FALL Iiiin!!!

Rating: 9/10 (20 September 2010)

Working class schleps John Winger(Bill Murray)and Russell Ziskey(Harold Ramis)decide,on a whim,to join the Army,much of the reasoning to escape the humdrum lives they lead in the big city. Probably not the best reasoning,but if we had good reasoning added to the mix of many comedies,they'd seem to cease being comedies now,wouldn't they?
Thus we have the seedlings of this largely enjoyable comedy that mixes many of the ingredients of National Lampoon's Animal House and Meatballs(which were directed and/or written by director Ivan Reitman and Ramis),which follows the two protagonists thru basic training on through their first deployment in Europe. And if you're guessing that there's more to the story than merely passing basic training and their deployment well,you'd be guessing correctly.
A friend of mine who's been in the Army(around the time this movie was released,in fact)told me that the film isn't based in much reality--and I'm sure most people who been in the Army would probably agree--but I have the impression that this has JUST enough real element in it to make it roundly palpable AS WELL as a lot of fun.
A fantastic ensemble cast features Warren Oates in one of his last roles(as their drill Sergeant),John Larroquette(as a preening,weaselly superior),John Candy(as the gregarious,heavy-set recruit with JUST the right amount of rage issues),John Dietz,P.J.Soles(a sympathetic MP who has a thing for Murray's character),Sean Young(same as SOles' character,only for Ramis),Conrad Dunn and John Volstead(pre-"Other brother Darryl" from Newhart,as Laroquette's oft-put-upon aide)among others to fill out as big,loud and enthusiastic ensemble. Three years later,Reitman,Murray and Ramis(to name possibly just a few)would tone this formula down to "PG" for the even more successful comedy Ghostbusters. Here,they keep it loose,kinetic and light as a quasi-Cold War,broadly patriotic usage of about 100 minutes of film viewing.
A great watch no matter the medium(big screen,TV,video,DVD). The more recent DVDs have plenty of back-chatter,tributes and story about the making. Well,well worth the price if you're up for it,as well as this show.