See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) User Reviews (103)

Very funny pairing of the two wonderful comic actors

[MovieLuvaMatt · 7/10 · 22 June 2003]

I remember first seeing this movie when I was about five years old, and I found it hilarious. I caught the movie a couple more times on network TV, but this is the first time I watched it again in its unedited form.

Needless to say, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are both wonderful talents with an irreplacable chemistry, and that chemistry is utilized very well throughout. Of course, the brilliantly original premise helps as well. A blind guy and a deaf guy who pair up to solve a murder? Classic! That premise is used wonderfully. There's a great line where they're interrogated and angry officer screams out, "Between the two of you, you saw and heard everything!"

There's a lot of great fish-out-of-water humor involving Pryor's blindness and Wilder's deafness. One of the most hilarious gags, along with the car chase, is when Pryor helps another blind man to walk across the street, and they end up in the back of a truck. Now that's a literal example of the blind leading the blind. Each gag is delivered and timed very well, thanks for the great actors and veteran director Arthur Hiller, who has directed the two leads before in "Silver Streak."

This isn't a perfect comedy. A few gags fall flat, but the key word is "few." Some reviewers and audiences have regarded this as the low point in Wilder's and Pryor's careers. I think of "Another You" as the low point, which is a horribly forgettable comedy that unfortunately was the last film they did together.

A good deal of the gags are far-fetched, but this is a slapstick farce and you have to expect that. That's why I always say that this is a very tricky sub-genre and if not done correctly, the audience will totally stop suspending disbelief and simply scoff at its foolishness.

Fans of Pryor and Wilder should not be disappointed. Also, if you want to see an early (comic) performance by Kevin Spacey, it's also worth checking out. Speaking of worth checking out, Joan Severance provides great eye candy, and she has a couple of nude scenes to boot. I was born in 1982, so this was the first movie where I saw the two comics together on screen, so "See No Evil" is more unique to me than it probably is to others. But come on! With scenes like a high-speed car chase involving a blind man and a deaf man trying to escape, how can this not be regarded as a "unique" comedy?

My score: 7 (out of 10)

A TIMELESS COMEDY

[matija-trost · 7/10 · 1 November 2001]

Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are probably one of the best comedy couples around. And this title is probably one of the best they made together. The most of the credit goes here to Richard, who played his part really hilariously.

Anyway, a nice late-eighties comedy, with some great laughs and not so great plot. But hey, who cares about that, when you "smile your pants off".

7 out of 10

When two become one

[Petruchio · 7/10 · 15 September 2001]

"See no evil, Hear no evil"; a perfect title for an hilarious script that was brilliantly portrayed by Gene Wilder (Dave) and Richard Pryer (Wally). The tale of two "handicapped" (as Dave remarks at the end of the film, "I'm not handicapped, I have you") individuals who come together to be ones eyes. The hilarious duo get caught in a crime they did not commit and do everything in thier power to rid them of the accusation.

I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie tremendously. I remember watching it when it first came out in 1989 and thinking, "wow...what a funny flick". Being only 11 at the time, I didn't really understand the hilarity of all the jokes that was in it. The reason why I watch it again now... 13 years later is because of one Kevin Spacey (Who plays Kirgo, the crook). I'm in the process of collecting all of his movies... and this one just happens to be one in that list. I'm glad that it is. I find the script to be wonderfull, the acting brilliant and the time spent watching it a definate fun time. Great movie!!

Good Fun

[benny-62 · 7/10 · 17 May 2000]

Not quite as good as Silver Streak and Stir Crazy but this Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor outing never fails in putting a big smile on my face.Seen it loads of times now and it's as funny as the first time, brilliant stuff.

not their best, but still funny

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 18 January 2011]

In the final Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor pairing, they play a deaf man and a blind man who jointly witness a murder. Most of the humor comes from their schemes to prove their innocence, but probably the best scene is Pryor impersonates a doctor. How gullible can people be?! Also appearing is a young Kevin Spacey as one of the criminals. He and Joan Severance make the perfect criminal pair.

