It's a real Cinderella story.

Our second film in and the 80's vibe is hitting hard with this viewing pleasure travelling back through the vortex just a fraction to the dawn of a new decade. The world is reeling from the revelation of Luke Skywalker's parentage in Empire Strikes Back, and stocks in winter cabin time-shares are dropping faster than an avalanche thanks to Jack Nicholson's stand out performance in The Shining.

It's 1980 and a legend of comedy has taken the screen, but wait, what's that on the green? it looks like some kind of gopher! Yes it's two time Ghostbuster Harold Ramis's directorial début Caddyshack!

Sporting legends of Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray as well as everyone's favourite schmoozer, Rodney Dangerfield, if this comedy dream team wasn't enough to turn this rather average story into box office gold then I don't know what would, perhaps an oddly amusing dancing puppet. 

Whilst much like the previous post's Escape from New York, Caddyshack didn't quite live up the mega hype that 35 years of cinema glory has bestowed on it with a story that slices all over the place and is constantly jumping from character to character. Without ever fully establishing whether the plot should be focused around Danny (Michael O'keefe) and his search for a future and subsequent sexual escapades, Ty's (Chevy Chase) continuing reluctance to join golfing high society, Judge Smails (Ted Knight) descent into madness at the antics of property tycoon Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield), or greens keeper Carl's (Bill Murray) escalating war with the gopher.

However for what Ramis loses in direction he certainly makes up for in casting, as improvisation is abound and the cast's general good humour on set really shines through on screen. Whether this is due to comedic raw talent or the all night partying many of the cast took part in, it can't ever be clear. But one thing's for sure, it's the chemistry of this cast that really makes this suburban class war a reality. A theme Ramis subtly manages to weave throughout this essentially extended sketch show, through Al's nouveau riche attitudes, Maggie's (Sarah Holcomb) rejection of a traditional relationship, and Carl's beautifully epitomised Cinderella story.

Ramis also delivers on the laughs with some beautifully set up gags based right out of real life experiences of the cast and crew. Such as the caddys descending on the club pool and turning it into a wild scene of mayhem and debauchery, Al steamrollering his way across a heavily populated lake in a large yacht, and Smails taking a stray ball to the groin. As well as a highly entertaining scene of Smails discovering Danny in bed with his niece and smashing through a bathroom door that's clearly spoofing The Shining.   



Over the top performances and wobbly storyline aside I honestly haven't laughed this hard at the world of golf since watching Happy Gilmore for the first time and with plenty of zany characters, terrific one liners, and a pool scene that's up there with Jaws it's hard not to see why so many generations have fallen for the loveable antics of Caddyshack.