ThiefHott
Too much of everything
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Murphy Howard
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
Leofwine_draca
SPIES LIKE US is a likable 1980s comedy that basically consists of Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd goofing around for just over an hour and a half. There's no more or less to it than that, but as a fan of the two actors I was completely fine with the premise. The story brings in a Cold War background and features the two stars as 'decoy' agents parachuted into Asia in order to do battle with the nefarious Russians.I think Chase and Aykroyd are two of the funniest comedians of the era so watching them get the opportunity to team up is a no-brainer for me. Chase plays as always the showier role of the two and peaks earlier with the hilarious exam room set-piece. Aykroyd is slightly more subtle and offers plenty of warm character humour from his nerdy agent. The rambling storyline is basic and episodic but the jokes come thick and fast and there's a good mix of wry and witty one-liners, slapstick humour, and more surreal moments.The film was directed by John Landis who as ever does a good job with it and takes the time to throw in a few film references for the fans, including cameos for Terry Gilliam, Ray Harryhausen, and even Bob Hope. Sam Raimi and Joel Coen are also present in blink-and-you'll-miss-'em parts. The ending is a little contrived but when the overall result is a good-natured comedy with two stars at the top of their game then it's difficult to criticise too much.
SnoopyStyle
Ruby and Keyes have a covert operation to hijack a Soviet nuclear missile launcher. General Sline suggests sending two decoy agents along with the real agents on the mission. Emmett Fitzhume (Chevy Chase) is a womanizing schemer taking the foreign service board exam. Brilliant code-breaker Austin Millbarge (Dan Aykroyd) is working in the basement under a sleazy boss who doesn't tell him about the exam until the last minute. Millbarge joins Fitzhume in his rampant cheating. They are caught and to their surprise, they are brought into the advance program. They are generally incompetent in training and sent to Afganistan. They are picked up by two agents who turn out to be Soviets. They escape and find Dr. Hadley who mistakes them for fellow doctors. Dr. Boyer (Donna Dixon) is part of the medical team working with the Afghan resistance.It is completely stupid as a story. When Bob Hope walks into the tent in the middle of Afghanistan looking for his golf ball, the silly tone is irreversible. This relies on the strengths of Chase and Aykroyd. Chevy Chase acts like an ass and makes this funny. Aykroyd is a great neurotic sidekick without being annoying. They combine for a fun duo.
ThatMOVIENut
A pair of knuckleheads get embroiled in international affairs as America's worst spies. Of course, their dispatch is deliberate, as they are being used as decoys for the real operation, shipped off to be nothing short of glorified target practice for the less than friendly groups over in the Middle East.Aggressively pedestrian, this mid 80s John Landis offering lacks spark, wit or even hard laughs. A shame as Chase and Aykroyd make for a decent team, and the plethora of cameos make for a cute novelty (including a quickie from one of my heroes, Terry Gilliam) for cineasts. It's even directed competently, with nicely varied locations and production values that feel like they belong in a proper spy film: secret bunkers, the arid lands of the Middle East and the snow drenched hills of Russia.However, all of this is null and void if the funnies just ain't coming, and despite Ackroyd having a writing credit, most of this film is other leaden wordplay or poorly timed slapstick that conceptually, should be funny (like a gag involving a jet, or another involving missiles) but somehow, it just doesn't click. Comedy is a really subjective thing, but given the film's lowly reputation, it's obvious I'm not alone here. And when it's not either of those, it's just a retread of old spy film tropes that have already been parodied 1001 times before and far better, and it does nothing new or amusing with them to make the revisit worthwhile.Honestly, beyond the cameos and the odd, rare chuckle, Spies Like Us is a rightfully forgotten title from Landis' extensive catalogue. It says something when I'm craving Beverly Hills Cop III over this.
Maziun
"Spies like us " is many things in one movie : a Bond parody , a spy movie parody , satire at politics and war satire plus the popular "from zero to hero" plot . In hands of less skilled director it could be a mess , but Landis directs it with confidence and talent. The movie is mostly pure fun , yet the anti-war message is very clear and sounds sincere. "Spies like us" deserve to be placed in one line with "MASH" and "Dr. Strangelove".The movie is kinda uneven . There are moments when the movie goes for too simplistic humor ( the army training ) like if the writers has run out of ideas . Thankfully there are enough really great moments that will make you laugh out loud – the exam , Afghanistan , aliens and Russians . Some jokes are really intelligent – the "this is non-army satellite" , the MTV teenagers and exploding TV , the "negotiations" between USA and USRR at the end of movie.Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd are in good form and have great chemistry together . They bring a lot of charm into their characters and I have feeling that without them many jokes wouldn't be that funny. Some of the jokes and one liners , especially coming from Chase feel improvised ( the scene with microphones or grenade). I also have to praise lovely Donna Dixon."Spies like us" has some nice special effects that look good after all this time. The cold-war subtext might seem outdated for modern audience . The message the movie is sending is still actual today – the common men want to live in peace and don't hate each other . It's the politicians who look for war and they should be careful , because the consequences might be catastrophic.Watch out for famous movie directors in small episodes : Frank Oz (the teacher at exam) , Costa Gavras (one of the Russian policemen) and Terry Gilliam (one of the doctors). I give it 8/10.
