Stripes

Rating: 5/10 (19 December 2007)

From director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters, Twins, Evolution) is this modest army comedy. Basically John Winger (Bill Murray) is a quick-witted cab driver, well mainly ambitious loser, and his friend Russell Ziskey (alos co-writing, Harold Ramis) is no different as a foreign people's English teacher. They see an advert for the army, and decide to join more as a joke than a career. They soon start basic training under the hard-nosed, impatient and no nonsense Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates). Other 'goofballs' of this platoon include overweight Dewey 'Ox' Oxberger (John Candy), naive Cruiser (John Diehl), constantly stoned Elmo (Judge Reinhold) and appropriately nick-named Francis 'Psycho' Soyer (Conrad Dunn). After an accident causes Hulka to be unable to lead, Winger takes over, and with a new (obviously humorous) demonstration they impress the generals. Winger and Ziskey also find time to romance two pretty female MPs, Stella Hansen (Halloween's P.J. Soles) and Louise Cooper (Sean Young). Later, they commandeer a high-tech military vehicle disguised as a camper van fro a weekend away, and doing this stumble into an international incident. Now they are obviously fighting the enemy, and trying to get out alive, and in the end are all obviously praised as heroes, and individually put on magazine covers. Also starring John Larroquette as Capt. Stillman, John Voldstad as Corporal, Stillman's aide, Lance LeGault as Col. Glass, Roberta Leighton as Anita and Antone Pagan as Hector. There may not be many hilarious jokes, but I can see what the critics mean by this being Murray's breakthrough, and the platoon marching and singing Manfred Man's Do Wah Diddy Diddy is fun. Worth watching!