Caddyshack

1980 golf movie

Rating: 9/20

Plot: Mildly humorous goings-on go on at a country club. Danny the caddy tries to raise money for college. A stuffed gopher wreaks havoc.

The gopher being so obviously stuffed is likely the best joke in this movie. But there's not a single laugh to be had in this classic comedy. Nothing comedic genius Chevy Chase says is all that funny. Comedic genius Bill Murray is funnier but still not funny. And Rodney Dangerfield is just irritating. Some many comedy legends on one golf course, and whoever wrote this couldn't come up with one funny thing to have them do or say? Pitiful. Lump this with all those 80's comedies with its sloppy plot and envelope pushing that gives me a headache and makes me wish I had popped in one of Tati's movies instead. I've never seen it, but I actually wonder if that Bagger Vance movie is a funnier golf movie. Is there a stuffed gopher in it?

2 comments:

Barry said...

Oh sweet Jesus...now I am officially worried about you.


Here is what you need to know about Caddyshack.

1-Any scenes about the Caddies are NOT funny. (The only minor exception is the doody scene in the pool.) Otherwise you completely tune out of everything that happens in this lame plotline. Who cares about Danny?

2-Ted Knight is the key to this movie...and the fact you did not mention him at all shows you did not get it.

3 Here is the order of who is funny and why.

A-Ted Knight. The greatest buffoon of the last 50 years.


"I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them."

Yeah you dont remember that scene either, but its hilarious.

B-Bill Murray. "Correct me if I'm wrong Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key"


Or this.

"License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote. "


Its stream of consciousness genius.


C-Rodney Dangerfield.

"That kangaroo stole my ball!"

Scenes with Rodney and the caddies? Eh, they get irritating. Scenes with Rodney and Ted Knight? Comic GOLD..no COMIC PLATINUM.


D-Chevy Chase. The weak link of the grown ups, but he does have to spend more of the movies with the damn caddies.



This movie is a 16..MINIMUM. It is kept from being much higher than that because, you guessed it, too much time spent with the annoying caddies, not enough time with Ted Knight.


I wish you could watch this again knowing that you should hold on to every moment Mr. Knight is on screen......but its doubtful you will put yourself through this again. Ah well....its always there if you ever want to see a true professional at the top of his game.

Shane said...

As Cory will say, "Comedy is subjective."

'Bad Lieutenant' is a much funnier movie.

1) I agree completely. The worst scenes are the ones with the caddies. That probably includes the pool scene though. No, I didn't care about Danny.

2) No, I didn't think Ted Knight was funny.

3) A: See above.
B: I do like the line about killing golfers.
C: Rodney? Ick.
D: I liked Chevy ok, I guess. He didn't make me laugh though.

No, I don't see myself ever watching this again. I'll probably not watch 'Caddyshack II' either.