Meatballs (Blu-ray) (1979)

Variety 8 of 10
It's difficult to come up with a more cliche situation for a summer pic than a summer camp, where all the characters and plot turns are readily imaginable. That makes director Ivan Reitman's accomplishment all the more noteworthy...Bill Murray limns a head counselor in charge of a group of misfit counselors-in-training. The usual types predominate: the myopic klutz, the obese kid who wins the pig-out contest, the smooth-talking lothario, and a bevy of comely lasses...Scripters have managed to gloss over the stereotypes and come up with a smooth-running narrative that makes the camp hijinks part of an overall human mosaic. No one is unduly belittled or mocked, and Meatballs is without the usual grossness and cynicism of many contempo comedy pix.
 
Mutant Reviewers From Hell 9 of 10
Meatballs was the breakout smash for Murray, who played lead counselor Tripper. Tripper is the voice of leadership and temporary insanity that sets the standard for an offbeat summer camp. He rips up the camp rules, broadcasts crazy PSAs over the loudspeakers, and chases the female counselors with reckless abandon. In what would become typical Murray fashion, Tripper utters outrageous one-liners with deadpan certainty. I am sure that Meatballs sans Murray would have ended up another boring "nutty people do nutty things" film, but not only does Murray make this an exceptionally funny flick...It's not pure laughs. There are scenes where you will say, "What were people in the seventies thinking?" Murray doesn't have enough bad guys to properly display his sarcastic wit. But Meatballs ends up being a funny romp through the trials and tribulations of summer camp anyhow, and I can't bash it for trying.