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Marla Adams, J.P. Bumstead, Christie Claridge, Nick Corri, Brad Cowgill ... see more see more... , Marie Dubrule , Steve Eastin , Anthony Edwards , Linda Fiorentino , Aileen Fitzpatrick , Erik Holland , Dan van Husen , Francis Le Maire , Gene Lebell , Kari Lizer , Klaus Lowitsch , Irene Olga Lopez , Roland Nitschke , Alex Rocco , Chris Rydell , Bernard Spiegel , David Wohl , Bob Yerkes , Susanna Bonasewicz , Bernward Buker , Marie Carlman , Robin Cooke , Tom Deininger , Dante di Loreto , Victor Garron , Ruben Guevara , Traudl Haas , Robin Harlene Honeywell , Skip Jacobsen , Greg Karas , Elke Knittel , Berno Kurten , Ayshea Leigh , Tiina Maria , Christel Merian , Peter Pan , Reggie , Maximilian Ruethlein , Erich Schwarz , Kevin Sifuentes , Karl Spanner , Dragomir Stanojevic , Danny Tolkan , Georg Tryphon , Manfred Tummler , Kristina Vasari , Dirk Vogeley , Tim Werner , Larry Charles White , Jesus Franco , George Fisher , Christopher Rydell , Klaus Loewitsch

"Gotcha!" is a puerile but popular campus game at UCLA in which students stalk one another armed with paint-spewing pellet guns. Veterinary student Anthony Edwards may not be any great shakes in the c... read more read more...lassroom, but he's a whiz at Gotcha. His skills come in handy when Edwards, on vacation in Paris, becomes acquainted with the mysterious Linda Fiorentino. She gets him mixed up in international espionage; fortunately, the well-armed spies aren't quite as adept at "Gotcha" as Edwards is. Most of the film was lensed in Paris and Berlin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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48% liked it

4,802 ratings

Critics

44% liked it

9 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Jeff Kanew

Release Date: January 1, 1985

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DVD Release Date: August 12, 2003

Stats: 189 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (189)

  • TheMachinist
    September 4, 2011
    TheMachinist
    "Mon crayon est large."
  • ajv2688
    January 19, 2011
    ajv2688
    I caught this movie on TV a while ago, I remember it being exciting and kinda funny too. I really enjoyed it, and I'd like to see it again.
  • deano
    November 11, 2008
    deano
    The teen movie is funny, mystery and excitement - it's like James Bond in college. Anthony Edwards is well-cast as the young man being whirled into the wicked world of espionage behind the Iron Curtain, and Linda Fiorentino is so seductive and sexy in a strange mysterious way.
  • jjnxn
    September 22, 2007
    jjnxn
    Fluff but good fluff
  • Beefy
    September 24, 2006
    Beefy
    Fun 80s fluff. With a delicious Linda Fiorentino.
  • moviefan1725
    September 17, 2008
    moviefan1725
    Here's a movie that, for many reasons, could never be made today. In its opening sequence, college students run all over campus with black paint guns, shooting at each other. The mere sight of something like that today would send people running a panic, and lead to endless highli... read moreghts on CNN. The students are playing "Gotcha!", a game where they compete against others in an assassination-type game involving red paint pellets. One of the best players is Jonathan (Anthony Edwards), and it's about the only thing he's good at. When he and his lothario roomate take off on a European trip, he meets the seductive Sasha (Linda Fiorentino), that is all too willing to show him the ways of the world. What Jonathan doesn't know is that Sasha is a spy. Here's the other area where the movie couldn't be made today. Firmly cemented in 1985, the movie was made when the Berlin Wall, and communism split Germany in half. The plot simply wouldn't fly today. Sasha lures Jonathan to East Berlin, and ends up dragging him into a cat and mouse game with Germans, Russians, and any number of people that would just as soon kill you as look at you. Edwards is a likeable doofus, and comes across as a believable character who finds he has more wits and cunning that he gave himself credit for. The husky voice Fiorentino does two things in this movie very well...smoke, and get naked. The latter of which is surprising given the movies PG-13 rating. Director Jeff "Revenge Of The Nerds" Kanew makes excellent use of the Eurpoean surroundings. From tourist attractions to back alleys, the movie has a real feel that sells it far more than if they had gone the cheap route and shot it on a backlot. The movie does take a little while to get moving, and occasionally falls a little too deeply into slapstick when it comes to its humor. But it is a fun revisit to the 80's, and showcases when times were both safer and more dangerous at the same time.
  • chadroesti
    July 25, 2008
    chadroesti
    Another old one from Goose with hair! This must be when my Dad got the illegal device to get HBO...good stuff.
  • peilo
    January 12, 2009
    peilo
    Extremely entertaining as a kid, you have the spy's, the beautiful woman, a lil espionage and the paint ball guns, lol
  • nicholsonisgod
    December 29, 2008
    nicholsonisgod
    an old childhood favrite. havnt seen it in years. Its probably sucks really bad. But I loved it as a kid
  • phantopp
    July 28, 2008
    phantopp
    "Jonathan" (Anthony Edwards) is a college student with an unusual hobby. He plays an unusual game with classmates where they hunt each other down around campus, and shoot their target with paintball guns.

