User reviews

In Edfu, in the ancient Egypt, the young Ema "Emmy" Hesire (Kim Cattrall) is a woman ahead of time. When her mother tries to force her to marry a manure dealer, she wishes to go to the future and vanishes.

In the present days, in Pennsylvania, Jonathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) is an idealistic young artist that builds a mannequin. However, he is inefficient and can not keep his jobs and his ambitious girlfriend Roxie (Carole Davis) leaves him. But Jonathan sees his mannequin in the window of the Prince and Company Department Store.

On the next morning, he saves the life of Ms. Claire Timkin (Estelle Getty), who owns the Prince & Co., and she asks the corrupt manager Richards (James Spader) to give the position in the stock to Jonathan. The Prince & Co. is near bankruptcy and the Illustra Company intends to but it, using Richards to sabotage the Department Store.

Emmy comes back to life for Jonathan and they arrange wonderful windows. Jonathan is promoted to window dresser, working with the gay Hollywood Montrose (Meshach Taylor) that becomes his friend. Soon Jonathan becomes a successful designer, leveraging the Prince & Co and is promoted to VP. But Illustra's General Manager, Roxie and Richards want to force Jonathan to work for Illustra and kidnap Emmy.

"Mannequin" is one of my favorite films and I can not precisely tell how many times I have watched it. Andrew McCarthy was successful in the 80's and Kim Cattrall is one of the sexiest Hollywood actresses ever. The excellent James Spader is caricatural in the role of Richards and Meshach Taylor is hilarious in the role of a gay window dresser. The result is one of the funniest and most delightful comedies of the 80's. The soundtrack is also wonderful. Unfortunately the IMDb User rating does not mirror the truth about this wonderful and romantic fantasy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Manequim" ("Mannequin")

The low IMDb rating for MANNEQUIN is imbecilic. This is a thoroughly delightful mixture of madcap comedy and romance, played to the hilt by a sparkling cast of players who all have a gift for comedy.

ANDREW McCARTHY is at his best as a young man drifting from job to job who ends up employed by ESTELLE GETTY at her almost defunct department store. It isn't until he gets real inspiration for window displays from a mannequin who becomes a real person whenever others aren't around, that the picture soars into romantic fantasy. KIM CATTRALL is the gorgeous dummy who comes to life and wins the heart of the hero who is at first reluctant to believe his own eyes.

The sets and costumes are fantastic, the supporting cast is excellent and the script stays in high gear until the last twenty minutes when things get a little too hectic, even for a comedy/fantasy. But it's all in good fun, a cheerful flick easily enjoyable if you like fantasies of this kind and all of it is well photographed in pleasing color with splendid sets.

ANDREW McCARTHY, KIM CATTRALL, JAMES SPADER (especially funny as a smarmy business man), and G.W. BAILEY (as the night detective) all demonstrate a flair for comedy in roles they obviously enjoyed playing.

Well worth watching.

I liked it. It's not cinema history. It's a fairy tale, complete with all the character types of that genre. The soundtrack makes me nostalgic for a time when I was young and dated dumb--well, no--I was the dummy back then (now, too, come to think of it).

The supporting cast did very well with very mediocre writing. Estelle Getty, James Spader, G.W. Bailey--and especially Mesach Taylor (Hollywood) played, respectively, the Fairy Godmother, the Ogre, his evil Henchman--and the faithful Sidekick/Buddy/Wingman. They did so with such panache that they carried the story to the level of farce.

The formula used in the movie for transformation I lost, but the point of this type of fairy tale is that Love does indeed transform people.

There's a lot of bad reviews here, which is unfortunate. The movie was released in time for Valentine's Day. I cannot remember a Valentine's Day where the mood was marked by anything other than the silly, laughing, playful mood that is captured in this movie.

This film is proof that not every movie needs to have academy award winning performances, a gripping plot and special effects to be enjoyable. Mannequin is certainly not a spectacular piece of cinematic achievement, but its simplicity and light-heartedness is what makes it great! I've loved this movie ever since I was a kid and I always, and still do, find it a fun and enjoyable watch, especially on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Jonathan Switcher is a down-on-his-luck artist. He can't hold down a regular job because his creativity keeps on sabotaging his productivity. One day he saves a little old lady who gratefully offers him employment at the department store that she owns. Jonathan goes to work arranging the store's window displays, and happens across a mannequin that he built during one of his short lived careers. Low and behold, the mannequin he created comes to life when the two of them are alone and a fun and silly romantic comedy ensues.

The entire plot is quite silly and full of holes, but the movie is pure fun. Andrew McCarthy is cute and endearing as always and Kim Cattrall is fun and witty as the bubbly mannequin. This film is rife with great one-liners and hysterical situations and of course a great 80's style musical montage. Actual one of the most unfortunate things about this film is that the music is great and a soundtrack album was never released! For shame!

Of course Mannequin isn't thought-provoking, nor is it clever or cinematic ally impressive. It's just a cute silly little film that will make you laugh as long as you don't take it too seriously.

This movie is pure cheese yet I can't help but say that I like it.Some parts are hammed up but the little romance between the lonely, artsy stock boy and the glamorous, ancient-Egyptian Barbie doll is cute. Felix, the night watchman is hilarious and the zaney Hollywood character steals the show. Cute little movie to lift your spirits.

I was a little bit disappointed to see that this movie is a 4.8 on IMDb. After all it's not that bad. It's a funny story with a romantic plot. No, of course it isn't Oscar material, and it's not the ultimate comedy. But it's just a feel good movie that you'll enjoy if you're into cheesiness.

Honestly, if you're telling me that you couldn't laugh at Captain Felix and his dog, Rambo, you must not have a funny bone. Especially for that funny scene where he and Mr. Richards end up in that car chase with Jonathan and Emmy, I mean come on, you had to laugh at that. There are also more than a few funny scenes that I thought more people would get a kick out of. Apparently, I was wrong, but please do give this movie a chance. I grew up with it and still love it 'till this day. Not to mention every time I hear that song "Nothing's gonna stop us" I think of the mall. :D

7/10

Mannequin never pretends to be anything more than what it is - lightweight fun. Nothing in here is to be taken seriously, especially when, in the first 15 minutes, the lead character is airbound by a department store sign like a seesaw for an entire scene and keeps getting zapped by the exposed wires used to light it up. It's silly through and through, but it's never less than 100% entertaining.

Andrew McCarthy stars as Jonathan - a hapless creative trapped in uncreative jobs that don't appreciate his attention to detail and artistic spark. When he gets a job at a failing department store, he meets someone who changes everything for him - a mannequin named Emmy (Kim Catrall) who comes alive when they're alone and helps him design the city's best department store window displays. These displays get him a lot of attention, but also puts him at risk of being manipulated by a rival department store.

McCarthy and Catrall commit to the silly story with an admirable amount of gusto and Meshach Taylor adds a good deal of comic relief as McCarthy's flamboyant co-worker and James Spader is appropriately slimy (and almost unrecognizable) as McCarthy's wicked boss.

If you just want to turn off your brain and have a little fun, Mannequin might quench your thirst for cheesy 80's fun.

As a comedy, "Mannequin" is completely lacking in wit. Its idea of humor is having a gay character drive a pink car with license plates that read "Bad Girl". All its secondary characters and physical gags are painfully stupid and unfunny. But as a fairy tale and a romance it fares better. As a fairy tale, because it has an initial idea that is easy to relate to (everyone has, at one point or another, looked at a doll that seemed strangely lifelike), and as a romance, because Andrew McCarthy is a likable enough hero, and Kim Cattrall brings a combination of innocence and unmistakable sensuousness to her part; you'd never guess that she is actually six years older than McCarthy! (**)