OK, so "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" isn't exactly laugh-out-loud humor like "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy" were, but there's no shortage of laughs anywhere in it. I certainly enjoyed it. Also starring Alan North, Anthony Zerbe, Louis Giambalvo and Kirsten Childs.

Pryor and Wilder At Their Very Best

[Michael_Elliott · 4 February 2018]

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

*** (out of 4)

Richard Pryor plays Wally, a blind man. Gene Wilder plays Dave, a deaf man. The two meet and quickly become friends as it seems they complete one another but they are accused of a murder and must take off and try to solve the mystery of who the real killers are.

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL was the third of four films between Pryor and Wilder and I must say that it very well might be their best. If you go back and read some of the original reviews for the movie, it somewhat took a beating by many who said blind and deaf people shouldn't be made fun of. I agree with this but at the same time both actors turn in wonderful performances and I would argue that they say a lot about being handicapped and show both the blind and the deaf in a positive manor.

Of course, this is a comedy and it does feature Pryor and Wilder so one should expect jokes and there are a ton of them here and I'd say that the majority of them work. The comic genius of both actors is on full display here just by the way they bounce off one another whether it be a physical joke or just a matter of timing. Just take a look at the opening sequence where the two bump into one another and a fight almost breaks out even though they are unaware of the other one. The timing between the actors are just flawless here.

I'd also argue that both of them are very believable in their parts. This is especially true for Pryor who gives one of the best examples of a blind person that I've seen. Wilder also deserves a lot of credit for how he played the deaf man. Joan Severance, Alan North and Kevin Spacey are also good in their supporting parts. The director keeps the film moving at a very nice pace and as I said, the majority of the jokes work extremely well.

There's no question that the success of SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL falls back on Pryor and Wilder. Both turns in fabulous performances and make this film what it is.

Not bad but oh my Joan Severance

[vince4953529 · 6/10 · 3 April 2019]

I had to pause the video when I first saw Joan Severance graced the screen. I had to rearrange my schema toward human beauty. To say simply she is the most spectacularly gorgeous striking woman I have ever witnessed. With that off the way, this movie was mildly entertaining, but not outrageously funny. It's intersting to see Manhattan in the late 80's with its grittiness in contrast with the unchecked commercialism that is today.

The funniest Wilder/Pryor movie

[DragoonKain · 10/10 · 22 January 2002]

Just saw this movie again recently, and it still gets me laughing like crazy. This was the first Pryor/Wilder movie I ever saw, when it first came out on video, and it eventually got me to the video store several more times to see their other movies. Although all of them got me laughing (especially Silver Streak), this one was by far the funniest. It's definitely an underrated movie. I only wish Pryor and Wilder had done more together.

funny duo

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 26 November 2013]

Wally Karue (Richard Pryor) is blind and he doesn't like it. Dave Lyons (Gene Wilder) is deaf, and runs a newspaper stand. Wally gets a job from Dave, and quickly becomes fast friends. One day, a man comes in. After an argument with Eve (Joan Severance), she kills him. Both Wally and Dave only partly witness the incident. The incompetent police arrests the duo but then they escape. Eve and Kirgo (Kevin Spacey) are after the duo for a valuable coin.

Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are always fun together. The gimmick allows the guys to have some hilarious back and forth. The mug shot scene was gut busting funny. While the joking around is funny, the caper doesn't work as well. In the end, the movie works as an excuse for the guys to go crazy.

Absolutely Superb

[SamBob · 10/10 · 20 April 1999]

Hilarious, side splitting, very clever humour by two of the best comedy actors ever.

I have seen this film several times now, and each time is as amusing as the first.

You have just got to watch this film!

Not Wilder or Pryor's Finest Work but Has Its Moments,

[lesleyharris30 · 6/10 · 8 June 2014]

See No Evil,Hear No Evil is a decent movie with a mediocre storyline but a good comedic cast.I always like seeing Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder on screen together,the two always have great chemistry on screen and are clearly great friends,this movie is no exception,but it's just not the best movie either of them has done.I really enjoyed Pryor's performance,he did a great job pretending to be blind,he always looked straight ahead and was very convincing.I also appreciated Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey,Severance is very funny and attractive,and this is one of the first films Spacey has ever starred in,it's certainly not his finest performance,but he played his character well and this movie started off a great career for this man.See No Evil,Hear No Evil is worth the watch if it is on TV,it's short and has its some moments that are quite funny,but it's nothing outstanding.

