The most underrated comedy ever? - Spies Like Us (1985) Discussion

Russian - "Every minute you don't tell me why your here, I cut off a finger"
Chase - "Mine or Yours"

Classic

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[–] rbaum 18 years ago

The scene where Chase and Aykroyd are cheating on the CIA entrance exam together= greatness

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It's the only scene I like in the whole movie so no I don't think it's underrated at all, for a comedy the laughs are few...

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[–] herrkilman 15 years ago

It's a damn silly movie, but damn fun too. I think it's underrated. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a damn funny comedy at times. Of course it's uneven, but for a comedy it has aged surprisingly well.

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[–] davie4u 18 years ago

Uh, no.

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[–] Rainman89 18 years ago

The first time I saw this I would have agreed, My friends and I had a blast, and thought this was a great movie, but now it doesn't seem so great. Still good, but not that great.

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[–] tangerine123 17 years ago

I Didn't watch any further than the bit where the Russians pick them up from the airport. The beginning was crap. The jokes were crap and barely there. Terrible movie. I gave it a 1.

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[–] rbaum 17 years ago

i guess i have to give the film a 10 to make up for your 1. I dont remember there being a scene at an airport. and yes it is a funny movie.

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[–] iujon779 17 years ago

Oh come on, the training they went through was friggin hilarious. The test scene was great, and Chevy Chase had a lot of one liners. I mean for the 80's, this movie was great.

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[–] andy123127 13 years ago

My favourite moment in this movie is when Chevy Chase throws the live grenade back at the Russians... I just love the way he sort of casually lobs it back at them:))) Typical Chevy Chase, his aloofness is uncanny and hilarious... I've always loved the guy!
Another memorable one is the "Doctor....Doctor..." bit... some may find it annoying and a bit dry, I view it as a classic piece of comedy.

Silly movie - perfectly executed

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[–] witster18 8 years ago

"I mean for the 80's its great"... wHAt?!? If 80's movies were so bad why do they keep remaking them and making them half as good? 80's movies are Awesome. Empire, jedi, back to the future, jaws, the thing, romancing, bevhills, ferris, 16, weird, breakfast, terminator, raiders, nightmare, close encounters, blade runner, goodfellas, road warrior, on and on and on.. As for this.. Not either actors best by far.. Decent with a few genuinely hilarious but short lived moments.. Its my #26 film for that yr(prob saw about 70). I give it a very soft(65/100) 7, which means i'm nearly dead on the current rating.. Another, truly underrated film took the #25 spot from spies.. A TRUE underrated comedy from '85 that nobody saw in theaters.. "Lost in America"(67/100)... Spies like us was a gigantic release that everyone saw at the time, that slightly underwhelmed due to high expectations and a heaping dose of mediocrity. And i love Chevy. Vacation is a comedic masterpiece.. This is not.

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[–] enderfax 17 years ago

You watch your moouuutthhh, mister.

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[–] piceras 17 years ago

I would be curious to know the age of the nay-sayers here...i would guess that they are younger than 30, and just don't get that humor. I have also read a few other threads in this movie, and people are actually complaining about the plausibility, and the fakeness of the movie...no kidding people, it's supposed to be a stupid comedy movie!!

Spies like us is one of the funniest movies out there, and goes into the instant-guy-bonding with fletch, caddy shack, vacation (I-III), and others....meaning that any guy can make friends with another guy by just tossing out a few quotes from these movies. good stuff!!!

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[–] chicovera 17 years ago

I think an understanding of the cold war and the arms race in the 80's is necesary for someone to fully enjoy what this film is about. It is a political satire as well as a stright-up laugh-out-loud comedy. I would'nt go as far as to give it Dr. Strangelove status, but there's a higher statement being said in this film that not everyone obviously has gotten. This is culminated with (not word for word): "You may have just ended all human life as we know it." "To preserve the American way of life, that's a risk I'm willing to take."

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[–] satie-2 16 years ago

You are so right... (and yes I don't care that I reply 1 year and 3 months later, this is a valuable thread so let's keep it alive)

I was 18 when I saw this movie for the first time (1985) and I absolutely loved it. Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd probably were at the absolute peak of their careers back then. The suspence of the cold war at the time is definitely an important ingredient of this movie. Anyone who did not experience the world we lived in back then (with WW3 always hanging in the air), probably has difficulties understanding the greatness of this comedy.

