Review of Stripes (2005) by Timothy S — 05 Aug 2014

The slacker comedy has long since been a favorite of audiences everywhere because it's so easy for people to get behind the underdog. "Stripes" has long since been a fan favorite in that genre, and it's easy to see why.

The story is a winner, the characters are all likable and well-played and the screenplay is full of classic one-liners that people still quote to this day. Considering the talent involved, the film was virtually guaranteed success. Ivan Reitman is one of the most consistent comedy directors, and he has assembled a great cast/.

Bill Murray was riding a wave of success at the time of the film's release, and this solidified his position as the world's reigning wise guy. John Candy and the bubbly P.J. Soles are also terrific in supporting roles, but this is Murray's movie all the way and the key to its success. Warren Oates is also very good as his drill instructor, and the one serious scene in the movie is his face-off with Murray in the latrine works so well in grounding the picture. Obviously, this is a comedy and not meant to be taken seriously but so much ot it flies in the face of Army rules and regulations that it's nice they included one scene to give the proceedings some weight.

There are laughs all throughout the training, but the graduation scene stands out as being particularly well-written and staged. The finale, while perhaps the most far-fetched thing of all, is definitely a crowd-pleaser. "Stripes" is one of the most iconic movies of the '80's, and it has certainly earned its stripes and its place in cinematic history.