"Mannequin" is a silly movie to be sure. But I found it to be very funny at times. I was just a teenager when I first saw this movie back when it came out in 1987. My mom took me and a friend to see this, and we all laughed and had a good time. It's no classic, but so what. All that matters is that it's a fun movie, and that's exactly what this is. Andrew McCarthy stars as a man who's had bad luck with working jobs. His main interest is to be a sculptor. At one of his jobs he made mannequins, and for some odd reason he seems to fall in love with the last mannequin he made. Later he gets employed at a department store that has taken that mannequin in. And before you know it, the mannequin comes to life in the form of an Egyptian princess. But she only comes to life when the two are alone together. When someone else comes into the scene, she freezes up and turns into a mannequin again. This may sound like a stupid premise, but I don't care. "Mannequin" is a movie that's very entertaining. It's not a laugh riot, but I did laugh quite a bit throughout. Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall (as the mannequin) look as if they're having a blast, and if I was the McCarthy character, I would have a blast too. The supporting cast includes Estelle Getty (from TV's "The Golden Girls") as Mrs. Timkin, the friendly owner of the store; James Spader (in an early film role) as the smarmy manager of the store; G.W. Bailey (from the "Police Academy" films) as the bumbling midnight security guard of the store (who spends most of his time talking to his dog); Meshach Taylor (from TV's "Designing Women") as McCarthy's assistant (who acts strange most of the time); and Carole Davis as McCarthy's former girlfriend (who works at a rival department store nearby). All join in on the lunacy of "Mannequin". This is a nice, little picture.

*** (out of four)

This movie doesn't take itself seriously so why should we? Although Michael Gottlieb says it was based on an original idea, there are great similarities between this film and 1948's "One Touch of Venus". In both films a man with an artistic bent but a lack of self confidence is helped and loved by a mannequin/statue that only comes to life in his presence. This film is different in that protagonist Jonathan Switcher only brings the mannequin to life after a long string of job losses and then finally being dumped by his ambitious girlfriend, the obvious comparison being that the mannequin (Kim Cattrell) is more human than Jonathan's cold wooden girlfriend (Carole Davis).

Probably released with a teen audience in mind - I was 29 when it came out - it really fits the bill if you are in the mood for good old low brow humor with lots of broad physical comedy and one liners. Kim Cattrell could never be Ava Gardner (the statue in the 1948 film) but she's got that "I'll love you no matter what" look down pat that would make any man feel like a king. James Spader has never looked like a more unlikeable little toad, and that is quite a feat when you know how handsome he is/was.

Note that this thing is like a roll call of 80's sitcoms. There's Estelle Getty as the owner of the department store who played the eighty year old mom with a quick wit and smart mouth on "The Golden Girls". Here she plays basically the same character, only younger. Meshack Taylor was the comic foil for the ladies of "Designing Women", and G.W. Bailey played a serious role as a psychiatrist during the first season of "Saint Elsewhere" before taking on film roles where he largely played the buffoon. That is the case here where he plays the store security guard who for some reason is allowed to roam the store with a dog that is known to bite - I can only imagine what the store's insurance premiums are.

Watch this movie for "one touch of the 80's" and, like I said at the beginning, just have fun with it.

Some movies are made for more professional critics than the general movie going public, but chances are you'll find the reverse more common than you think. In the case of the 1987 romantic comedy cult classic Mannequin, the film was critically reviled on its original release yet was a huge hit at the box office and even produced an Oscar nominated top selling song called Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now. Released at a time when the magical girlfriend trend was blossoming in male gaze centered 80s fare, this film can be described as understandably dated yet harmless fun for what it was going for.

