Director: Ivan Reitman
Year Released: 1981
Rating: 1.5
Moronic, obvious comedy that fails to be anything more than Police Academy in the Army. Bill Murray is the only reason to watch this - his terminal-slacker-hero is compulsive (not to mention impulsive), and the picture's success is a reflection of people's interest in him as a person and him as an actor (or is there such a distinct split?). His deadpan delivery and inherent likeability save his character from mean-spiritedness - his way of aggravating serious-types works because he does it in such a childish, naïve manner. But the picture itself is ludicrous, with jokes so flat they need to be peeled off the stove with a spatula (which Murray does, incidentally, with his girlfriend playing the part of the flapjack). Aside from Murray, however, the plot and boot camp scenes are rotten, the dialogue is sub-par and the last half-hour dumb beyond words (an invasion of Czechoslovakia with some super 70's camper? That's not funny ... it's stupid). It doesn't even approach the timeless humor of Animal House, which is its obvious role model.
