The movie's silly, but the laughs are genuine

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2016)

For me, "Stripes" is one of the great '80s comedies; mostly because it's been funny over the years, and still holds up today. It's over-stuffed with a terrific cast, beautiful women and the comedic stylings of Harold Ramis (man, that guy could write 'em). There are some John Candy lines I still quote every now and then, and I get a kick out of watching Ramis try to keep it together in his scenes with Bill Murray. And speaking of Murray, he is plying his smartass likability to the nth degree here. The whole movie brims with it.
And even though the movie completely switches gears into wacky misadventure during the second half, that first half is comedy gold. Also, Sean Young keeps getting more and more gorgeous as the movie progresses, so it all evens out.
8/10