy and turning into a annoying drama that needed so few to really be a good film. And this little gem succeed it. 6/10

Cures insomnia

[DennisLittrell · 3/10 · 3 August 1999]

Sad but good for thirty seconds was Anne Bancroft on her death bed getting her son Nicholas Cage to promise never to marry. This scene is followed by two minutes of running the credits over a cutesy cartoon sequence like something retro from the late fifties or early sixties. SURE he's never going to marry, especially when his girl friend is Sarah Jessica Parker, pretty girl with very rounded tush and gams of steel.

This is a low-brow flick, stupid enough to be campy, or at least that was the idea. Elvis impersonators are always good for a laugh, right? And James Caan as a sleazy Vegas gambler, that's good, huh? And a guy losing his wife in a card game? You gotta love it!

Not. As in NOT funny, NOT clever, NOT interesting and NOT worth watching. I gave up after about fifteen minutes, and I tried, I really did.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

A charmingly goofy comedy that shows Nicolas Cage at his best

[Doctor_Mongoose · 8/10 · 22 February 2010]

Honeymoon in Vegas is a charming little romantic comedy directed by Andrew Bergman, which sees him working with Nicolas Cage for the first time. Two years later would seem them collaborate once more with "It Could Happen To You", a film that is equally as funny and equally as under-appreciated. The pair work really well together as Bergman's style of comedy utilises what makes Cage such a good actor, his ability to portray anxiety in a way that makes you laugh and yet still be fully sympathetic with his plight.

In a pretty high concept plot, Cage plays a private detective, haunted with dreams of his dead mother, who is in a long term relationship with a teacher played by Sarah Jessica Parker but is afraid to tie the knot. Relationship troubles persuade Cage to take the plunge, deciding to head off to Vegas to get married as fast as possible before he is able to change his mind. The comedy really kicks in when James Caan's character, a wealthy professional gambler, spots Cage's fiancée and decides to pursue her himself using the most underhand of tactics as she looks similar to his recently deceased wife.

Granted, the premise might not be the most edgy or original of ones but it consistently manages to serve up some really funny moments. Towards the end it starts to slightly go off the boil with James Caan's character seeming to change in a way that seems geared to reach a resolution rather than unfold naturally. This problem only really briefly manifests itself in places throughout the last fifteen minutes of the film, but can't really detract from the heartwarming climax involving a planeload of skydiving Elvises.

If you are looking for a goofy comedy to watch that you don't need to think about a great deal then you'll not do much better than Honeymoon in Vegas. If you are still not convinced then watch it because Sarah Jessica Parker spends a lot of the time scantily clad, and this is before she looked like some genetic engineering atrocity where the DNA of a horse was spliced with a prune.

What's Funny About This?

[ccthemovieman-1 · 1/10 · 27 September 2007]

This was supposed to be a great comedy, but I didn't find a man losing his wife in a poker game to be something to laugh about, nor did I find it cool that the woman would have a fling with the gambler who "won" her. All of that is supposed to be "hilarious," to all the mainline film critics.

Well, I guess that's just another of the thousands of examples of how sick film people are, on both sides of the camera. The lower the values, the more they like it, and vice-versa.

And while your at it, Hollywood: stop with all the Elvis imitations. That's getting tiresome, especially in Vegas. So was Nicolas Cage's constant yelling in here. This movie will give you a headache in addition to making you nauseous.

This is one honeymoon you want to skip.

It's fun enough.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 7 March 2010]

This is a fun enough little movie to watch but for a comedy it certainly still isn't quite funny enough.

It's a bit of a lacking movie but nevertheless it's still one that flows well with its story and has some good characters in it as well. It just seems as if they forgot to put some more great jokes and comedy in the movie, which seems amazing from the guy who also thought up the story for "Blazing Saddles". But then again, he also did "Striptease" and the remake of "The In-Laws". I'm talking about Andrew Bergman here, who wrote and directed this movie and just doesn't seem to quite have the right skills and qualities for the genre. I mean, he can definitely write and tell a good story and he can handle some decent characters but he just can't quite seem to get a grip on the right tone and style for a comedy. The movie does have some fun and crazy moments in it but even when watching these moments you'll have the idea and feeling that if they had pushed it a bit further all this movie could had truly been hilarious. In this particular case it probably wouldn't had harmed the movie if they went a bit over-the-top with it all.

Nevertheless, it still really is a perfectly watchable movie that doesn't really ever bore and you'll simply have a good time watching it. It is still a movie with more hits than misses in it. Those hits just aren't very hard however.

It's of course also really a movie that gets made interesting by its cast. When you have a cast with Nicolas Cage, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Caan and a strong supporting cast as well, you are of course quite blessed as a film-maker. Even though the genre isn't their strongest point (with the exception of Sarah Jessica Parker perhaps), they still make the movie a good watch with their performances.

