Stripes (1981)

This is by far one of Bill Murray's best comedy efforts. John Winger the character played by Murray is the best one liner character I have ever seen. Harold Ramis and John Larroquette bring up the levels of character acting to above par for any comedy lover. John Candy and Warren Oates are also very good in there roles that they played. The visuals, and directing were superb for the time frame the movie was made. A great movie, plenty of action, one liners. The commencement scene is by far on of the best directed and acted scenes in a comedy in a long time. I love the movie and recommend seeing it, some scenes may not be suitable for all ages, the TV version takes away from the classic comedy, get the DVD and enjoy the extras and commentary that are available. A MUST HAVE for any movie fan. Comedy lovers must see this one. GREAT! GREAT! GREAT!

Fmovies: Everyone is funny in this film. Every performance is first-rate and each character adds something to the humor of this movie.

Stripes begins with Bill Murray losing his job, his car and his girlfriend all in the same day. His buddy Harold Ramis is also leading a lackluster life teaching the English language to foreigners who know only curse words. These depressing circumstances set the stage for Murray to convince Ramis to come with him and join the Army.

Basic training, a hard-ass drill sergeant, female military police and naked mud wrestling consume the rest of this hilarious film. Anyone who appreciates smart-ass humor should see this. However Murray and Ramis are the focal point of most of the humor in Stripes and are very easy to relate to. Also stars John Candy, P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Larroquette and Judge Reinhold.

Plot is terrible comedy is dry and despite being comedy is greatly unrealistic.

Stripes fmovies. After a terrible day when the taxi driver John Winger (Bill Murray) loses his job, his car and finally is dumped by his girlfriend Anita (Roberta Leighton), he convinces his best friend Russell (Harold Ramis) to join the army to travel and have fun. They team-up with a platoon of outcast and misfits, and John has problems with their tough Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates). John and Russell get into successive troubles, but they are always rescued by the Military Police Officers Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young).

Near the graduation, the clumsy and imbecile Captain Stillman (John Larroquette) provokes an accident and Sergeant Hulka is wounded; however, John uses his leadership and the general is impressed with the platoon and assigns the group to go to Italy with the prototype of an armored car. John and Russell are responsible to take care of the prototype, but they date Stella and Louise. Meanwhile Captain Stillman believes that they have stolen the vehicle and crosses the Iron Curtain with Hulka's platoon and they are captured by the communist. Sergeant Hulka escapes and releases a distress signal and John, Russell, Stella and Louise decide to help to rescue their friends from Czechoslovakia.

"Stripes" is a silly and funny comedy, but what else could I expect from a cast with the names of Bill Murray, John Candy, John Larroquette and the other comedians. The extended cut is long and most of the jokes are "politically incorrect" or sexists, but also hilarious. This is the first time that I see this 1981 comedy on DVD and I laughed a lot. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Recrutas da Pesada" ("Rough Recruiters")

Stripes is a raunchy, adult comedy from critically acclaimed producer/director Ivan Reitman (Evolution, Kindergarten Cop). And it stars Bill Murray (The Royal Tenenbaums), Harold Ramis (As Good as it Gets), John Candy (Uncle Buck), Warren Oates (True Grit).

Low life cab driver John Winger (Bill Murray) loses a lot in 2 hours. That is his job, his apartment, his girlfriend, his car. So, he decides that he's had enough of his pathetic life in New York, so he decides to join the army. He also talks his friend Russel Ziskey (Harold Ramis) into joining with him.

When they finally do join, they are both put into a platoon drilled by Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates) who has his eye on John. They both go through weeks and weeks of hell by doing basic training and putting up with Sgt. Hulka. But, they full fill their goal by meeting Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young), two beautiful MP's who have their eys on Russel and John.

As the story moves on, they go to battle in Germany and end up in more hilarious confilcts.

I must say, I think that Warren Oates was a perfect choice for Sgt. Hulka, and that he was so brilliant and funny with the character. I give him graditude. 1921-1982

This is not a movie for kids, but teens may enjoy it if they are looking for a hilarious comedy. STRIPES is 100% classic and comedy!

STRIPES is a film that I wanted to like a great deal, given that it's an 1980s comedy (one of my favourite eras) with a fantastic cast who among them have appeared in some of the funniest films made in Hollywood. And yet it left me disappointed; it's not poor, exactly, just lacklustre in comparison to other '80s comedy hits like CADDYSHACK, GHOSTBUSTERS or the later PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES.

The problem with the film is twofold; there's a scattershot approach to the narrative which means that it drags in various places (particularly in the last third, which descends into meaningless action out of place with the earlier comedy), and in addition the script just isn't that funny. It's just going through the same kind of jokes as in CARRY ON SERGEANT, made some 34 years previously, with some added T&A to spice things up.

The best thing about the production is unsurprisingly the cast, headed by an on-form Bill Murray. Harold Ramis is predictably decent, and there's a nice role for John Candy before he adopted the lovable goof character of later years. PJ Soles and Sean Young are here too, but I found their characters annoying, getting in the way of the army situation. Warren Oates looks a bit battered but it's still good to see him in one of his final roles.