I was 11 years old when STRIPES was released. Through the years, it just slipped thru the cracks and I never saw it. So when I saw that it had been released on Blu-Ray, I rented it thru Netflix. Being a huge fan of PRIVATE BENJAMIN, I was expecting it to be the same type of fish out of water story, but with a male in the lead. Now that I've seen STRIPES, it certainly isn't on the same level as Goldie Hawn's classic Army tale, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. Bill Murray's Superstar status was solidified with this film and he is terrific as John Winger, the cab driver who joins the Army out of desperation. Harold Ramis is great as Murray's sidekick and John Candy is hilarious as the overweight Dewey. John Larroquette is brilliant. Fun to see Judge Reinhold, Sean Young, and Warren Oates in supporting roles. It's not the laugh out loud comedy I had expected and does seem to suffer a bit with age, but it was fun to finally see what is considered to be one of the great comedies from the 80's. One of my resolutions for 2012 was to see popular and classic films that have escaped me up to this point. This was a forgetful but fun way to start.
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