A good enough movie to watch, though just nothing too impressive or memorable.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

a few passable moments

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 February 2016]

Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) is a private investigator dealing with many broken relationships. He promised his mother on her deathbed never to get married. His 2nd grade teacher girlfriend Betsy Nolan (Sarah Jessica Parker) pressures him into marrying her. They go to Vegas where she catches the eye of hard gambler Tommy Korman (James Caan). She reminds him of his wife Donna. Tommy wins $65k from Jack in a rigged poker game. Tommy gets Donna to spend a weekend in exchange for erasing the debt.

This is all Jack's fault. Tommy is a shark but Jack is the one who took Tommy's money instead of walking away. It would be better for the story if both Jack and Betsy are at the game. Also it would be better if Jack borrows the money only after getting the hand. After the setup, the chase has a few fun moments. A manic Cage is always interesting. Caan is terrific as a tough guy. The start is a little wonky but Sarah Jessica Parker yelling that he made her into a whore is pretty funny. There are some sporadic laughs.

This honeymoon ain't no picnic.

[gbrumburgh · 1/10 · 26 May 2001]

Have you ever been to one of those movies that everyone's been pushing you to "go see! go see!" Sure enuf, you "go see" and then, after 15 minutes, you just want to "go" period. This stinker was SO bad it made me angry! I wanted my money back. Why the reviews have been from "good" to "excellent" on this one is totally beyond me.

Nicolas Cage and airhead Sarah Jessica Parker headline this misguided slapstick as a long-standing couple who finally decide to tie the knot after years of hedging on his part. They head to (where else?) Las Vegas to make it official wherein Cage proceeds to "lose" Parker in a stacked poker game set up by a big time mobster (Jimmy Caan). Trying to win her back is supposedly the fun part of this "comedy" what with all the crazy problems that ensue and inane characters he encounters.

It's all for nought. Cage and Parker, known for their loopy auras, are just plain dumb here, as is everything and everybody else associated with this dreck. Cage, who has always been an acquired taste, was FUNNIER in "Leaving Las Vegas"! (That's a joke, guys, and better than anything you'll find here.) Parker, who can be a sexy, delightful featherbrain (catch her in "L.A. Story") is entirely wasted here.

Supposedly full of inventive bits, it has more the feel of somebody who stitched a bunch of stupid, tasteless, half-baked ideas together using very weak thread. Offbeat director Andrew Bergman has done better work I suppose ("It Could Happen to You" -- also with Cage) but, to tell you the truth, I just don't connect with his style or humor.

As far as I'm concerned, a THOUSAND flying Elvises couldn't save this turkey!

Not unwatchable, but far short of a classic!

[alex-howland · 5/10 · 12 April 2011]

Released five years after the Coen brothers' brilliant 'Raising Arizona' I had high hopes for this offering from a very talented young Cage and the screenwriter (and director in this feature) who was essentially responsible for the phenomenon that was Blazing Saddles. Unfortunately though, Andrew Bergman seems to have been succumbing to the inevitable gravity of a rather slippery slope ever since that success (as the role of producer on the horrendous Striptease will attest) and this film certainly falls short of what it might have promised on paper.

Although the script is rather laboured and clunky there are some genuine moments of comedy, a few one-liners that you will be repeating to your friends for a couple of weeks after seeing the movie and a pretty original climax involving a troupe of sky diving Elvis impersonators and a rather miffed James Caan.

Although I would agree with a lot of the other reviews that the soundtrack is excellent and even Sarah Jessica Parker puts in a good performance if you're going to see a Sin City based movie starring Nicholas Cage make it 'Leaving…' and not 'Honeymoon in'. A solid five out of ten, not unwatchable, but far short of a classic.

Don't take any side trips if you're going to Vegas to get married...

[moviedude1 · 6/10 · 21 November 2003]

Cage is a man whose mother preached to him about the evils of marriage and took it with her to the grave, giving him nightmares, especially when his girlfriend, Parker is pressuring him to marry her. Caan is a mobster who lost his wife that looked a lot like Parker. The setting is a romantic backdrop surrounding the sights of Las Vegas. I like how they mentioned Bally's casino & hotel so many times, but my girlfriend said that the place is no longer open.

Cage is a fanatic about getting his girl back when Caan sets him up to lose her in a poker game. He might be a fanatic, but he's also an idiot! He couldn't see that he was cheated, but then, to top it off, Caan comes up with a solution SO QUICKLY when it comes time for Cage to pay back the money!

The movie is not bad! Caan makes a good bad guy, as he's proved so many times. Cage takes the uneasiness about getting married to a new limit and Parker...well, I think the only reason Parker was there was to look cute. I realize that she didn't have much to say when it came time for Cage to pay up and I don't think that much of Cage for him to even consider the option when presented to him. It's almost like a romantic comedy version of "Indecent Proposal."

A thoroughly average comedy

[tiailds · 5/10 · 10 February 2016]

Wasn't expecting much except a silly movie. Did it's job rather well.

"Was it interesting?" Not a thinking movie, even for a comedy. The characters reactions and motivations were believable.

1.5 out of 3 "Was it memorable?" Not really. Nothing wowed me. The acting was adequate, the settings were above average. It was more charming than funny though.

