One of the essentials.

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2005)

If you are on a sinking ship and about to be stranded on a deserted island there are only a few "must have" films you should grab from the captain's film vault as you go over the side: American Graffiti (it defines high school); Animal House (it defines college); Star Wars (it defines life) and Stripes (it defines the military experience).
Granted, all these films are distorted caricatures of their eras, but that's what makes them so good.
Stripes is just plain funny. Anyone who has gone through Army Basic Training knows every character in this film is a very accurate parody of someone they have met in the army.
Stripes is a springboard for many comic geniuses, even Bill Murray for that matter; it was his first major film since he 'graduated' from SNL and it marks the first appearance of John Candy and Sean Young.
The second half of the movie is a bit long and pretentious, but by the time you get to it, you are ready for anything these clowns try to pull.
All in all, great fun.