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[–] PacinoDeNiro1991 16 years ago

I watched it today for about 6th time and it's still great movie. Everytime it's on TV I watch it. It never gets old. Has a unique rewatch value. Doctor doctor scene is one of the funniest scenes in cinema history.

Making posts since Wednesday February 7th, 2007

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[–] lizandrich 16 years ago

Classic 'sleeper' movie. Very funny. Back when Chevy was funny and Dan was reasonably slim!

The problem isn't getting enough caviar. The problem is getting enough toast. 'Casino Royale'-Book

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[–] Mashui 12 years ago

Well i'm answering this 3 years and 8 months since your reply.

I do think you need to understand the arms race and the cold war but don't necessarily have to have been alive then. I was born in 1994 (almost 18 now) and i think this movie is hilarious. I didn't the first time i saw it but i wasn't really paying attention. After rewatching it i love it and i couldn't stop laughing, it's a screwball buddy comedy movie the reminds me of the "Road To..." movies with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Which is probably why Bob made a cameo in it.

I was a zombie in Night of the Living Dead

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[–] mmablaster 12 years ago

Definitely one of the most underrated comedies. It is very funny.

http://www.coolblaster.blogspot.com/

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[–] BobCH88 8 years ago

I would be curious to know the age of the nay-sayers here...i would guess that they are younger than 30, and just don't get that humor. I have also read a few other threads in this movie, and people are actually complaining about the plausibility, and the fakeness of the movie...no kidding people, it's supposed to be a stupid comedy movie!!

I'm forty six years old. I didn't think the movie was that funny when I saw it in the theater as a teen and I still don't think it's a very funny movie.

Okay, well, for the sake of argument, let's pretend that I don't have a very sophisticated sense of humor and I wouldn't know what a funny movie looked like if I saw it in the theater.

I saw The Jerk, in the theater. I saw Stripes, in the theater and I saw Trading Places in the theater. You get my point, I've seen those and a lot of funny movies, in my younger days, before I saw Spies Like Us.

It's not that funny. If it was as classic as Vacation or Caddyshack or Animal House, which is where my expectations were at when I paid five bucks to see it, then I would totally agree that it's underrated. It's not a bad movie, but it's not great either.

Three Amigos sucked too.

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[–] Ipecac314 15 years ago

I think it's the best 80's comedy ever, honestly. There's not one scene that I'm bored. I think it's classic slap stick comedy.

"What was that?"

"Sounded like a dikfur."

"What's a dikfur?"

"To piss out of."

"Dave Moss: Cop couldn't find his dick, two hands and a map."

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[–] irishhelden 15 years ago

We were just looking for the Burt Reynolds Theater...

* * * * *

How do you spell Sarte?
(slap)
And let that be a lesson to you!

* * * * *

BTW, totally agree -- this is a very underrated comedy. Unlike MANY comedies from the 80s, I feel this one has only gotten better with age. A classic!

Plus, one of the security guards at the secret US military base is Joel Coen! Not too shabby...

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[–] TeresofBlood 15 years ago

I watched it today for the first time. I liked it for the cast, but it isn't something I'd be heartbroken over if I never saw it again. She script needed work, and the directing is very lackluster for Landis. Also I think the combination of Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd didn't quite work because they are both dry. The film would have worked better with someone more animated - sadly, a combination like Belushi/Aykroyd or Murphy/Aykroyd.

http://www.danlovetere.tumblr.com

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[–] Miike_Maniac 7 years ago

That's not how you spell Sartre :)

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[–] John-86 15 years ago

how this movie is rated only a 5.9 boggles my mind. it's hilarious from start to finish.

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[–] sugreev2001-1 15 years ago

I think so,it's certainly on my list of best comedies ever.

"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left."

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[–] rave-scream-shout 15 years ago

You at least have to give them kudos to getting out of hostage situations and still manage to be hilarious XD even when they're not speaking...like their faces as they walk out of that g-force test. Classic!

"Show some balls!"
"I think it's a little too late to impress 'em."

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[–] guanzilla 9 years ago

That's my favorite line!

I'm upper 30s, these movies are right in my wheelhouse. Spies Like Us is my favorite of the SNL movies, second to only Ghostbusters.

Loved the scene in the basement when Dan's boss tells him good luck on the exam. Priceless.

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[–] coolaree 14 years ago

It was good, but imo trailed off, lost steam towards the end. I would certainly buy it on DVD...

"You have a tent?!!" :)

Chevy was excellent.

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