Stripes (1981)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Graham J

  
  Murray's best early film performance is still a very entertaining watch.

• Chris W

  
  This is vintage Bill Murray, vintage Ivan Reitman, and a true ocmedy classic. This irreverent and hilarious satirical farce tells the story of John Winger- an unambitious loser who, after losing his job, apartment, car, and girlfriend, decides to see if his life will improve if he… More
  This is vintage Bill Murray, vintage Ivan Reitman, and a true ocmedy classic. This irreverent and hilarious satirical farce tells the story of John Winger- an unambitious loser who, after losing his job, apartment, car, and girlfriend, decides to see if his life will improve if he joins the army. So he does, along with his best friend Russell Ziskey (whom he forces to go with him)- a guy who'd be more comfortable reading a book or just hanging out than do the things that military men do.They get put into a platoon of other lovable misfits, and, through some sort of way, actually managed to make something of themselves. This is a fun, entertaining and high quality slob comedy. It's low brow, but smart. It als ohas a hell of a cast. Murray takes the kead, and joinging him are Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Candy, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, and, P.J. Soles and Sean Young as two foxy MPs who turn a blind eye to the antics of the misfits. Honestly, I'm actually very shocked that it wasn't until today (8/28/11) that I finally watched this movie. Somehow I managed to go this long without actually having seen it. I can't believe what I was missing, and it's amazing how many films have taken some influence from this one. It's all very lighthearted, and the real army unfortunately isn't really like the way they portray it to be, but damn, this is still a goofy, wonderful, and terrific film.

• Mike S

  
  Three years prior to <i>Ghostbusters</i>, Ivan Reitman made this half-forgotten little comedy gem. While not as perfectly timed as said classic in its humor, it's still a fun watch with just as great of a cast. Especially as it features two of the busters: namely Bill… More
  Three years prior to <i>Ghostbusters</i>, Ivan Reitman made this half-forgotten little comedy gem. While not as perfectly timed as said classic in its humor, it's still a fun watch with just as great of a cast. Especially as it features two of the busters: namely Bill Murray and Harold "Egon" Ramis. Another name worth mentioning is the ever-awesome John Candy, who can be credited for some of the movie's funniest moments. The plot reminds me of an American version of the Swedish comedy <i>Repmånad</i>, which came out two years before it, in 1979. In comparison, I like both movies about the same. But if I could only have one of them in my shelf, I would have to go with the one starring Murray. Because when all is said and done, there's nothing in the world that can top that man's comical genius.

• AJ V

  
  A hilarious army comedy, I was surprised, I don't usually like those kinds of movies, but the great comedy cast is awesome, they really do a good job.

• Anthony L

  
  Great film, a Bill Murray classic! It?s a cross between Caddy Shack, M*A*S*H and Buffalo Soldiers with a sprinkle of Best Defence for good measure

• Dean !

  
  A pretty decent comedy with some good comedy actors on show. Silly story but quite funny, lighthearted overall.

• danny d

  
  not always my style of humor but this is an undeniable classic. murray and candy are great and it has its share of laughs that will keep you entertained.

• Chris G

  
  Have you ever known somebody that joined the Army for a stupid reason. Stripes is filled with those kind of guys. Bill Murray and HaroldRamis star as two guys that really have nothing going for their lives and wind up signing on the dotted line and joining the service. What the… More
  Have you ever known somebody that joined the Army for a stupid reason. Stripes is filled with those kind of guys. Bill Murray and HaroldRamis star as two guys that really have nothing going for their lives and wind up signing on the dotted line and joining the service. What the originally see as a cakewalk with travel and officersprivileges turns into a nightmare, mainly at the behest of Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates). After one mishap after another and Hulka ends up laid up for the remainder of basic training, the platoon ends up landing a sweet assignemnt "guarding a trick". But for these guys even guarding a truck can become an international incident. Stripes is one of those comedies from the early 1980's that's actually funny. The premise is your typical dumb fish out of water story (you can almost say that it's stolen from the Three Stooges), but Stripes is a film all its own with a witty cast and a great sense of humor. It takes it characters seriously even though they don't even take themselves seriously.

• Tim S

  
  Pre-Ghostbusters, Reitman & Co. deliver a very funny look at army life akin to M*A*S*H.

• Derek D

  
  Originally written for Cheech & Chong, Stripes is an impossibly imagined comedic take on life in the military. Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star as two guys who have nothing left in their lives to lose by deciding to join the U.S. Army. They slack their way through basic - most of… More
  Originally written for Cheech & Chong, Stripes is an impossibly imagined comedic take on life in the military. Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star as two guys who have nothing left in their lives to lose by deciding to join the U.S. Army. They slack their way through basic - most of without a D.I. (their Sergeant, played by Warren Oates, was injured in a freak accident during the rope climb exercise) and all the while get caught at a mud wrestling strip club, steal an Army RV, break through the Iron Curtain and have a couple of flings with some MP's. A lot of future stars' breakthrough roles came in this film and Murray and Ramis kind of make you glad Cheech & Chong didn't make this movie.

• Lenny M

  
  Bill Murray and Harold Ramis are very compatible.

• Curtis L

  
  Okay. Love that Murray.

• moon r

  
  the outcasts against the system, part 41352...guess who wins...hey! it's a fantasy, so get over it, willya!

• Keysha H

  
  A must see from the brilliant Ivan Reitman!

• Cindy I

  
  I still give this one high scores even though it seems to be two totally different movies halfway through. A lot of people don't like Bill Murray, but I saw just about everything he was in during the 80's, and this is definitely in the top few. And he's just the half of… More
  I still give this one high scores even though it seems to be two totally different movies halfway through. A lot of people don't like Bill Murray, but I saw just about everything he was in during the 80's, and this is definitely in the top few. And he's just the half of it. Warren Oats is a hoot and a 1/2 as Murray's nemisis Drill Sargeant Hulka. "Don't call me sir. I WORK for a livin'!"

• Lafe F

  
  Bill Murray's next movie after "Meatballs" - and it was just as funny. Bravo!

• xGary X

  
  Decent if extraordinarily obvious army comedy saved from total mediocrity by the presence of some of the biggest comic talents of the 80s. The jokes are weak but they're delivered by pros.

• Aaron N

  
  John Winger: We're all very different people. We're not Watusi, we're not Spartans, we're Americans. With a capital "A", huh? And you know what that means? Do you? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We… More
  John Winger: We're all very different people. We're not Watusi, we're not Spartans, we're Americans. With a capital "A", huh? And you know what that means? Do you? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts. The good old days of the Bill Murray 80s comedy. This is a very funny movie about two slackers, Murray and Ramis, who decide to join the army because they really have nothing better to do. They are of course put into a rag tag team of fellow soldiers and hilarity ensues. The comedy of course mainly comes from the brilliance of Murray. Everything he does is hilarious. It doesn't hurt the John Candy, Judge Reinhold, Harold Ramis, John Larroquette, and Warren Oates as the Drill Seargent among others are all involved in the film as well. About mid way through there is a particularly great sequence involving graduation that always gets me going. Very funny movie. General Barnicke: Are you telling me that you men finished your training on your own? John Winger: That's a fact, Jack. Soldiers: That's a fact, Jack.

• Dean M

  
  Really cheerful, mildly outrageous and mostly amiable comedy pitting a new generation of enlistees against the oversold lure of a military hungry for bodies and not too choosy about what it gets. Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and John Candy are wildly funny.

• Jason S

  
  Funny.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings