NMR: Bill of goods

This weekend I got into a Bill Murray mood and decided to check out three of his films that I had never seen before.

Stripes: In one of his first starring roles, Murray proves he's a star with his performance as cynical slacker John Winger. Overall, I didn't love the movie primarily because I just don't appreciate the 'me vs. the establishment' movies that came out during this time (Animal House is another example of it). However, the movie does have it's winning qualities. Murray and Harold Ramis work well off of each other (a winning combination that would be reprised in Ghostbusters) and I also like the scenes involving the two of them and their romantic interests (one of which was Sean Young). I also absolutely loved Elmer Bernstein's score and could listen to the Stripes march all day long. On the other hand, a lot of the supporting cast members like John Candy, John Larroquette, and Judge Reinhold are underutilized. Also, Warren Oates' Sgt. Hulka disappears halfway through the movie which causes the story to drag. Frankly, the whole third act that involves the platoon going to Europe is weak and disjointed. I would have rather had the climax be their graudation from basic training. Still, the movie has enough laughs that makes it worth seeing if you've never watched it before. Rating: ***

Kingpin: Bill Murray's presence in this Farrelly brothers film about a gifted bowler (Woody Harrelson) who's career goes down the toilet after he loses his hand, is really a saving grace. Sadly, he's only in the film for about 20-30 minutes. His greasy, jealous, con man character provides the bulk of the laughs. The film really sags in the middle with the scenes involving Harrelson, Randy Quaid (playing an Amish bowler) and Vanessa Angel. This is pretty much standard fare from the Farrelly brothers, so if you enjoy their humor, it's likely you'll appreciate this film. If only they would have found a way to get Murray in the film more, this could have been something special. Rating: ***

Quick Change: I saved the best one for last. This underrated film from the early 90s involves Murray working with Randy Quaid and Geena Davis as a trio of bank robbers. The robbery itself is easy - it's the getaway that proves difficult as they run into a number of different situations throughout New York City that are seemingly conspiring against them as they try to make their flight to Fiji. Murray is once again terrific bouncing back and forth between being cool, calm, and collected and getting frenzied over the idiots that surround him. One of the things that I liked the best about the film is that they didn't just resort to cheap cliches about the people of New York. There are some odd, but hilarious scenes like the Mexican jousting scene that have to be seen to be appreciated. Mixing Murray's humor with the heist genre is a winning combination for me. Definitely check this one out if you've never seen it before. Rating: ****