Z-Reviews || Movies || Review

Who can forget the crazy groundskeeper trying to get the dancing gopher or the scene with the chocolate candy bar floating in the pool? If you’re still confused, I am talking about an 80’s cult classic called Caddyshack. It’s hard to describe what this movie is about other than it takes place on a posh golf country club where there is a class struggle between the have and have-nots.

Although the movie is supposed to be about the adventures of a young caddy named Danny (Michael O'Keefe) who is trying to get a scholarship so he can attend college, it ends up being a strew of bad jokes and silly stunts as he gets upstaged by a bunch of comedians. In fact Caddyshack contains a powerful comedic cast including Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight.
Ted Knight plays the character of Judge Smails, the lead snob and president of the prestigious Bushwood Country Club. The Judge is a jealous old man who cheats at golf and enjoys taking advantage of other people. Dangerfield portrays an obnoxious loudmouth Al Czervik who is all about flashy clothes, crazy toys, and getting on the Judge’s nerves. Chase plays Ty, a laid back wealthy heir who is full of bewildering remarks. Murray is the assistant groundkeeper Carl who has a few screws loose in his head. He is fixed on waging war on the fuzzy gopher that has been digging up the golf course.

Visually Caddyshack is really nothing spectacular. The putting shots are not inspiring, the sets are bland, and even the big explosions in the end look a bit goofy. However, you do get a good stereotype of what a posh golf course is like with rich men in gaudy clothes, subservient yet ruckus caddies, and a lovable gopher that is digging holes everywhere. One memorable and action packed sequence that does not take place on the golf course is when Dangerfield is piloting an out of control boat through the harbor. He ends up causing all kinds of havoc as he slowly but surely makes his way right into the Judge’s brand new yacht.

To me, Caddyshack represents an oxymoron where you have a great comedy but a bad film. It can be argued whether certain jokes or skits are funny or not, but overall Caddyshack is a fun and amusing movie to watch. However Caddyshack does not make sense as a complete move. Rather it’s a combination of skits that do not transition well between each other. The problem is that each comedian is such a big presence on screen and their comedic styles are so different that the movie looses its main plot and becomes a collection of mini episodes that appear to have nothing to do with each other. Despite its many problems and off color humor, Caddyshack remains a guilty pleasure for many viewers and will maintain its cult classic status for many years to come.