[year/rating] 1984 R [genre] Comedy [director] Neal Israel [starring] Tom Hanks Tawny Kitaen Robert Prescott Adrian Zmed

Tagline

Shocking, Shameless, Sinful, Wicked. And the party hasn't even started.

Summary Capsule

Buddies try to throw a party-bachelor friend one last blast, while his fiancee tries to spy in and his rival tries to ruin his wedding plans. Plus, there's a donkey high on crack.

Mutant Meter

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Check out this movie in VHS or DVD, and the soundtrack CD

Justin's Rating: I now pronounce this movie... MOST EXCELLENT!
Justin's Review: Musicians sell out the moment they abandon all original song writing efforts, don't play any instruments, and instead choose to dress primarily in "thong" and moan like someone having a twelve-hour orgasm complete with backup dancers. Conversely, comedian movie stars sell out the moment they make a decision to stop entertaining the masses with cheap slapstick and start gunning for dramas in a quest to get an Oscar. I don't look down as hard on actors who make this decision, like Tom Hanks, but it's sad because you realize from this point onward, they don't want to make you laugh ever again. Just cry. Like how your last relationship evolved.

"Musicians sell out the moment they abandon all original song writing efforts, don't play any instruments, and instead choose to dress primarily in 'thong' and moan like someone having a twelve-hour orgasm complete with backup dancers."

Before switching over to Romantic Comedies and full-blown drama pieces, Hanks had a fun career in the 80's being a funny guy. Dragnet, Big, Turner and Hooch, Joe vs. The Volcano... these were his bread and butter before Philadelphia got a hold of him and his career grew up, leaving many of us in remedial 5th grade comedy, missing our best bud.

Bachelor Party comes at the beginning of Hanks' screen career, following the equally well-received Splash. It's essentially the same movie, just in one, the hooker has less scales and gills.

Rick (Hanks), a goofy party-hearty dude, is giving up his nutty single life for a bond of holy moly matrimony. Before that can happen, however, his friends want to throw him the best bachelor party of all time, his fiancée and their friends try to bust him for being too naughty, and his fiancée’s ex-boyfriend comes moping around trying to get his girl back. Top this sundae off with a donkey who does drugs, a father-in-law who gets an introductory lesson in BDSM, and a Catholic school bus where the kids play craps for cash, and you've got yourself a wildly enjoyable time. The music's loud, the jokes keep popping, and it only asks for three brain cells, minimum, as an investment.

In entering the peak of 80's expression, Bachelor Party is strangely more raunchy (with nudity) than most of today's comedies, but it's also more chaste (with language) in comparison.

Standing as the axis between his incredibly wild friends and the more conservative, responsible future with his wife is Rick himself. It's a balancing act, to show a character that can be goofy and a party animal, yet isn't so insensitive or unfaithful as to make us hate him when we see him through his fiancée’s eyes. Probably many guys facing marriage, pulled between their old and new lives, wish they could handle it this diplomatically.

Bachelor Party doesn't burden its audience with any serious wedding musings; it's just out to have a good time. It also lets us see Tom Hanks in full-fledged wisecracking mode, and the quotes he delivers to us on a silver platter are truly a delicacy of the house. Viva la comedy! Viva la Hanks!

That's gonna be a burr to clean out of the carpet They're going up... to party down Smile for mommy!

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• Hitting on nuns doesn’t get you far
• DD’s don’t need much support
• The guy wearing "The Police" fan jacket
• Everyone in girl department stores dance around. All the time. That’s how they shop.
• Music always cuts out at the most awkward time
• Beyond the Sun!
• The hookers’ entrance to the bridal shower
• Debbie or the car? The car or Debbie?
• The male dancers at the strip club… high-larious!
• Did you order the foot-long?
• Beware of manly looking girls that are probably men
• All the pathetic ways the one guy tries to kill himself
• That’s one happy mule

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

Don't think so

Groovy Quotes

Guy: I just bet my balls… and shook on it.

Rick: Thank you for being Catholic, and for choosing the St. Gabriel’s school bus.

Cole: Rick, I want Debbie. You dump her and I'll give you cash. Ten thousand dollars, plus a G.E. toaster over; a Litton microwave; a Cuisinart; Michelin tires, brand new; a set of Sears' best metric tools...

Rick: The way I see it, this lug is in love and has a lot of major appliances lying around.

Rick: I’m not complaining, but I usually don’t like my filth this clean.

Rudy: Let's have a bachelor party with chicks and guns and fire trucks and hookers and drugs and booze!
Gary: Yeah! Yeah yeah! All the things that make life worth living for!

Hotel Manager: Just where do you think you are?
Jay O'Neill: The Library of Congress?
Rudy: Detroit?
Brad: Beyond the sun?

Rick: Attention, passengers, we are now leaving Nun Central on our journey to Hell and beyond.

Cole: The car has low mileage and handles like a dream.
Rick: Well, so does Debbie.

Brad: Hi, come on in! Drugs to the right, hookers to the left.

Rick: What the hell are you doing?
Brad: I'm slashing my wrist.
Rick: With an electric razor?
Brad: Yeah, I couldn't find any razor blades.
Rick: Well at least your wrist will be smooth and kissable.

Rick: Well Mr. Thompson, that's quite a list. And I think, if I really apply myself, I could be a totally changed person by the time we finish lunch!

Cole: Mr. Thompson... Mrs. Thompson... Debbie... and...
Rick: Bond. James Bond.

DVD Review

The nice loaded disc is here to bring you all sorts of goodies. There’s a trailer, three futurities, and some interviews with Tom Hanks.

Soundtrack Review

Awesome 80s party music, including "Dance Hall Days" by Wang Chung.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Big
• Four Weddings And A Funeral
• Joe vs. The Volcano