1 out of 3 "Was it entertaining?" Didn't seem to long. The shenanigans weren't too outrageous. The classic music were good choices, but the rest of the soundtrack was annoying.

1.5 out of 3 Starting with 1 (because), 1+1.5+1+1.5=5 A thoroughly average comedy. Not much to say, don't have much of an opinion on.

One of the best!!

[jmarcel · 10/10 · 11 August 1999]

I can't believe this film didn't score higher in the ratings. This film is one of my all-time favorite movies. Ever. Cage has remarkable comic timing! The scene at the airport ticket counter is priceless! This is a great film with excellent performances throughout. It never slows, never lets up and tickles your funny bone all the way till the Elvis' come to town. A highly recommended rental if you have not seen it yet. This movie is a guaranteed winner.

Very Funny In Parts... Other Parts Are Lacking

[cheersfan213 · 6/10 · 8 January 2010]

This movie started out hysterical especially the interaction between Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. Suddenly, however, as James Caan's character was introduced, that chemistry faded away for good and would never again be seen in the movie. Bergman's biggest mistake was that he shouldn't have made Parker's character so fickle and he should've made Caan's more nefarious--- not out for love. It becomes another stupid love triangle tale that's been rehashed a thousand times instead of being something fresh and exciting like it had potential to be at the beginning of the movie. Still, there are many good gags throughout most notably the different types of Elvises and some funny PA announcements that you'll only catch with the subtitles on. The soundtrack is amazing and the closing fifteen minutes start to re-capture the hilarity of the first few scenes, but ultimately there's just too much time allotted to Nicolas Cage screaming and James Caan sweet-talking Parker. Definitely worth a rental, and if you can get it for less than ten bucks, buy it. It's a good film, but it had the potential to be an awesome one.

Star-trio is watchable, but results are mostly stale...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 5 February 2008]

Andrew Bergman wrote and directed this very dry comedy about the fear of marriage. Alter-shy Nicolas Cage, in Las Vegas ostensibly to marry girlfriend Sarah Jessica Parker, instead winds up in winner-take-all poker game with wealthy James Caan, a slick gambler who eventually wins the hand of Cage's lady. Nutty comedy relies on stray eccentricities to put it over, but aside from the three leads, nothing about this scenario is very interesting. Cage--encouraged to overact--mugs for laughs, while the finale (with the flying Elvis-impersonators) was used as the film's sole advertising gimmick. Bergman isn't desperate, he's just relentlessly uninventive. *1/2 from ****

Enjoyed it!

[ts-0000 · 26 April 2020]

Great cast,location choices & storyline. Watched it several times,decent popcorn flick.

An average comedy from the early 90s

[PersianPlaya408 · 6/10 · 8 August 2005]

Honeymoon in Las Vegas is a decent comedy spoof, but nothing special. Cage plays a man who is afraid of commitment but has brought his fiancé to vegas to marry, loses a lot of money to a bigshot (caan) who is reminded of his deceased wife by seeing cage's girlfriend (Parker). I thought the direction was mediocre and the script wasn't that great. Cages performance was not great, I don't like him in these comedy roles, steve martin would have been much better. I thought James Caan was good, and Jessica Parker was decent in the lead. Pat Morita was funny to see. Overall this was a decent comedy, good for laughs for once, cant watch it again though. 6/10

Nothing to jump out of a plane over...

[Tucch · 5/10 · 30 October 2018]

Apart from Nic Cage freak outs and a nice 90's film stock, there nothing more to see here (unless you're an Elvis fan) the story gets more and more nonsensical and unforgivable as the movie goes on, I understand it's a road trippy kinda over the top comedy, but even still the reactions of characters that behave like real people but make decisions like imbeciles (SJP) make it an annoying watch.

The Bruno Mars cameo was a crazy thing to see; especially it being so long ago. Also some scenes in the movie do reach an 8/10 level as stand alone scenes, which end's up making the experience even more sad due to the film not gluing together well at all.

James Cann couldn't even save it; as the bad guy supposed murderer who can't even say a cuss word or become violent/realistic in the slightest, due to age rating constrictions.

Finally I will say, I can understand how this could be some people's favourite movie of all time, due to nostalgia etc, I have a whole list of bad movies that I've loved since childhood too, and watching this movie as a child I thought I remembered it being better myself, sadly not.

Light weight, but colorful non the less.

[michaelRokeefe · 5/10 · 19 October 2000]

Insane premise and much to do about a flimsy plot. An over confident young man(Nicolas Cage)loses his fiance(Sarah Jessica Parker)in a high stakes poker game with a card shark(James Caan).

Saving this film is the swell soundtrack that features the likes of Billy Joel, Dwight Yoakam, Travis Tritt and Amy Grant singing their versions of Elvis Presley tunes.

The highlight of the movie is the colorful finale as the "Flying Elvi" scatter the Las Vegas skyline.

Also in this over crowded romp are Peter Boyle, Anne Bancroft, Pat Morita and one time UNLV basketball coach, Jerry Tarkanian.