    It's time for vacation, and he and his friend, the womanizing "Manolo" ... read more(Nick Corri), go to France for a trip. While there, "Anthony" meets a very beautiful, older woman named "Sasha" (Linda Fiorentino) at a French cafe.

    The two become a couple, after she easily seduces the inexperienced college student. After a few days, she takes him to East Berlin after he cancels the rest of his planned trip with "Manolo".

    "Sasha" finally tells him that she is a courier who has to take a package to communist Berlin. However, something goes wrong with the delivery and "Jonathan" goes back to East Berlin by himself.

    Eventually, "Anthony" learns that things in "Sasha's" job is a heck of a lot more complicated when a group of Russians begin to follow him and even try to kill him in attempt to get an item he has no clue that he is carrying what they want.

    Now, he has to ditch the Russians, get the item to the proper authorities, in this case, the CIA, and find out the truth behind "Sasha" and her disappearance.

    OK, let me say first that "Anthony" is no "James Bond," and this is certainly not a "Bond" movie. It has a little suspense, some gun action, no car chases and no impressive explosions.

    I only felt fair chemistry between Edwards and Fiorentino. They aren't great as an on screen couple before and after you learn that "Sasha" is only using "Anthony" for a reason that isn't too clearly defined unless you see her slip something into his always present backpack. Another thing that isn't really defined well is tho the Russians work for, but "Anthony" believes they are KGB.

    The supporting cast is a little weak. "Anthony's" parents are typical 1980's movie parents who always worry that their child has gotten into drugs. And "Marcolo" is only there to pick up a beautiful blond in France, and show up to help his friend when the Russians find him back home in Los Angeles.

    For a spy movie movie, the action is quite weak. "Sasha" is never seen with any kind of weapon, which you would think she would have considering her apparent job. The Russians are always one step behind "Anthony", who never gets a chance to even save the woman he thinks he loves from them because she goes missing when they target him for the item he doesn't even know he has. There are no big explosions, no action-packed escapes from the villains and no amazing gun battles. We also never get to find out what information is on the item "Anthony" is carrying.

    Even if they only have fair chemistry together, Edwards and Fiorentino are pretty good in their roles. Edwards plays "Anthony" as naive due to his young age, while Fiorentino plays "Sasha," which turns out to a role itself, with mystery -- even when she is meeting with her contacts. Other characters are either not on camera too long to even worth mentioning or are typical villains looking for their item.

    I can only recommend this when you see it on television and there really isn't anything else on. It's not perfect, but it's not a disaster either.

View All Gotcha! Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
January 23, 2006
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Uninspired sophomoric spy caper. Full Review

Pete Vonder Haar
October 28, 2005
Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat

Every Cold War adolescent's fantasy: Linda Fiorentino possibly trying to kill you

Fred Topel
August 1, 2003
Fred Topel, About.com

Fun action adventure about paintball turned real

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

January 1, 2000
Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 15, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Robin Clifford
November 19, 2004
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

No review available.

Daniel M. Kimmel
February 22, 2004
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

Rebecca Murray
November 6, 2003
Rebecca Murray, About.com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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    • Jonathan Moore: You are very beautiful.... I just didn't want you to forget. [on being told by her she knew she was beautiful]
    • Jonathan Moore: I thought he was KGB from Russia
    • Al: He's a CPA from Encino... are you Crazy?
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Gotcha! Trivia

  • "Who we gonna crush? -The guards!- Who we gonna kill?- The guards!- Who we gonna kiss? (one guy)-The guards!- Gotcha!" from what movie is this piece taken?  Answer »
  • "Who we gonna crush?" "The guards!" "Who we gonna kill?" "The guards!" "Who we gonna kiss?" "The guards!" "Gotcha!" From what movie is this quote taken?   Answer »
  • "Who we gonna crush?" "The guards!" "Who we gonna kill?" "The guards!" "Who we gonna kiss?" "The guards!" "Gotcha!" From what 2005 movie is this quote taken?  Answer »
  • Fill in the blank for this quote from The Breakfast Club: "For (blank) months I gotcha. I gotcha."   Answer »
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