At its weakest moments,
Stripes suffers from the same disease that afflicted their stoner comedies: Reitman's movie feels like a bunch of disconnected sketches stuffed uncomfortably into a barely believable story. But at its best,
Stripes benefits from something Cheech and Chong never had access to: the immense comedic talent of Bill Murray, and his impeccable chemistry with co-star Harold Ramis.
Released on June 26, 1981,
Stripes grew out of an initial script put together by Len Blum and Dan Goldberg. Reitman brought in Ramis after Cheech and Chong demanded complete artistic control, asking Ramis to rewrite the screenplay so that it would work for Murray – and to include a part for himself, as well. The result is an absurd comedic romp that gives both actors plenty of room to play to their strengths.