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Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P.J. Soles, Sean Young ... see more see more... , John Candy , John Larroquette , John Voldstad , John Diehl , Lance Le Gault , Roberla Leighton , Conrad Dunn , Judge Reinhold , Antone Pagan , Glenn-Michael Jones , Bill [William] Lucking , Fran Ryan , Lois Areno , Timothy Busfield , Joe Flaherty , Susan Mechsner , Bill Paxton , Gene Scherer , Robert J. Wilke , Michael Flynn , Dave Thomas , Sue Bowser , Robin Klein , Craig Schaefer , Pamela Bowman , Nancy Brock , Gino Gottarelli , Nick Toth , Samuel Briggs , Hershel B. Harlson , Solomon Schmidt , Dawn Clark , Juanita Merritt , Linda Dupree , Leslie Henderson , Arkady Rakhman , Gerald J. Counts , Yetim Buntsis , Semyon Veyts , Larry Gillette , Glen Leigh Marshall , Dale Prince , Larry Odell Lane , Joyce D. Helmus , David A. Mullins , Bruce E. Ellis , David D. Platko , Philip A. Urbansky , William R. Sykes , J.A. Crawford , Norman Mont-Eton , Mark S. Markowicz , Jeff Viola , Robert Du Laine

Bill Murray decides to be all that he can be -- and it ain't pretty -- in this hit comedy. John Winger (Murray) is a quick-witted but unambitious loser who comes home after getting fired to discover t... read more read more...hat his car has been repossessed and his girlfriend is leaving him. With no idea of what to do next, John and his best friend Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis) impulsively join the Army, more as a practical joke than a career goal. John and Russell find themselves in basic training under the hard-nosed and impatient Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates), who is stuck with an outfit of goofballs, including overweight Ox (John Candy), naive Cruiser (John Deihl), perpetually stoned Elmo (Judge Reinhold), and the appropriately-nicknamed Psycho (Conrad Dunn). The platoon succeeds in impressing the generals spite of themselves, and John and Russell even find time to romance two pretty female MPs, Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young). However, when John and Russell commandeer a high-tech military vehicle for a European weekend getaway with the girls, they happen into Soviet territory and stumble into an international incident. Remarkably, Stripes was made with the full cooperation of the U.S. Army, despite its less-than-rosy view of the all-volunteer armed forces. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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77% liked it

49,823 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

33 critics

R, 1 hr. 42 min.

Directed by: Ivan Reitman

Release Date: January 1, 1981

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DVD Release Date: June 19, 2001

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Stats: 2,356 reviews

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John Winger Bill Murray Bill Murray P.J. Soles Sgt. Hulka Bill Murray and Harold Ramis First Day in the Army Harold Ramis PJ Soles and Bill Murray P.J. Soles Bill Murray Stripes Stripes Stripes
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Flixster Reviews (2,356)

  • fb1664868775
    November 20, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Murray's best early film performance is still a very entertaining watch.
  • cosmo313
    August 28, 2011
    cosmo313
    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 h... read moree 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.
  • CloudStrife84
    April 27, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Three years prior to Ghostbusters, 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 ... read moreHarold "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 Repmånad, 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.
  • ajv2688
    January 10, 2011
    ajv2688
    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.
  • SirPant
    September 28, 2009
    SirPant
    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
  • Deano78
    September 13, 2009
    Deano78
    A pretty decent comedy with some good comedy actors on show. Silly story but quite funny, lighthearted overall.
  • sanjurosamurai
    April 3, 2009
    sanjurosamurai
    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.
  • sononothing
    February 16, 2009
    sononothing
    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 o... read moreriginally 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.
  • FilmFanatik
    September 23, 2008
    FilmFanatik
    Pre-Ghostbusters, Reitman & Co. deliver a very funny look at army life akin to M*A*S*H.
  • middleeasternfilms
    September 18, 2008
    middleeasternfilms
    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 o... read moref 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.

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Critic Reviews

October 5, 2008
TIME Magazine

Stripes will keep potential felons off the streets for two hours. Few people seem to be asking, these days, that movies do more. Full Review

Dave Kehr
April 1, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The balance of the film consists of time-tested commercial material, most of which is still working fine. Full Review

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

An anarchic slob movie, a celebration of all that is irreverent, reckless, foolhardy, undisciplined, and occasionally scatological. It's a lot of fun. Full Review

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Mr. Murray hasn't yet reached the point at which his routines can be sustained for more than 10 minutes at a time. But he has achieved a sardonically exaggerated calm that can be very entertaining. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
September 25, 2009
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

Murray's insouciant Sixties clowning survives being parachuted into the Eighties Full Review

April 1, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

An often hilarious film that provided Bill Murray with a perfect opportunity in which to display his comedic skills. Full Review

April 1, 2008
Film4

With a cast that consists largely of Saturday Night Live veterans, laughs are guaranteed, not least from a hilarious Murray. Full Review

February 9, 2006
Time Out

[Reitmam] manages a reasonable success rate at pulling off the numerous verbal and sight gags with which the script is peppered. Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 21, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

The first hour of Stripes is side-splittingly hilarious. Unfortunately, it fizzles a bit once Warren Oates' Sgt. "The Big Toe" Hulka disappears.

August 24, 2005
Empire Magazine

Murray's initial transition from the small screen is a classic. Full Review

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    • John Winger: We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh. You know what that mean? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of ever decent county in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts!
    • Russell Ziskey: My father always told me never hit another person in anger unless you were absolutely sure you could get away with it.
    • Sgt. Hulka: Son, there ain't no draft anymore.
    • Russell Ziskey: If we die, my blood is on your hands.
    • John Winger: Just dont get it on my shoes.
    • John Winger: Or maybe one of us won't.
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