The film follows Jonathan Switcher, a passionate artist who lands a job as a department-store window dresser. When his own mannequin becomes inhabited by the spirit of a woman from Ancient Egypt, named Emmy, Jonathan's career and passion skyrockets much to the bewilderment of his peers and enemies. As mentioned previously, this type of formula was commonplace in the 1980s, partially thanks to the success of Splash. That being said, Mannequin is abundantly bizarre in its overly convoluted concept that might have been less hard to follow without Emmy's backstory in place, especially when it's hardly explained as to why only Jonathan can see her in her human form when no one else can. As a result, the film ends up being chock full with obvious cliches and predictable outcomes, including Jonathan's snobbish girlfriend Roxie Shield and the rival Illustra department store coming into play. It doesn't help that the tone is so free of cruel cynicism that any sort of suspense feels underplayed for the sake of emphasizing the humor and slapstick to the point of boredom.

However, as it is a romantic comedy set on a bizarre premise, Mannequin actually benefits as a debatable coming out story. Although this can be seen as interpretation rather than legitimate, Jonathan's willingness to accept his attraction towards the mannequin he created can be seen as a subtle commentary on embracing who you are despite what others say. Jonathan's artistic integrity is admirable in spite of conventionality keeping him from reaching his true potential, but the added bonus of a real woman spawning from his own creation feels like one's own fantasy come to life without any disturbing subtext intact at all. By Jonathan's side is his eccentric albeit emotionally boisterous coworker Hollywood Montrose, whose flamboyant personality compliments the stark contrast in the more conservative view of workplace accommodations then and now. Other supporting players range from the militaristic security guard Felix Maxwell and the casually stubborn store manager Mr. Richards as opposing foes, although the late Meshach Taylor nearly stole the show as Hollywood.

Now despite the film being laughably absurd in concept and predictably routine in execution, there can be enough to admire in Mannequin overall. As stated before, Jonathan's artistic sincerity almost paints him as a big dreamer who wants to be appreciated for his unique talents in a restraining reality that resents unconventional approaches to what he likes to do. Possibly due to Andrew McCarthy's charming performance, Jonathan's incapability of fitting in works wonders once he can finally embrace his own creation as something more than just a work of art, even in lieu of insipid slapstick and pratfalls. Although Emmy works better as a piece of beauty than a fully realized character, Kim Cattrall portrays her as a delightfully enthusiastic human being who wants to embrace the current era she is in alongside Jonathan. McCarthy and Cattrall share delightful enough chemistry beyond sex and art that one could relate to just being able to let loose and be themselves without being judged, regardless of how surreal the partner of someone established in our reality may appear to be.

As ridiculously constructed and manufactured Mannequin may be in story and comedy, it is a harmlessly charming take on a familiar fantasy sub genre thanks to its queer coded themes and willingness to embrace those with artistic integrity. Unless you're not a fan of the genre this is going for, this flick is watchable enough to at least recommend for the fun of it all. In a day and age where people are being more and more accepted for their distinct personalities and interests, Mannequin could be seen as unintentionally timeless beyond whatever the filmmakers had intended it to be in the first place.

Frivolous, fun romantic comedy from the '80s. The basic plot is that a girl (Kim Cattrall) in Ancient Egypt is being forced into a marriage she doesn't want. So she prays to the gods and is magically transported/reincarnated/whatever to the future, where she becomes a mannequin that only comes to life for Andrew McCarthy.

I know this movie is almost universally derided but I can't help but love it. It's a sweet, funny, innocently goofy movie that always puts a smile on my face. McCarthy and Cattrall are adorably likable leads. They're helped by a great supporting cast, including Estelle Getty and Meshach Taylor. Not to mention a soundtrack of great '80s songs. In a lot of ways, this movie reminds me of old comedies from the 1930s or 40s. It doesn't care if every little detail of the fantasy plot makes sense. It's just trying to show the audience a good time and, in my case at least, it accomplishes that.

Andrew McCarthy in this film got an opportunity to create and bring to life the girl of his dream. He's got an artist's temperament and has to express himself wherever he works. But sadly he works for employers who value speed and quantity so he can't hold a job. Working in a department store he fashions a Mannequin that is the girl of his dreams. And when he gives her a kiss, Kim Cattrall springs to life, but only for him.

Saving the life of department store magnate Estelle Getty gets him a job at her store and he shows genius in creating truly great display windows. But he works at night and it's Cattrall who keeps inspiring McCarthy.

