It's actually used as form of torture. If you can sit through this film, without wanting to shoot yourself, then you have the strength to sit through anything.

So bad I either erased it from my memory or destroyed the brain cells holding information about it with alcohol as quickly as I could back then. Don't remember much about it, I think I was a freshman or a sophomore in high school then. Hoffman is a superb and versatile actor, Beatty is usually a jackass and I hate him, but has had some good films like Bonnie and Clyde. However, this piece of trash is a lingering dingleberry on the careers of both guys.

Of all the movies I quit on,this could be the wurst(worst).

Stultifyingly bad. Not even with the redeeming feature of being unintentionally funny.

Yikes. . .it's as bad as people think.

Now this is one bad movie I've actually seen, but it must have been truly horrid because I have blocked it from my mind. All I can remember is that it starred Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty, and they spent a lot of time in the desert.

The reputation surrounding Ishtar is one of the major reasons people consider it so bad. Take out all the hype about the cost of it when it came out, put two lesser known actors in the lead roles, film it in California instead of actually going to the other side of the planet, and this movie probably passes quietly into history as just another movie. It really wasn't that bad, it's just one of those movies people decided they hated before the movie even came out.

A brilliant comedic farce. Very few people really get this one, but, if you are one of the few, it may become one of your favorite comedies of all time.

This aint that bad. Hoffman in a headband. Casio keyboards. Beatty actually doing humility and confusion suspiciously well. Quite prescient too in its mix of geopolitics, terrorism and star power.

Hey, I liked this movie. I know I'm one of about eight people on earth, but I have a sincere affection for the film. It has all the elements of a cult film except obscure actors. Maybe it didn't do so well because it featured megastars Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty, so people were expecting something entirely different. There aren't many extremely funny parts, but I enjoyed the humor throughout. It was low-key and consistent. I don't really understand why it was so universally hated. I mean, it is no masterpiece, but there are far worse films out there. I really wish that they'd release Ishtar on DVD, but I'm sure a lot of people are using their money and influence to prevent that from happening.

What a complete stink bomb! The master copies should be taken out and shot.

Reasons to hate this movie: Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, the screenplay, the production, and it's SUPPOSED to be a comedy.. but it won't even make you smile. Dead, dull, and stupid. What a waste of film.. and sand.