Spies Like Us (1985)

Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for Nuclear War.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

Dan Aykroyd (story), Dave Thomas (story),

Stars:

Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chevy Chase	...	Emmett Fitz-Hume
Dan Aykroyd	...	Austin Millbarge
Steve Forrest	...	General Sline
Donna Dixon	...	Karen Boyer
Bruce Davison	...	Ruby
Bernie Casey	...	Colonel Rhumbus
William Prince	...	Keyes
Tom Hatten	...	General Miegs
Frank Oz	...	Test Monitor
Charles McKeown	...	Jerry Hadley
James Daughton	...	Bob Hodges
Jim Staahl	...	Bud Schnelker
Vanessa Angel	...	Russian Rocket Crewperson
Svetlana Plotnikova	...	Russian Rocket Crewperson
Bjarne Thomsen	...	Russian Rocket Crewperson

Storyline

Two totally incompetent applicants, Emmett Fitzhume and Austin Millbarge, are chosen from a CIA recruitment program. They are parachuted into Pakistan and eventually end up in Afghanistan, chased by the Russians, where they learn they are being used as decoys to draw out the Sovet defenses. Two real spies are sent in. Their mission is to Hijack a soviet Missile launcher, launch the Soviet missile and test the new US orbital defence laser. The missile is fired and while heading for an American City, the laser system misses it's target. The contingency plan for this scenario, as set out by the Pentagon Nuts who planned it from deep within a secret underground bunker, is to let the 3rd World War happen anyway.

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Plot Keywords:

missile | spy | pentagon | cia | afghanistan | 

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Taglines:

With spies like these who needs enemies?

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

6 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Drôles d'espions

Filming Locations:

Lancaster, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$60,100,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, AAR Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final scene with the chess pieces represents Eastern Europe being knocked down - this pre-dated the Revolutions of 1989 where Eastern European nations overthrew their Communist regimes, leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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Goofs

The gold-bordered, blue ribbon which Generals Sline and Miegs wear on their right side is the Presidential Unit Citation. While it is correct for U.S. Army personnel, such as General Miegs, to wear the Presidential Unit Citation above the name tag, U.S. Air Force personnel, like General Sline, actually wear the ribbon on their left side, along with all other ribbons and devices.

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Quotes

[Milbarge and Fitz-Hume hear a sound]
Emmett Fitz-Hume: Did you hear that?
Austin Millbarge: Yeah. It's a dickfer.
Emmett Fitz-Hume: What's a dickfer?
Austin Millbarge: To pee with.

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Crazy Credits

The President of the United States - Ronald Reagan

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Connections

References Jeopardy! (1984)

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Soundtracks

"SPIES LIKE US"
Written and Performed by Paul McCartney
Produced by Paul McCartney, Phil Ramone and Hugh Padgham

User Reviews

Setting the mid-80's standard...

I loved this movie growing up, and it is one that I can still laugh at today. Chase and Aykroyd have always set the mid-80's standard of what was funny, and this movie proves it. Of course there are flaws, and it probably could've been better...but for what it's worth, I think it's definitely worth owning, let alone watching.

Judging by the comments given about Spies Like Us, it seems most people, in fact, do like it. Of course, it is meant to be a comedy and nothing else. If people were looking for a break-through in film by watching Spies Like Us, then, Yes...you would be let down.

Good characters, akward situations, nice changes in scenery, and classic one-liners....I'd give it an 8, overall.