Sad to say that there are any number of people who have differing agendas who are looking to put Getty's department store out of business, some of them working for her like James Spader, Carole Davis, Steve Vinovich and Christopher Maher.

Part of Mannequin's appeal for me is this incredible cast of supporting players all of whom seem to be trying to top themselves with overacting. The best two are Meshach Taylor as the very flamboyant designer Hollywood who becomes McCarthy's best friend and G.W. Bailey the store security guard who if he wasn't ready for the rubber room trying to catch McCarthy doing something wrong will put him there. Seeing McCarthy in a compromising position with a store Mannequin makes him sure we can get him on a moral's clause.

McCarthy and Cattrall through all this scenery chewing are a pair of appealing leads. Mannequin got one Oscar nomination for Best Song for the hit Nothing's Going To Stop Us Now.

The film is 30 years old and it is still fresh and appealing as its leads. And very funny indeed.

...how sad is that? Starship is one of the most reviled, untalented, and irritating bands of all time, the Nickelback of the 80s.

There's one decent thing in the film, the jokes and timing from Hollywood. The rest is unfunny, irritating, and charmless.

That includes the central premise of the film, that a woman exists only to be brought to life by a man.

That includes the 2nd female character, a girlfriend who is constantly groped and assaulted by one male after another. And yet she is supposed to be the bad guy the audience should "hate."

That includes one unbelievable plot twist after another.

Skip it.

This is a fun loving romantic comedy that hits the spot every time I watch it.

I love this film. It may not be Oscar winning material but it is high entertainment full of jokes, unusual situations and one of the best "high speed chases" I have seen.

Andrew McCarthy is so adorable as the out of work artist who finds his inspiration from the mannequin he designs and makes.

Kim Catrall puts in a good performance of the time travelling Egyptian princess who is never quite content with her situation until she reaches "present day America" in the form of a department store mannequin.

I definitely recommend this movie. It will cheer you up or just fill in an evening's movie entertainment. Whatever you do with it enjoy it cause deep down it's a love story that everyone will be really satisfied with.

Emmy (Kim Cattrall) was born in 2514BC Egypt. Her family wanted her to be married off to a camel dung dealer. She wished for a different life and the gods send her soul into a modern day mannequin. Jonathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) can't hold onto a job. It takes him three days to make a mannequin. When he saves an old lady (Estelle Getty), it turns out that she's the owner of a failing department store. She gives Jonathan a job, and he's reunited with the magic mannequin that turns into Emmy when he's alone with him.

This is cheesy 80's flic. It's got all the silly moments. James Spader is the ridiculously sleazy executive trying to torpedo the store. G.W. Bailey is the ridiculously stupid night watchman. Steve Vinovich is the ridiculously evil owner of the competition. And Meshach Taylor is the ridiculously over the top gay Hollywood. It's bad smelly cheese. But it's heart is in the right place. So I won't completely destroy this. Go ahead and just enjoy the smelly cheese.

Hello, Aside from this being a decent flick, with come real good actors when they were YOUNG, it is also a great movie for those that might recall some locations in and around Philadelphia. The department store was the famous Wanamaker's Department store in center city Philly, near City Hall. It was there FOREVER and was very well known for it's big Christmas display and show in the incredible lobby. Now when you see them go down into the basement to the "club", in reality the cast and crew relocate to another old Philly suburb classic, a now vanished club called "Pulsations". They make it seem like this is located below Wanamaker's, but in reality it is about 15 to 20 miles south of Philly near the Delaware border or actually closer to Chad's Ford, PA. This was a REAL hot spot on the lines of Studio 54 (actually designed by the same designer too). It all was just as the movie depicts it, even the robot and space ship! For those of us that enjoyed going to both of these places, this movie is a chance to see them again in all their glory! Enjoy!

