Written by / 3/20/2011 / 2 Comments / , , , , , ,

SPIES LIKE US

title: SPIES LIKE US
year: 1986
cast: Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Donna Dixon, James Daughton
rating: **1/2

This mid-eighties John Landis comedy has Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd as two Washington slackers sent as pawns into Pakistan and Russia. There are a few good moments and a semi-involving adventure, just not many real laughs. Scenes where the boys train as paratroopers in America, and first sent on their mission, exceeds the finale involving a hidden nuclear missile. Landis busily juggles homages of the "Road To" movies (Bob Hope provides a cameo), "Lawrence of Arabia" and (the now dated) cold war espionage, forgetting that a comedy should be more funny than significant. But the real problem are our two leads: while both are likable, it's never clear which is the straight man and which is the goofball. And prepare for the worst closing credit song ever: written and performed by, sadly, a former Beatle.
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2 comments:

  1. Facepalm at 2:52 looks like McCartney's "What've I done?" moment of realization.

    ReplyDelete
  2. yeah i know, it's SO bad, then again Paul has written some doozies post Beatles, but this takes, and eats, the cake

    ReplyDelete

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