I thought that this movie was very funny, though somewhat on the pointless side. Good choice of actors, and the music was fairly good, and i'm not sure why i didn't hear about it until last year. The acting was exceptional, and the plot also exceptional, and i say that overall i think that it was a good movie, worthy of being watched more then once.
Plot summary
The US army is known for churning out lean mean fighting machines intent on protecting our great nation. Sergeant Ernie Bilko is the leader of a ragtag group of the sorriest soldiers ever to enlist in the armed forces.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
November 20, 2018 at 07:21 AM
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Very Funny Movie
Very funny show
I missed this when it came out, and just caught it after one of those free weekends for premium channels. As a long-time fan of Phil Silvers' fabulous series of the 1950s, I was skeptical about this movie, although I usually like Steve Martin's films--especially Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
I thought it was quite true to the spirit of the TV show. I was pleased that it was PG and not full of foul language and other things not fit for children. They didn't try to duplicate everything in the original, merely to present a similar group of characters, with the same names. The plot was not unlike one in the series, but was not a remake of any episode from the series.
They had some lines that sounded like they could have come from the series. They had a way to signal "brass coming" so Bilko's men could quickly put away all their gambling devices and make the motor pool look like one--just as the series did, only more elaborate. Col. Hall in the film, just like on TV, acknowledged that Bilko knew more about what was going on, and, in effect, ran the post.
Other reviewers have detailed the plot. One highlight for me was the clever way Bilko arranged for his adversary to give himself away after ruining the test of the hover tank, not knowing the machine was not going to work in the first place. That was thinking like the Phil Silvers' version would have done.
I agree that Silvers, and Nat Hiken, would be proud that their series was re-created as a feature film 40 years later. It wasn't the funniest movie ever, but it was surely no worse than a "very funny" film.
Without much of a story yet countless hilarious moments
Sgt Bilko delivers countless laughs, mostly from Steve Martin, Dan Akroyd and Phil Hartman. The rest of the cast are a joke. There are so many gags, slapstick, and one-liners you have to enjoy it. There is no strong story line which is unfortunate, but Bilko gets away with it. The constant parody of the united states army is much more relaxed than the Korean setting of MASH.
Do not watch this film with any predispositions or expectations of what you are going to see, and you will enjoy it so much more. I recommend it to anyone who just wants a quick two hour getaway from reality, and a chance to let yourself go and have some fun.