This was a movie I loved as a kid, but I think my major crush on Kim Cattrall at the time must have been clouding my judgement somewhat! I gave it a rewatch as an adult not long ago, and the magic I seemed to remember from when I was young had barely survived.

The falling in love scenes where the two characters are alone were still sort of cute... but with age I could see that any development was paper- thin (unlike Splash, for example... which has a silly concept, but still takes quite a serious look at the emotional predicament of its two characters). Also, much as I love G.W. Bailey, the slapstick scenes of him running around the department store with his dog(s) wore on my nerves, after awhile...

It's fun enough though if you like the two stars, and treat it like a pantomime, rather than a story with any aspirations to substance.

It's about a guy who is down on his luck has an incredible woman come into his life and make his life better. The only problem is that she is a mannequin who only comes to life when no one else is around.

Kim Cattrall is amazing. She is beautiful, sexy, fun, loving, and full of life. She makes the fantasy character ideal and personally I think that she deserves an award for this film. Andrew McCarthy is also very charismatic and likable in this film.

This movie is light, silly, funny, romantic, and very entertaining. It's a feel good movie definitely worth watching.

10/10

Jonathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) is an artist who is struggling to hold down a job; but when a mannequin that he created comes to life he quickly becomes the most wanted window dresser in the city.

Kim Cattrall is the simply stunning fibreglass femme fatale he created, and Jonathan is soon smitten with her magical, statuesque beauty; but the competition want him out of the business, for good.

This movie is exquisitely charming throughout, and it's sprinkled with plenty of comedy moments and characters. It's sweet and cute, but it's stop short of being sickly; making it a lot of fun to watch.

6/10

Mannequin is either a sweet affectionate nostalgia movie – or an empty vacuous experience that fronts the bad side of 1980s American film making? Of all the teen comedies and brat packer pictures that flooded the decade, Mannequin appears to be the one that has no in between fan base, you either love it for what it is, or despise it and everything it stands for.

So how do you review something like that? I mean if you have seen it already and are reading this, you don't need any guidance from me. Your minds are already made up, if you have not seen it and have any interest in the 1980s strand of such fare, then give it a go. It's hardly an abomination, while for fans of Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy it has to be worth a watch to see them try to cope with such under written lead characters.

It's frothy and cheerful, but yes, devoid of substance, while one stereotype coupled with James Spader's worst performance hardly help matters these days. Soundtracking is decent enough, led by power pop ballad Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now sung by Starship, while the costuming is garishly period.

Not to be taken seriously, obviously, and it has flaws galore, but it does have fans. Who knows, you may become one as well? Or you may want to stick sharp implements in your eyes instead? Roll the dice and take the chance. 5/10

Just watched this movie again, potentially for the first time in 31 years and still loved it. Introduced my daughter (16) to it. She also loved it. Feel good, happy ever after, romantic comedy with the best song ever "Nothing's going to stop us now!" Highly recommended.

This was a favourite as a pre-teen kid of the late-80's. Hadn't seen it since then...now watching again all those decades later the movie doesn't really have much to recommend it, other than the supremely fine Kim Cattrall. But despite the potential of her role the script isn't adventurous enough to take full advantage of her comedic chops. Check out Big Trouble in Little China for a much better example of what she can play.

Still, if it's über-80's silliness you're after, Mannequin does that quite competently. It's just too lightweight to compete with the best of the 80's fantasy flicks. Even on the comedy front it didn't always land: the OTT-gay character was more annoying than humorous...likely these days some may even find him offensive, which would be ironic seen as the film has a proto-woke line about the security guard being bigoted against this character.

The main male character is a bit thin, not much to route for there. He's like a budget Michael J Fox. The antagonists are all very two-dimensional. The script is basic.

Yet it's not all bad: the narrative almost went in an unnerving psychological-twist direction (it should have!)...at least the second-half ups the pace with a fun flying scene, some slapstick chases and a threatening conveyor belt.

Watchable in a turn-your-brain-off kind of way...however, not particularly worth watching unless you really wanna scratch that goofy 80's itch.