Two friends,one blind and one deaf,go on the run to clear their names when they become murder suspects.

Best Performance: Richard Pryor

They don't make 'em like they used to (pity)

[bowmanblue · 10/10 · 20 May 2019]

I've noticed, looking back on eighties movies versus today's output, that back then (the best of them) just threw the audience into the action and went from there. There was little in the way of 'back-story' or a long period of the film's run-time dedicated to 'setting up' the characters. We were just sat down with them and left to get to know them.

I watched 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' many times during my childhood and I've only just re-watched it again (having found it on an online streaming service). I have to say that it's held up over the years perfectly and is still as perfectly funny today as it ever was. Okay, so judging by today's uber politically correct standards it may be a but 'un-PC' here and there, but - in my opinion - that's no bad thing.

It takes two comic legends and puts them together, allowing them to play off each other wonderfully. Richard Pryor is blind. Gene Wilder is deaf. One day, during their job working at a news stand, a murder is committed. They get the blame. Now, it's up to the pair of them to apprehend the bad guys and prove their innocence.

Yes, it's a little far-fetched and 'screwball' in nature and you may have to suspend your disbelief a bit in order to fully appreciate everything that happens (a blind man driving a car for one!). However, it's not meant to be a great work of art with lashings of realism. It's there to make you laugh and if you allow yourself to go along for the ride then laughs you will get.

The plot is driven by the pair's banter between them as they try to get through this ordeal with their respective disabilities and, perhaps more importantly, try to get along with each other's disabilities. The nice thing about 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' is that it never really makes fun of people with disabilities and provides a small - if humorous - insight into the perils they have to face in life while never showing that they can't achieve great things.

It's worth mentioning the bad-guys (and true killers) who are on their tale the whole time, simply because when I first watched it I never knew either of the male/female actors who played them. Now, I was actually quite amazed when I realised that the man of the duo was none other than Kevin Spacey (sporting a near-flawless British accent). I know these days he's not many people's favourite, so if you can overlook his input (and when judging Spacey on his acting alone I think few can say a bad thing about him) then there's nothing to stop you enjoying this silly, over-the-top (and yet poignant) film from yesteryear. Long may it keep up its sheer playful cheekiness.

Hard to go wrong with this one

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 22 August 2017]

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL is a fine '80s-era comedy that features a couple of big names pairing up. These are Richard Pryor, delivering an utterly convincing performance as a bolshy blind bloke; and Gene Wilder, a whimsical delight as a deaf guy with a chip on his shoulder. The two get engaged in a murder plot involving a gorgeous femme fatale and a youthful Kevin Spacey playing a British baddie. As expected, there's a lot of character interplay here, a lot of slapstick, and a lot of bad language, but it's nonetheless clean entertainment and also very funny. Pryor and Wilder have a ball as the odd couple and the highlights, like the car chase scene, are really very good.

Too many writers for a few laughs

[pedrometzker · 2/10 · 3 July 2020]

When I saw on the paper "Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder movie, where one is a deaf guy and the other, blind", I thought to myself "I'm going to laugh my ass off with this one". Well, I set my expectations too high and the film didn't even get close. The chemistry between these two legends is amazing. Sometimes, you find yourself laughing, not at the jokes, but at how Wilder and Pryor play with themselves on screen, but this isn't enough. The plot is very basic and senseless, there isn't a character study and no creativity. Too many writers for a few laughs. I have to finish with the obvious: a blind and deaf comedy.

