Spies Like Us

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Spies Like Us

PG

1985

1h 49m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

35%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Looking for a way out of their mundane government jobs, Austin Millbarge (Dan Aykroyd) and Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) take the entrance exam for a CIA espionage program. Immediately chosen to take part in a top-secret mission in the Middle East by the officious Gen. Sline (Steve Forrest), the new recruits are set upon by Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Soon it becomes clear that the hapless pair are being used as decoys to expose the Russians for a Cold War nuclear showdown.

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Critics Consensus

Despite the comedic prowess of its director and two leads, Spies Like Us appears to disavow all knowledge of how to make the viewer laugh.

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

Jan 2, 2018

That Chase is godawful is no surprise -- he's been running on empty for years with variations on that tired "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not" riff.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Mar 26, 2009

Landis never bothers to account for the friendship that springs up spontaneously between these two antipathetic types, but then he never bothers to account for anything in this loose progression of recycled Abbott and Costello riffs.

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Stephen Garrett

Time Out

Jun 24, 2006

The script is so patchy that most of the genuine laughs are squeezed into the first half; the rest is a rather tacky and confused extended joke about the nuclear arms race.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Nov 30, 2023

3/5

…watchable comedy, front-loaded with gags that thin out as conventional spy movie mechanisms take over…

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Andrea Beach

Common Sense Media

Feb 6, 2018

2/5

Dated '80s comedy has strong language, few laughs.

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TV Guide

Jan 14, 2011

1/4

Landis' direction is indulgent, to say the least, with big landscapes, big crashes, big hardware, and big gags filling the screen. What he forgets is character development, that all-important factor that must exist for comedy to work well.

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Jason H

@RT50328122 Sep 9, 2026

If you don't think things like this are happening, you are very naive.

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Melissa M

@Lisey Jul 20, 2026

John Landis is underrated as a director. He has directed many memorable horror, comedy etc movies. Truly one of a kind. Chevy Chase & Dan aykroyd are lifelong friends. Their friendship began back in the day on SNL. This movie shows their comedy camaraderie. The story is about 2 eccentrics eager to spy for the CIA are trained as operatives sent on a dangerous mission. As the film progresses they learn they are being used as decoys. The funny moments in the film are the shenanigans Austin & Emmett pull while taking the written test, the physical training exercises they do to get into the CIA, there are many cameos in the film like Sam Raimi and Bob Hope. The film is a tribute to the Bob Hope & Bing Crosby movie road to movies. The story is by Dan aykroyd & Dave Thomas. The movie was too originally star aykroyd & John Belushi. But the script went into a turnaround after Belushi's death in 82. So the movie script was changed to Star Chevy Chase & aykroyd.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Jul 2, 2026

It's a style that's pretty much vanished from the movie landscape - goofy, slapstick comedy based off a weird story line. Fun to watch - it's Chase and Aykroyd.

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Joel H

@786Joel May 10, 2026

You know, I remember Spies Like Us being a lot funnier. As a kid, I thought this movie was peak comedy, with so many quotable lines and impressive espionage moments. However, when I was showing it to my kids, I kept waiting for the funny to happen. The gags are still there, and the memorable quotes happen, but it all just feels more spread out. And even though the plot made more sense to me now as an adult, it isn’t as clever as I once thought it was. I still like this comedy, but I don’t think I’ll be recruiting it for laughs again anytime soon. I guess that Spies Like Us lives best in my memory.

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Brad H.

@twstr988 May 10, 2026

Absolutely love this movie.

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Marius C

@MComan Jan 3, 2026

Honestly, I don't know why the low rating. Is a comedy movie and is fun. Worth watching.

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John Landis

Director

Chevy Chase

Emmett Fitz-Hume

Dan Aykroyd

Austin Millbarge

Donna Dixon

Karen Boyer

Steve Forrest

General Sline

Bruce Davison

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Synopsis

Looking for a way out of their mundane government jobs, Austin Millbarge (Dan Aykroyd) and Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) take the entrance exam for a CIA espionage program. Immediately chosen to take part in a top-secret mission in the Middle East by the officious Gen. Sline (Steve Forrest), the new recruits are set upon by Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Soon it becomes clear that the hapless pair are being used as decoys to expose the Russians for a Cold War nuclear showdown.

Director: John Landis
Producer: George Folsey Jr., Brian Grazer
Screenwriter: Dan Aykroyd, Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 1985, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $56.5M
Runtime: 1h 49m

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