I watched Caddyshack and I really liked it! 4/5

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There are two kinds of sports comedies: the ones that are actually about sports, and the ones that use sports as a flimsy excuse for absolute insanity. Caddyshack (1980) is proudly in the latter category. Directed by Harold Ramis in his feature debut and featuring an all-star comedy lineup—including Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight—this movie is less about golf and more about throwing as many jokes, weird characters, and improvised bits at the audience as possible. And for the most part, it works.

While Caddyshack isn’t exactly a masterpiece of storytelling, it doesn’t need to be. It’s an aggressively silly, quotable, and anarchic film that embraces chaos in the best way possible. Some of its humor has aged better than other parts, and it definitely feels like a product of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s comedy scene, but even today, it remains one of the funniest and most endlessly rewatchable sports comedies ever made.

The “Plot” – If You Can Call It That

Trying to summarize the plot of Caddyshack is like trying to explain a fever dream. On paper, it’s about Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe), a teenage caddy at the snobby Bushwood Country Club, trying to earn a scholarship from Judge Smails (Ted Knight), the club’s pompous and perpetually angry co-founder. But in reality, Danny is just an excuse to keep the camera rolling while the real stars—Chase, Murray, and Dangerfield—do whatever they want.

The actual “story” is barely held together by a golf tournament between Judge Smails and the obnoxiously rich and carefree Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield). Smails is all about class and tradition, while Czervik is the kind of guy who shows up to a fancy golf course with a stereo blasting and a wardrobe that looks like it was stolen from a Vegas magician. Naturally, they hate each other, and the tournament becomes a high-stakes grudge match, with Danny getting caught in the middle.

Oh, and then there’s the gopher.

The Cast – Comedy Legends Running Wild

The real strength of Caddyshack isn’t its story—it’s the cast. This movie is packed with comedy heavyweights, all doing their own thing, and the result is an almost sketch-like film where every scene feels like an excuse to let these guys riff.

Chevy Chase as Ty Webb – Ty is the club’s resident smooth-talking playboy golfer, and Chase plays him like a man who is permanently three drinks into the day. He barely seems to care about anything, delivers every line with an effortless smirk, and somehow manages to be both charming and completely ridiculous at the same time.
Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik – Dangerfield steals every scene he’s in. Every single one. Whether he’s insulting Judge Smails, cracking one-liners, or just laughing at his own jokes, he is pure chaotic energy. His entire performance feels like he wandered onto set and just started roasting everyone.
Ted Knight as Judge Smails – The perfect straight man to all the madness around him. Knight plays Smails as an elitist, uptight jerk who constantly looks like he’s on the verge of an aneurysm. His slow descent into complete rage is one of the funniest parts of the film.
Bill Murray as Carl Spackler – If Caddyshack is a collection of weird comedy skits, then Murray’s storyline is the weirdest of them all. As Carl, the deranged, mumbling groundskeeper obsessed with killing a gopher, he feels like he’s in his own separate movie. He spends the entire film setting elaborate traps, monologuing about imaginary golf tournaments, and just generally being insane. And it’s fantastic.

While Michael O’Keefe’s Danny technically has the main story arc, he often feels like a background character in his own movie. He does a decent job playing the straight man to the chaos, but let’s be real—no one is watching Caddyshack for Danny Noonan.

Comedy That’s Loose, Wild, and Unapologetic

What makes Caddyshack work is that it doesn’t take itself seriously for a single second. The humor is a mix of slapstick, absurdity, and straight-up stand-up comedy, with Dangerfield throwing out one-liners at machine-gun speed, Murray going full lunatic, and Chase just vibing his way through the film.

But because so much of the humor is improvised and character-driven, it can also feel a little uneven. Some jokes land perfectly, others feel like they go on a little too long, and a few moments are just… there. The editing is a little rough at times, probably because entire chunks of the movie were rewritten and restructured during filming.

And while Caddyshack is definitely a comedy classic, it’s also very much a product of its time. Some of the jokes and attitudes are very “early ‘80s” in a way that might not sit well with modern audiences. But if you can appreciate it as a time capsule of that era’s comedy, it’s still hilarious.

The Ending – A Literal Explosion of Absurdity

If you weren’t sure how little Caddyshack cares about plot or logic, look no further than the ending. The golf tournament reaches its climax, Judge Smails is about to win, and then—out of nowhere—Murray’s Carl accidentally blows up the entire course with dynamite. The explosion somehow causes Danny’s final putt to go in, winning the match for Al Czervik. It makes absolutely no sense, but at that point, does it really matter?

The film closes with Dangerfield’s Czervik yelling, “Hey everybody, we’re all gonna get laid!” and then cutting to credits. Perfect.

Final Thoughts: A Sloppy, Brilliant Mess

Caddyshack is not a tightly crafted film. It’s messy, disorganized, and sometimes feels like a string of comedy sketches loosely tied together by golf. But that’s also what makes it great. The sheer amount of comedic talent on display, the endlessly quotable lines, and the complete disregard for logic or structure make it an incredibly fun ride.

It’s not perfect—some jokes fall flat, the pacing can be weird, and Danny’s storyline is forgettable—but Caddyshack isn’t trying to be a deep or meaningful film. It’s just trying to make you laugh, and for the most part, it succeeds brilliantly.