Pryor to This there has never been a comedy Wilder

[marcusgray100 · 19 January 2004]

I love this movie and I love Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. On the face of it they're both so utterly unfunny that they come full circle on the crapometer right back round to funny. You have to hand it to them. These guys have made several films together, all of which are arguably quite rubbish, yet I always wizz myself laughing whenever I watch any of them. By the way, for all you Wilder/Pryor slapstick-duo film fan freaks out there, I stole that amazingly funny quote in my summary from the back of the Stir Crazy box. So sue me if I want to use the best line I've ever read on the back of a video box ever, anywhere in the whole wide world. You know, you should always judge a film by it's cover, and even more so by the description on the back. How could you not fall over, doubled-up in uncontrollable fits of laughter, face contorting, body spasming in the video store when you see Pryor/Wilder on the front cover of a video, one pretending he can't see, the other pretending he can't hear. Then you read the back cover and you nearly die laughing before you reach the counter due to the over-use of words such as, crazy, zany, nuts, wacko, crackers, mad-cap, caper, loony, escapades, hilarious, romp etc. etc. I mean, if you've ever seen this film, you'll know what a total load of lies that is, but they're real funny lies. All this and you have not even left the video store. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but any film that has normal, well adjusted members of the film watching community thrashing about on the floor of a video store, really should have cleaned up at the oscars. Ok, so I exaggerate. Or do I. Come on then. Lets hear some Pryor/ Wilder collaboration appreciation.

Very good, but lacks the charm of their first movies.

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 31 December 2003]

I enjoyed this endeavor very much. As an avid fan of both Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, I enjoy all their team ventures. And while I did find this movie very entertaining, it also lacked some of the magick of the first few.

Wilder plays a deaf entrepreneur, and Pryor is an unemployed blind man who comes to Wilder for a job. From the very beginning, this movie is hilariously clever. I did enjoy it, though it was a very bittersweet experience, seeing Pryor so ill, and Wilder so much in pain. It showed through both their performances.

Unfortunately, the unforgiving public did not understand, and assumed their talents were lacking, rather than there were other problems. I can only hope this will not be their last thespian collaboration.

It is well worth a viewing or two.

It rates a 7.4/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Pryor and Wilder end their careers in style

[Idocamstuf · 6/10 · 30 March 2003]

This film was Pryor and Wilder's last real film, together and solo. It was a mild hit at box offices, but it failed critically. The story is pretty good in this one, deaf man and blind man uniting to escape from a crime they didnt commit. A few good laughs in there, but after a while the film slips downhill. Kevin Spacey gives a good performance in one of his first supporting roles. Overall the films not bad, but its nothing special, If its on TV some night, give it a try. 6 out of 10.

Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder in top form

[grantss · 7/10 · 3 September 2016]

David Lyons (played by Gene Wilder), a deaf man, runs a convenience store. He recently hired Wally Karue (Richard Pryor), a blind man. A murder is committed in front of the store and both are present but due to their impairments, can't identify the murderer. Moreover, they are the police's prime suspects and are arrested for the murder. They manage to escape but now they have the police and the actual murderers after them.

A good comedy, with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder at the top of their games and at the peak of their partnership. Some great skits, generally revolving around their handicaps, and some great one- liners.

The deaf-guy-and-blind-guy routine works very well and is reasonably consistent. There are a few moments where you figure "he couldn't have heard/seen that" but it is generally quite sound.

The broader plot does bring down the quality a notch or two though, regenerating into farcical chase scenes or cheap stunts and jokes at times.

As mentioned, great work by Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in the lead roles. Among the supporting cast, Joan Severance is worth watching for many reasons: stunningly beautiful and gives a solid performance as one of the bad guys.

Kevin Spacey demonstrates that even great actors have to start somewhere (this was his fourth feature film): his gets to play a cartoonish bad guy with a silly accent and even sillier moustache and has very little room to show his acting talents. Yet, from such beginnings, great careers are born.

Good entertainment.

Richard Pryor is simply the best... better than all the rest!

