By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 21 seconds ago
One of the reasons that film buffs love ‘80s comedies is that many of these movies were filled with comedians at the height of their game. These are the films where every member of the cast is funny and charismatic enough to be a leading man in another film, and they are that much more hilarious as part of a killer ensemble.
One such movie is Stripes (1981), and if you’re ready to see Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and John Candy as the laziest recruits in Army history, you can stream this side-splitting military comedy on Netflix.
You’re In The Army Now
The premise of Stripes is that a burnout and his best friend end up joining the Army, hoping to build a better future for themselves. The only problem: these guys are immature slobs, and so are the rest of the recruits they must now train and work alongside. That leads to plenty of humor as they clash with the stern upper brass and get into shenanigans ranging from a visit to a kid wrestling bar to grand theft auto of the military’s latest urban assault vehicle.
The cast of Stripes is a veritable who’s who of ‘80s comedy, including Judge Reinhold (best known for Beverly Hills Cop) in a relatively minor role. The movie also stars John Larroquette (best known for Night Court) in a beefier role as the commander of recruits so lazy and stupid that they may be a threat to national security. The late, great John Candy (best known for Planes, Trains, & Automobiles) also manages to steal every scene as a slovenly recruit who wants to improve himself but keeps getting caught up in his fellow recruits’ hijinks.
Ghostbusters (Two)
Most of these hijinks come courtesy of the new recruits played by Bill Murray (best known for Lost in Translation) and Harold Ramis (best known for Ghostbusters), two actors who most audiences associate with running around New York, busting spirits with their unlicensed nuclear accelerators. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this dui has an even funnier dynamic in Stripes, a movie which also lets Ramis stretch more of his impressive comedic chops. As for Murray, he’s in full “laconic snob” mode here, and some of the funniest moments of his long career are buried in this underappreciated military comedy.
Stripes invaded theaters and conquered the box office, earning $85.3 million against a budget of $10 million. Given this profit margin, it’s somewhat surprising that the movie never received a proper sequel. However, later films, such as Ghostbusters, would reunite the comedic dream team of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. Fans wanting more of this military adventure should track Stripes down on physical media: both the DVD and the Blu-Ray come with an extended cut that adds 18 minutes to this classic slacker adventure.
Critics Were Quick To Salute
When Stripes ran its comedy up the flagpole, critics were quick to salute. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an 88 percent score, with critics praising it for finding so much in the unconventional subject of military service. They also pointed out that the movie is worth watching because it features stars like Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and John Candy at the height of their talents, which would make them household names thanks to later films like Ghostbusters and Spaceballs.
I’m a fan of Stripes from back when I first discovered it lurking on the lower shelves of my favorite hometown video store. As a Ghostbusters superfan (seriously, the number of Proton Packs in my home is alarming), I was naturally curious to see another ‘80s comedy that put Bill Murray and Harold Ramis front and center. The fact that it featured two more of my favorite comedy actors (John Candy and John Larroquette) was just the icing on the cake.
Snobs, Slobs, And Automobiles
I was immediately blown away by the cozy vibes of this movie, one in which the plot is just an excuse to let this small army of comedy icons do what they do best. Every line will make you smile, and some of the line deliveries (including Murray’s hilarious “A-a-a-a-a-army training, sir!”) will blow you away like blasts from a tank. Plus, this movie is one of the best snobs vs. slobs movies (arguably the ultimate vintage movie genre), beaten out only by Murray’s other camp classic (in more ways than one) film, Meatballs.
Will you agree that Stripes is a military comedy worth saluting, or will this film have you running AWOL from your couch? The only way to find out is to be a good little recruit and stream it for yourself on Netflix. Afterward, I have a feeling you’ll be making room for this film in your list of favorite ‘80s films!
