Stripes

Starring: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy, Warren Oates, Sean Young, P.J. Soles, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, War
1981

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two friends (Bill Murray, Harold Ramis) join the U.S. Army when they run out of better options. It proves to be far more difficult and challenging than they imagined.

Review:

Tim: Stripes is a comedy classic that does so much right, and just a few, huge things wrong. I really, really liked this movie. After the first third of the movie, I recognized the potential for greatness. After the second third of the movie, I was convinced I was watching one of the truly great comedies of all time. Unfortunately, the third third of the movie is such a letdown that it sinks this film's chance at greatness. This is a very, very good comedy. It certainly is a classic. And yet, it easily could have been better.

The first two thirds of the movie are amazing. I loved the pairing of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. You can tell these two are good friends, and that extends beyond the roles they were playing. They are genuinely fun to watch together. The movie boasts some hilarious lines, and the laughs come quite frequently. One of my favorite early lines is when Murray is told he can't park there, and he replies, "We're not parking it, we're abandoning it." This is such a small line, of no real importance- but Murray's delivery and timing is perfect, and I laughed about that life for 15 minutes. He really was one of the funniest men in the world in those days.

Murray is incredible. I can't say enough about what a great comedic actor he is. Perhaps my favorite moment is when he answers the general, "Army training, Sir!" in such an unforgettable, silly, hilarious shouting voice. It's classic Murray, and a good representation of how he took a decent comedy role and made it fantastic.

The supporting cast is good. Ramis is quite funny and gets along very well with Murray. John Candy provides a number of very funny moments. John Larroquette was too over-the-top, but his "I wish I was a loofah" line is a classic.

With so many funny, humorous moments, this film was really moving toward greatness. Unfortunately, the third act happens. The first part of the movie is about Murry before the army. He's got no real future, and is a classic underachiever. These scenes are great, character-focused, and entertaining. The boot camp scenes feature so many classic moments, and the scope of the movie is expertly expanded by director Ivan Reitman. The new characters add a good deal to the film, and Murry finds himself in several funny situations. At this point, the movie is truly outstanding. Unfortunately, the film takes an awful turn when the soldiers go to Europe.

In Europe, things start to take a turn with the RV. It makes no sense that Murray and Ramis would steal the RV to go pick up girls, or that the rest of the unit would go after them because they believe they are spies. This whole plot felt very half-backed. It gets worse in Czechoslovakia, and the final climatic prison rescue, besides offering some decent action scenes (although no one is killed, which is just ridiculous. The movie's rated R, after all) is completely ridiculous. The whole thing breaks down at this point and just seems so silly and unrealistic. The last part of the movie ruins its chances at greatness.

I really, really liked Stripes a lot. Had the ending been better, or at least slightly more believable, this could have been one of my favorite comedies. Unfortunately, it ranks just below that level. It's a classic for sure. It's also a very good comedy that squandered its buildup and chance at greatness. I love so much of this movie, but I wish the final third was better.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack