Caddyshack (1980)

Still Makes Me Laugh

This is not high brow comedy by any stretch, but it makes no difference since there are so many funny lines and scenes that it all comes together to make me laugh all these years later.

Chase, Murray, Dangerfield and Knight all have memorable parts in this movie and as a golfer some of these things come across as pretty funny since they are semi-real. Not dancing gophers but some attitudes and general country club situations.

Yes it is juvenile also in many respects, but I still think that I must "be the ball" on the course. Doesn't help my golf game much but makes me smile when I am not doing well. October 6, 2008

Caddyshack: A Comedy Classic

This is one of the classic comedies from the 80's. The main actors Ted Knight, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Chevy Chase play extremely well together. This is not brilliant comedy; however, it is knee slapping funny in numerous scenes. When Chevy Chase sings, "I was born to love you, I was born to lick your face." You can't help but laugh. Some jokes hit, some don't, but overall, this is an enjoyable comedy that is a 4-star delight to watch. Enjoy. September 1, 2008

Buy a DVD like this, get a free bowl of soup

Do yourself a favor, play 36 holes in the day time and at night pop this DVD in and get stoned to the bejesus belt. C'M0N...CANN0NBALL....CANN0NBALL!!! However, don't buy this DVD from Mr. Wonderful, no matter what spelling you use. August 30, 2008

It's funny, but it's not all it's cracked up to be...

I will admit that `Caddyshack' is severely overrated. Sure, it's funny and I found enjoyment out of the film in general, but it is no where near the laugh riot that many faithful devotees will have you thinking it is. That said, `Caddyshack' does have followers for a reason, and that is that it manages to tickle the funny bone on more than one occasion, and the star making comedic turns by many in the cast don't hurt the films iconic status.

The film revolves around a posh golf course that is being destroyed by a gopher as well as a loudmouthed new member. The film almost has no point other than to make fun of itself at every possible juncture, stringing along a slew of subplots involving a caddy contest and a doomed love affair in order to give the film a reason to exist, but when it all boils down to it there is no reason to watch other than the pointless gags and memorable one-liners.

The script is not as tightly woven as it could be; that is to say that the film is not very smart. This is kind of like the movie that is so dumb you can't help but laugh at it and since you laughed you repeat and tell you friends and then they watch it and laugh and then you all talk about it even though deep down you know the movie is kind of a waste; sort of like `Napoleon Dynamite', except this one stars Bill Murray so you think your adoration is justified, even though it's not. Just take a moment to let the accuracy of my above words sink in, since you know I'm right even if you don't want to admit it.

The acting for the most part is good. Many have raved Murray, but I actually feel he is the weakest link here. His performance is more slapstick than anything else, building off stupidity to get a laugh. Rodney Dangerfield is himself, same old loud and obnoxious (and crude) character he liked to play so often, and he works to a degree. To me Ted Knight matches and actually trumps Dangerfield, delivering a spot on portrayal of a man at wits end. The real standout though is Chevy Chase who manages to get most of the laughs from me with his sly and steady delivery, keeping his comedy subtle yet always effective. The rest of the cast is effective, but these four always get the recognition so I figured I'd ring in here as well.

In the end I'll say that I liked `Caddyshack' and would probably watch it again, but as far as it being the best comedy out there, I have to say that it is not. Is it the best golf movie out there? Well, I don't watch a lot of movies about golf but of the one's I've seen this surely beats `The Legend of Bagger Vance' but doesn't even come close to the comedic energy of `Happy Gilmore' so I guess I'd have to say, no, it is not the best golf movie out there. It's fun though, and it has a huge following, so it must have gotten some things right. August 25, 2008

A timeless classic.

Still a classic after all these years. I remember watching this as I grew up. You can watch this over and over again and still laugh at the jokes. July 21, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...