Bill Murray and Harold Ramis join the army and get involved in a plethora of shenanigans.
A weak story is saved by the great performances of Murray, Ramis, John Candy, Warren Oats and John Larroquette who are all on madcap top form.
There are great scenes prior to enlistment and during basic training. Murray and Ramis are absolutely brilliant in the scene where they sign up. They don't even have to say much more than a few words or just look at each other a certain way and it's hilarious. Also the sequence where John Larroquette sees his platoon for the first time as they charge, screaming through the muddy assault course is fantastic.
The film works well in the first two acts, but unfortunately when the focus shifts from basic training to the final sequence it goes down hill quickly. The reason for this is that all the comedic talent is then wasted on a sequence that does not showcase it at all.
The humour itself is a product of its time and not something that would see the light of day in the modern age. It is heavy on sexism, there is some racial stereotyping and one character with a learning disorder gets targeted on more than one occasion.
This is classic example of irreverent 1980s humour all the way from the Animal House inspired misfit protagonists to the Second City alumni cast. All this tinged with a hint of Cold War propaganda.
I loved it as a child in the 80s and it holds up a lot better than other similar films of that era (Caddyshack, Police Academy) on a rewatch in 2020. I do think you have to be fans of Murray, Ramis and Candy and the humour of the time to appreciate it if you are watching it for the first time.
A weak story is saved by the great performances of Murray, Ramis, John Candy, Warren Oats and John Larroquette who are all on madcap top form.
There are great scenes prior to enlistment and during basic training. Murray and Ramis are absolutely brilliant in the scene where they sign up. They don't even have to say much more than a few words or just look at each other a certain way and it's hilarious. Also the sequence where John Larroquette sees his platoon for the first time as they charge, screaming through the muddy assault course is fantastic.
The film works well in the first two acts, but unfortunately when the focus shifts from basic training to the final sequence it goes down hill quickly. The reason for this is that all the comedic talent is then wasted on a sequence that does not showcase it at all.
The humour itself is a product of its time and not something that would see the light of day in the modern age. It is heavy on sexism, there is some racial stereotyping and one character with a learning disorder gets targeted on more than one occasion.
This is classic example of irreverent 1980s humour all the way from the Animal House inspired misfit protagonists to the Second City alumni cast. All this tinged with a hint of Cold War propaganda.
I loved it as a child in the 80s and it holds up a lot better than other similar films of that era (Caddyshack, Police Academy) on a rewatch in 2020. I do think you have to be fans of Murray, Ramis and Candy and the humour of the time to appreciate it if you are watching it for the first time.