Talk about "Spies Like Us" here:
Review by: Frank Willett
Plot Summary
Two civilian employees of the government are caught cheating on a departmental exam that neither are prepared to take. Instead of being fired or disciplined, they are promoted to Gathering, Level 20 for demonstrating aggressiveness and "going after the edge needed to survive", as well as, working as a team to cheat. Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase), a bullshit artist information officer at State, and Austin Millbarge (Dan Akroyd), a skilled code breaker with language ability working as a repair supervisor at the codebreaking arm of the DIA, find themselves rushed through special projects training, and dropped out of a plane inside the borders of
Pakistan on a special assignment. The assignment objective is "...information that is given out on a need to know basis only."
Review
This 1985 movie, the first comedy in which Akroyd and Chase appear together, is a satirical look at the folly of Military, National Defense and Cold War Cloak and Dagger over-the-top focus of the United States Government in the 1980's.
This movie uses the cookie-cutter formula for comedies produced in the 80s. Included with the obvious laugh out loud bits, slapstick comedy, one-liners, and physical stunts are a plethora of 80s star cameos and other movie and pop-culture references.
This movie was lots of fun to watch again, even though this movie is probably remembered as an average movie from the middle of that decade. Chase and Akroyd actually look like they had fun making this movie. Today, any news about either of these two seems to revolve around tiresome self-absorbed statements, failures, or whining. It was a good reminder of the laughter that both of them used to bring.
This movie was also fun to watch because it brought back memories of the 1980s. Remember how MTV used to show music videos? Remember the Star Wars Missile Defense Program? B.B King Pepsi Commercials? The Boom Box rage? How the Pinto was defective? The death of drive-in movie theaters? Remember Miami Vice used to take style so seriously -- thin ties, members only jackets, Ray Ban pilot sunglasses and linen clothing? Remember Donna Dixon from Bosom Buddies, Wayne's World dream girl and The Couch Trip?
Other items that are worth noting are the great scenery from shooting in locations of Norway and Morocco and the director, John Landis, had pre-Spies hits of Animal House, An American Werewolf in London and Trading Spaces.
Conclusion
This movie, overtime, has grown to become a fun to watch comedy of what is classic Akroyd and Chase and, unexpectedly, also a hilarious representation of the styles, culture, attitudes and thinking of the 1980s.
The rating is PG; however, viewers sensitive to crude language, sexual references, and women in lingerie should not watch.
