I am on record as saying Bill Murray is a comedy God. He ruled the 80s (Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Scrooged) stole the 90s (Groundhog Day, What About Bob? Rushmore), and remained relevant in the dubbos by interspersing more serious roles (Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers) in between the funny stuff.
Though it must be said that the funny stuff is getting harder to find, Garfield 1 AND 2? In reality a minor cameo in Zombieland was the decade’s best effort – I’m not a fan of either Tenenbaums or Steve Zissou.
Over the last weekend one of the more retro channels had a mini marathon of classic 80s movies, so over the course of a weekend I sat down and watched Colors, Angel Heart, Enemy Mine and Stripes.
Stripes follows the classic strategy of putting funny guys in unexpected situations and letting them act accordingly – Will Ferrell has made a career out of it (whether I think it a worthy career is another matter) – in this case John (Murray) and Russell (Harold Ramis) are down on their luck average joes who decide to enlist in the army to make a few bucks… After all what could go wrong?
Right?
This lends itself to various scenarios that show John, Russell and a cavalcade of disparate characters (including John Candy and Judge Reinhold) as they bumble and fluff their way through basic training under the watchful and vigilant eye of one Sergeant Hulka (Warren Oates).
Now as much as I love Murray and this film wouldn’t exist without him, Sgt Hulka is what sets Stripes apart. His dogged determination and blunt dealings with his trainees creates a great juxtaposition with John’s carefree and anti-rules position, and the two are often at odds with each other over anything remotely pertaining to discipline.
Being an 80s comedy there is an inept Captain in charge who has no idea how the army really works, some quasi-hot female MPs who are there to provide John and Russell with something to have sex with, and a variety of non-standard situations to create laughs – a mud wrestling challenge with nubile young women anyone?
“That’s the fact. Jack.”
So after the troop half arses their way through basic training a ‘could only happen in the movies’ event sees them all not only pass but get given the plumb job of guarding the army’s new super secret weapon – which looks like a medium sized bus with some cheap metal riveted onto the side panels.
Will they get up to mischief and inadvertently set the US on the brink of international conflict?
You’ll have to watch and find out.
Murray shines in his deadpan, dry, I couldn’t possibly be more sarcastic – no, wait, yes I can way, Ramis is solid as the straight man reacting to his new surroundings in quite a reasonable way, and Hulka is always there to yell just loud enough and to create enough friction to stir things up and keep the plot moving.
As good as the soldiers are, Hulka drives them and the movie to greater heights. His role is truly one of the defining supporting roles of comedy in the 80s.
Final Rating – 7 / 10. Stripes is funny, lighthearted, painless and likable in every way. It also has just enough gratuitous 80s nudity to top everything off…
