Spies Like Us (1985)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Dan Aykroyd (story) &
Dave Thomas (story) ...

Release Date:

6 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

With spies like these who needs enemies?

Plot:

Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for Nuclear War.

Plot Keywords:

Missile | Spy | Pentagon | CIA | Pakistan

Cast

Chevy Chase	...	Emmett Fitz-Hume
Dan Aykroyd	...	Austin Millbarge
Steve Forrest	...	General Sline
Donna Dixon	...	Karen Boyer
Bruce Davison	...	Ruby
Bernie Casey	...	Colonel Rhumbus
William Prince	...	Keyes
Tom Hatten	...	General Miegs
Frank Oz	...	Test Monitor
Charles McKeown	...	Jerry Hadley
James Daughton	...	Bob Hodges
Jim Staahl	...	Bud Schnelker
Vanessa Angel	...	Russian Rocket Crewperson
Svetlana Plotnikova	...	Russian Rocket Crewperson
Bjarne Thomsen	...	Russian Rocket Crewperson

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 (1986) | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Lancaster, California, USA

Company:

AAR Films

Trivia:

Cameo: [B.B. King]CIA agent at the drive-in.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The chevron of the Soviet Missile Troops clearly visible on the left sleeve of one of the soldiers walking by the rocket launcher (globe with flying rocket) is a fantasy of the film makers.

Quotes:

[Arguing surgical techniques]
Austin Millbarge: We mock what we don't understand.

Movie Connections:

References "The Lone Ranger" (1949)

Soundtrack:

SPIES LIKE US

Setting the mid-80's standard...

I loved this movie growing up, and it is one that I can still laugh at today. Chase and Aykroyd have always set the mid-80's standard of what was funny, and this movie proves it. Of course there are flaws, and it probably could've been better...but for what it's worth, I think it's definitely worth owning, let alone watching.

Judging by the comments given about Spies Like Us, it seems most people, in fact, do like it. Of course, it is meant to be a comedy and nothing else. If people were looking for a break-through in film by watching Spies Like Us, then, Yes...you would be let down.

Good characters, akward situations, nice changes in scenery, and classic one-liners....I'd give it an 8, overall.