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Stripes

Stripes

Action · Comedy · 1981

Hard-luck cabbie John Winger, directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey. After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of misfits. However, his hijinks threaten to cause an international scandal when he inadvertently commandeers a military assault vehicle behind enemy lines.

Movie details

Stripes

“The story of a man who wanted to keep the world safe for democracy...and meet girls.”

1981 Action · Comedy 1h 46m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Hard-luck cabbie John Winger, directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey. After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of misfits. However, his hijinks threaten to cause an international scandal when he inadvertently commandeers a military assault vehicle behind enemy lines.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Stripes?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Ivan Reitman

Written by

Harold Ramis · Len Blum · Daniel Goldberg

Bill Murray

Bill Murray

John Winger

Harold Ramis

Harold Ramis

Russell Ziskey

Warren Oates

Warren Oates

Sgt. Hulka

P. J. Soles

P. J. Soles

Stella Hansen

Sean Young

Sean Young

Louise Cooper

John Candy

John Candy

Dewey "Ox" Oxberger

John Larroquette

John Larroquette

Capt. Stillman

Court is in session

Put Stripes on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.