Embarrassing

Rating: 2/10 (11 March 2014)

I watched this movie after the demise of Harold Ramis. Although I didn't expect to see a masterpiece I had the feeling I could look forward to two hours of humor and relaxation. In fact the cast (beside Ramis there are Bill Murray, John Candy and Warren Oates) was promising. As were the first couple of minutes. Everything goes wrong in the life of John Winger (Bill Murray), within a couple of hours he loses his job, his apartment, his car and his girlfriend. Out of total frustration he decides to join the army together with his friend Russell (Harold Ramis). From that moment the film doesn't escape the depth of Police Academy for example. What's supposed to be a comedy dives into a vulgar and tedious movie. When the squadron enters a nudie bar on their free evening the film reaches a low point where I have to admit that I seldom saw a more embarrassing and vulgar scene which is meant to be funny and titillating. From the moment that the action moves to the East Bloc the film turns to ridiculous. Of course the film isn't meant to be art house but the talents of the cast are completely wasted here. From later collaborations between Murray and Ramis we learn that they are capable of creating a really humorous movie but this is total crap.