I have no idea why "Ishtar" is often called "the worst movie ever made." It is rolling-on-the-floor, sidesplittingly hilarious! The scene towards the beginning with Hoffman and Beatty writing *really* bad songs, and the ones later in the film with a very cantankerous camel had me laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes. I saw the movie at the recommendation of a friend, without having heard any of the media hype, so I wasn't biased against it. I can't understand why the critics bandwagoned against it so heavily. They must have absolutely no sense of humor. Maybe they were expecting another "Reds" or "Little Big Man" or something, instead of a higher-class "Spies Like Us."

Everyone I know thinks "Ishtar" is a very funny movie. Even my mom liked it!

This was a movie actually that I really wanted to like, but I gave it a chance and I disliked it intensely. It isn't completely laughter-free though, thank goodness, the business with the vultures and Charles Grodin's bungling CIA agent have their moments, but everything else is just sorry and redundant and that is including poor Isabelle Adjani.

Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman are both fine actors, but as the tone-deaf songwriters, they can't do anything with their characters or dialogue and their chemistry together is oddball and not in a good way. For me, there wasn't a single likable character, the direction was sluggish, the film feels overlong and dull in the pace and the story is unfocused and never comes alive.

I didn't think much of the production values and music either. The production values are okay but did little for me, while the music is forgettable. But the worst offender is the script which is just the epitome of crass, it isn't just that, it is also trite and racially-insensitive.

Overall, a mess. 1/10 Bethany Cox

When ISHTAR began, I marveled at the insane casting. First, you have two men who have no musical talent whatsoever. This is the shtick of the film but it doesn't work well. Such a musical team should have at least some possibility of someone enjoying their songs as professional singers. These two (Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty) have absolutely no talent and their casting as singers is way beyond an acting stretch--it just seems stupid. Second, Beatty's character in particular is awful. Who in their right minds would believe that he is an uneducated working stiff who's had jobs as an ice cream man, a gas station attendant and a factory worker?!? And, when he tells Hoffman that he's jealous of him because Hoffman is so good with ladies, it is just dumb....BEATTY of all people complaining that he can't get a girlfriend!?! Talk about ridiculous!! Third, it's a comedy...with Hoffman and Beatty?! Sure, Hoffman did TOOTSIE, but Warren Beatty and a comedy? What were they thinking?! Fourth, I think Beatty was supposed to be playing a Texan, as occasionally he had an exaggerated accent that sounded somewhat like a Texas accent. Beatty...as a Texan?! Yeah...right. So, at the outset the film just made no sense at all and you wondered if either Hoffman and Beatty were THAT out of touch or it was the director (Eileen May) who was certifiably crazy. My assumption is that both possibilities are true! Of course, for $5 million each, I guess I can understand why they'd agree to such stupid roles.

The film begins with Hoffman and Beatty meeting and forming a musical team. Unable to get work as an act in America, their agent offers them a job in Honduras as well as the fictional land of Ishtar (in North Africa). They choose Ishtar and find themselves in the middle of a revolution. Beatty is recruited by the Leftists (probably since they'd seen REDS and knew his political bent) and Hoffman is recruited by the wacky CIA agent, Charles Grodin. Unfortunately, both have no idea why they agree to do what they're doing and it looks again and again like they'll be killed. Sadly, they seem impossible to kill and they have many wacky adventures. Sounds kooky, huh? Well, no...it's not. Instead, it all seems very, very forced and not all that funny. Who thought the CIA and revolutions and these two guys were funny?!

Now, it's obvious from my review that I disliked this movie. The question, then, is this as bad as the reviewers said? Yes and no. The film is tolerable to watch (particularly if you think the CIA is the ultimate evil on Earth and are looking to confirm this). It is about as good as a second-rate made for cable TV movie. However, considering the film cost a hundred bazillion dollars and took director May decades to finish editing (or so it seemed to the studios who threatened lawsuits to get her to complete the film),the results are stupefyingly bad. This might just be one of the worst films made--dollar for dollar. Certainly not among the worst films ever made...but still quite bad. Only of interest to the very, very curious or those who enjoy pain...lots of unrelenting pain.