IMDb RATING
6.4/10
55K
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Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for Nuclear War.Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for Nuclear War.Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for Nuclear War.
Ronald Reagan
- The President of the United States
- (archive footage)
Featured reviews
Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd were at the height of their professional careers with the 80's "masterpiece" Spies Like Us. The cast alone makes this movie a triumph the 80's comedy. Although the same cast today would find itself on the video shelf and not the movie theaters, for the mid 80's this was a GIANT of a Hollywood cast. Second to only Doctor Strangelove, what other comedy is funnier when dealing with American / Russian relations during the cold war? Chevy and Aykroyd have terrific chemistry together that has been molded to perfection from their success on Saturday Night Live. The physical comedy in the first half of the movie is as funny as any Marx Brother film of its time. The comical situations that occur in the second half are as funny as any Blake Edwards production. Together, the movie is as funny as it gets for the 1980's.
Dan Ackroyd stars as the typical CIA think-tank intelligence analyst and Chevy Chase is our answer to the inept, stupid, lazy and bungling agent who wouldn't even pass the first interview in the REAL world of spying. These two collide (comically) with each other in a complicated scheme orchestrated by rebellious military and civillians where they are used as a "distraction" from the real mission. Ackroyd's leadership enables them to survive to complete their mission while the lascivious Chase spends most of his time thinking like the typical male. When they find a Soviet mobile missile launcher and then receive instructions from their rebellious controllers to "accidently" send the thing on it's way to a target in the US, only the quick thinking of Ackroyd can save the day. This movie has some great comic elements as well as good action scenes with decent stunts. Chevy Chase never fails to entertain with his suave, intelligent(he only acts stupid) and sexy character he made famous in other roles. Dan Ackroyd is GREAT as the straight man who keeps Chevy out of trouble. Add this one to your collection of DVD movies in the comedy section on your shelf!
For Chevy Chase fans, this film displays one of his vintage performances---right up there with a couple of his "Vacation" films and "Fletch." He and Dan Aykroyd form a great comedic duo with great chemistry that will leave you wanting for more.
The setting changes rapidly from DC, to Pakistan, to the former Soviet Union. Chase and Aykroyd are identified as expendable Department of State personnel, and therefore trained as covert agent decoys and tasked with an ultra top-secret mission deep inside Soviet territory. The newly appointed agent/spies don't realize they're decoys, but rather, think they're real agents on a real mission. Good stuff.
Together, their bumbling antics throughout agent training and their top-secret mission are good for steady laughs from beginning to end, as they find themselves playing the "accidental hero" role charged with saving the world.
Very scenic locations, some decent special effects (for the mid-80's), and some serious plot-twists amidst the silly humor enables "Spies Like Us" to hold the viewer's attention in-between comedic situations.
The setting changes rapidly from DC, to Pakistan, to the former Soviet Union. Chase and Aykroyd are identified as expendable Department of State personnel, and therefore trained as covert agent decoys and tasked with an ultra top-secret mission deep inside Soviet territory. The newly appointed agent/spies don't realize they're decoys, but rather, think they're real agents on a real mission. Good stuff.
Together, their bumbling antics throughout agent training and their top-secret mission are good for steady laughs from beginning to end, as they find themselves playing the "accidental hero" role charged with saving the world.
Very scenic locations, some decent special effects (for the mid-80's), and some serious plot-twists amidst the silly humor enables "Spies Like Us" to hold the viewer's attention in-between comedic situations.
This is up there with Dr. Strangelove as hilarious col war comedy which delivers on the message that nuclear warfare is human folly. Dan Akroid and Chevy Chase at their prime. War Games in 1983 is another entertaining approach to this topic, though with less comedy and more suspense.
Two inept CIA recruits (Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd) are chosen to act as decoy spies while the real spies complete a top secret mission, only the two don't know they aren't real spies. Hilarious Cold War comedy from John Landis in the tradition of the classic Hope & Crosby 'Road' movies. Despite some swearing and sexy parts (mild by Landis standards), this is a very old school type of comedy. The jokes come from putting two top comedians in funny situations and letting them cut loose. Aykroyd and Chase have perfect chemistry and timing. It's a shame that, unlike Hope & Crosby, they didn't do more than one movie like this. There's a great mix of verbal and physical comedy here. Lots of memorable lines and scenes. Love the music, too. A must for fans of Landis or the two stars. I would recommend it to fans of the old Road movies, as well.
Did you know
- TriviaThe film originally ended with the destruction of the world. Test audiences didn't like it, so a happier ending was shot on a soundstage in Burbank.
- GoofsAfter Austin and Emmett are picked up in the Jeep by the two Russian agents and stop in the desert, Austin discovers that they are not their legitimate contacts by the digital LCD wristwatch one of the agents is wearing. Austin tells Emmett that the agent is wearing "a Russian copy of a 1969 Timex digital". Timex was not producing an LCD digital watch in 1969. In fact, nobody was. Digital LCD watches were not introduced until 1972, and Timex did not produce one for many years after that.
- Quotes
Russian Interregator #2: Every minute you don't tell us why you are here, I cut off a finger.
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Mine or yours?
Russian Interregator #2: Yours.
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Damn!
- Crazy creditsIn the end credits, Bob Hope's name appears on screen and then after a few seconds an exclamation mark is added.
- SoundtracksSpies Like Us
Written and Performed by Paul McCartney
Produced by Paul McCartney, Phil Ramone and Hugh Padgham
- How long is Spies Like Us?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Misión recontraespionaje
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $22,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $60,106,536
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,614,039
- Dec 8, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $60,106,536
- Runtime
- 1h 42m(102 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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