Spies Like Us Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1985

Spies Like Us featured the potent comedic duo of Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd playing the roles of two bumbling spies sent to Pakistan and the U.S.S.R. to undertake an important mission. This light-hearted comedy is one the whole family can enjoy, and while it doesn't provide a laugh a minute it does provide more than enough chuckles and fun throughout the film to be worth the price of admission.

Released during the Cold War, Spies Like Us takes a playful swat at the Star Wars program, nuclear war fears and of course the Red menace. Luckily although the Cold War is long over, the movie still offers plenty of laughs to this day (though it's likely that children of the 80's will have a greater appreciation for the film than someone born after the Cold War ended).

Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) is a bumbling low-level diplomat that decides to take a Foreign Service exam in hopes of getting a job as an American spy. Austin Milbarge (Dan Aykroyd) is an expert code-breaker and gadget guru that wishes to take the same test, but he only hears about it one day before the exam is scheduled, so he has no time to study or prepare for the test. Fitz-Hume and Milbarge are caught cheating in quite an amusing manner during the exam, but instead of being tossed out on their ears for their dishonesty they are both offered a spy position by a shadowy government agency. While the duo is thrilled about their perceived promotion, in reality the agency was looking for two expendable decoys that would distract the Russians during a military test.

The two are placed in a quick training program and then sent to Pakistan where they begin an adventure that spans a couple countries, culminating in the snowy heart of Russia. While I won't give away the events that take place during the zany journey, a good many of them are definitely worth a laugh.

There are some witty and memorable verbal exchanges in the film, but overall Spies Like Us depends more on the star power of its two main actors rather than a brilliant script. You won't find a comedic assault ala the Zucker brothers (Airplane, The Naked Gun), but Chevy Chase possesses such a goofy charisma and proficiency with physical comedy that fans of the aforementioned madcap comedies will probably want to give this one a shot too.

Dan Aykroyd is not one of my favorite all-time actors, but when he's allowed to play the straight man against an over-the-top partner, he shines. In fact his performance in Spies Like Us is just as entertaining as his showing in the classic 80's smash hit, Ghostbusters. But although both Chase and Aykroyd put out amusing showings in and of themselves, it's their magical chemistry together that propels this film. Even during the weaker moments of the film, these two remain fun to watch.

And in the end that's how I would describe Spies Like Us: fun. It does have its hilarious moments and succeeds in providing many more chuckles and broad grins than typical of comedies made today. Spies Like Us is not an all time great, perhaps, but it's a cool little 80's gem.

Movie rating: 7 stars

If you enjoyed Spies Like Us you may also find the following films to be of interest:

Enjoy the Spies Like Us experience in the comfort of your own home with these products!

DVD

Chase Collection

Movie Sitemap

Wondering if the Netflix service is all
it's cracked up to be? Read our
detailed review and find out!