[Cinema_Love · 10/10 · 11 December 2005]

Unfortunetely, I watch this movie two days before Richard Pryor dies from an heart attack, he was such a wonderful actor. The teacher of many black actors of nowadays including Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes and Chris Rock. As for the movie, it's the kind of comedy you want to watch every time you watch a comedy. You see? I don't! You hear? I don't!! That's two man, Richard Pryor as the blind guy (perfect choice by the way) and one of his best friends of all time, the talented Gene Wilder, who make the guy who can't hear. So he follow the words on the mouths of people. The plot is yet simple but effective. The beautiful Joan Severance and a unknown Kevin Spacey at that time make the villains in this movie. They are so credible, that you believe them. So I would say one thing about this movie and it's MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! You have 2 talented actors and you don't even care about the script anymore because they are so talented than they can make look good any movie they are involved to. Here, we have a good storyline, so it helps even more. You laugh about all the time even when you think ''It's too stupid to make this'', yeap, but you laugh because you are watching one of the best comedies of all times. The writing stuff is genius, they make this movie and probably at that time, it was another movie like this, but as of today, it has become a cult classic for every Richard Pryor fans! Thank you Richard for everything!

A real talent showcase

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 20 September 2016]

"See No Evil, Hear No Evil" has one of those really great gimmicks: two witnesses to a murder - one blind, one deaf - are also the prime suspects. This finds Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor knee-deep in one hazardous situation after another, and the movie really prides itself on the physical comedy of its performers. The whole police station sequence, from the mugshot through the interrogation is pure gold.

Pryor and Wilder have a natural chemistry that makes everything run smoothly, despite the improbability of a lot of what goes on here. The movie didn't work so well for me when the larger industrial espionage story took hold, but the broad comedy of the leads is definitely worth the price of admission. And for the delightfully naked Joan Severance, in all honesty.

In the end, it's really just a delightful '80s comedy.

7/10

this is genius

[dereksays booyaa · 10/10 · 20 August 2001]

This has to be one of the funniest films ever made.Two of the best comic actors in recent history.Who has there been since?next to this film I would have to put stire crazy but see no evil just eclipses it with the perfect timing of the jokes and the best scene of all fuzzy wuzzy was a what?{HAS TO BE SEEN}

Deaf Leading the Blind

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 12 February 2020]

Pryor and Wilder team up for a third time in "See No Evil, Hear No Evil." Wally Carew (Richard Pryor) is blind and Dave Lyons (Gene Wilder) is deaf. The two of them have been wrongfully charged with murder and have to go about proving their innocence by finding the real killer. Dave has only seen her luxurious legs and Wally has only smelled her Shalimar perfume. The very proposition sounds funny. The deaf leading the blind is just hilarious.

One of the best Underrated comedies of all time by the most Underrated team if all time!!

[joiningjt · 9/10 · 4 July 2021]

Not saying they were better than laurel and hardy because nobody was but this team was in the top 5 of all time. Most people forget how great they were but their comedic timing was phenomenal. They bounced off each other so well and unlike other comedy teams both were funny and both could set up the other for a laugh. It's to bad they didn't make more films together but I own everyone they made and this is at the top of the list!! If you haven't watched it you're missing out!! This is easily the 10th time I've seen it and it still makes me laugh.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil review

[JoeytheBrit · 7/10 · 21 April 2020]

A deaf guy and a blind guy must work together to find the real killers when they are framed for a murder. The kind of frequently hilarious comedy that rarely gets made today because the entire world has become so over-sensitive about what is or isn't offensive (as a straight white man - one of the few legitimate targets left - I'm largely resistant to the manufactured outrage of the PC brigade). As a comedy team, Pryor and Wilder are one of those fortunate accidents that really shouldn't work, A young Kevin Spacey sports a boil and English accent, while Joan Severance looks gorgeous.

so much potential

[disdressed12 · 4/10 · 14 November 2007]

this movie had the ingredients to be a very funny comedy.it has Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor,who play a deaf guy and a blind guy,respectfully.a man is shot and killed,and the death guy and the blind guy are the only witnesses.they can't prove anything,so they are arrested for the murder.and they escape custody.sounds like a good and original premise,right?well it is,but i found that all the jokes fell flat.i was,quite frankly,bored.after about 36 minutes,i had to stop watching.it was just way too slow.maybe you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy this movie.or maybe it's just not my kind of movie.either way,i found it pretty lame.it has a chuckle or two,but not enough to maintain my interest.if you're a Pryor/Wilder fan,you might want to check it out.for me,See no Evil,Hear no Evil is a 4/10