Out-of-Date Hi-jinx

Rating: 3/10 (27 July 2000)

Rented this because I remembered it was cool. Robert Stack (who fought the original WWII on film in "To Be or Not To Be") and Toshiro Mifune (who is the classical warrior) both do gorgeous jobs with their characters in this silly comedy. Ned Beatty and John Candy are good, too. The times must have changed, tho, because today heavy-handed sex, race riot and massive injury jokes are painfully close to stupid, John Belushi is one-dimensional, and plotting is ho-hum. Other points about tightening up the plot made in earlier comments are well taken. And shouldn't the LaBrea Tar Pits blow up or something? (You want a riot? See "Zoot Suit".)