Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dated '80s comedy has strong language, few laughs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Spies Like Us
What's the Story?
In SPIES LIKE US, low-level Washington bureaucrats Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) and Austin Millbarge (Dan Aykroyd) dream of more than pencil-pushing. It looks like their dreams are about to come true when they're suddenly promoted to field agents and sent to an intensive training camp. Their very first mission takes them all the way to Pakistan, with no idea what their mission goal is and why the KGB always seems to be one step ahead of them. After falling out of the frying pan and into the fire, can they learn to work with some unlikely allies to prevent a nuclear disaster?
Is It Any Good?
This 1985 comedy-adventure has little to offer other than the star power of two Saturday Night Live alumni. Unfortunately, neither of the talented comic actors brought their A game to the project. Spies Like Us offers mild laughs, mostly for physical comedy, but even those are few and far between, and done so much better elsewhere. And the script never seems to find the right balance between road movie and spy send-up. The jokes fall flat, and the dated sexism, often played for laughs, adds no enjoyment.
Most of the content's fine for young teens and up who can handle the strong language, but without any built-in affection for the co-stars, it's unlikely to hold their interest. At least it could spark an interesting conversation about how women are represented in movies, then and now.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the strong language in Spies Like Us. Is it realistic? How much is OK in movies or on TV?
Have you seen any other spy-movie spoofs? How does this one compare? Which is your favorite?
Has the way women are shown in movies changed since the mid-'80s? Who are some of your favorite female characters in movies? What do you like about them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 6, 1985
- On DVD or streaming : November 10, 1998
- Cast : Chevy Chase , Dan Aykroyd
- Director : John Landis
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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