Wow, my friends and I watched this movie so many times throughout my teen years; it is now inextricably tied to my youth, and no matter how many times we said it, we never got tired of the ‘dickfer’ joke.

Filled with lots of great jokes and gags, the film puts Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase right into the middle of the spy genre and has a lot of fun with it. Goofy, silly, often juvenile, Landis’ film is still vastly entertaining.

With their government planning on using them as decoys for an actual mission, Millbarge (Akroyd) and Fitz-Hume (Chase) find themselves caught up in a dangerous gambit that could bring about the end of the world.

While an actual agent is working to stop a nuclear war from erupting, Millbarge and Fitz-Hume are front and center as they tumble from one misadventure to another on a journey that takes them around the globe.

There’s some fun chemistry between Chase and Akroyd, with Chase taking the role that was originally planned for John Belushi. And despite his reputation, Chase is always funny onscreen.

The film also has some funny cameos: director Terry Gilliam, Ray Harryhausen, Bob Hope, Sam Raimi, B.B. King, and an appearance by Frank Oz. The film also features Bernie Casey, Donna Dixon, Bruce Davison and Vanessa Angel.

Is it the best comedy of the 80s? No. But do I have fun with it every time I watch it? Hell yes. And this viewing comes after a couple of decades of not having seen it at all. It’s just such a hoot. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and Akroyd and Chase seem to be having a great time.

No one delivers techno-babble with quite the same level of believability as Akroyd. And he makes it funny at the same time. Chase is charming, and plays that smug, yet likeable type with ease.

This film was endlessly quotable when I was a teen, and I just went back for more and more of it.

The film just took the spy genre and had fun with it, playing it like a road movie (hence the totally appropriate appearance by Bob Hope as a nod to the Road To movies). The scenes are not quite sketches, as there is narrative tissue connecting it all, but the film knows when to lean into the joke and when to move everything along.

I missed this movie, and honestly, it feels like we don’t get fun, big-name comedies anymore. I don’t think the genre is dead; I just don’t think anyone is making them anymore. And it has an end-credits song (not my fave) by Paul McCartney!

Man, it was fun rewatching this one, and this was Chase right when I liked him best! Fletch anyone? 80s comedies were the best. I may have to dig into some more.