Blind Date (1987) User Reviews (68)

Perhaps it was made in the wrong decade...

[Cel_Stacker · 7/10 · 15 March 2007]

Blake Edwards once again turned to his bread-and-butter genre, and kept things nice and simple. However, for whatever reason, this downplayed treat was and is often panned by critics left and right. I submit to you that this is because most of us just don't get it.

I'll use the plot portent to tell you what this movie isn't, first of all. Despite appearances, it's not about up-and-coming, wannabe yuppie Walter Davis (Bruce Willis), not really about his blind date of the title with the beautiful and potentially deadly Nadia Gates (Kim Basinger), not about psychotic defense lawyer and jealous ex David Bedford's (John Laroquette) attempts to break the two up and steal back his first love, and not about the punches and rolls with which these people, along with their families and acquaintances, must deal.

It's just my theory, but I think most of us didn't get this movie because it was a humorous commentary on the time during which it was made. This movie is all about the '80s; the yuppie culture, the self-absorption, the repeated attempts of folks to find solace in getting and having things, and our near-tragic couple's struggle to be who they are, even if it doesn't fit with '80s yuppie culture, and embrace what's important. Consider it--during her drunken binge, Nadia assaults everything that could make Walter a yuppie as if it were a well-organized plan. Walter, in turn, tries his hand at the same thing, mostly upon David and car salesman brother Ted (late, great Phil Hartman). Sure the details give a chuckle or two, but there's an almost cerebral humor going on under the surface of the film, right at the core, which pokes fun at a cornerstone of life in the '80s.

This led to the movie's downfall in favor, since the very people at which the movie so heavily pokes fun were probably among the first ones to see it premiere in the '80s. Even if they got it, they probably didn't appreciate the joke. Essemtially, Edwards had spoofed the '80s DURING the '80s. A gutsy move, and witting or unwitting, this gave it a kind of staying power. It really is about more than you think.

So, if you're one of the lonely soldiers who likes the movie, try to view it in this context and see what you think of it. If you hated it, please try to observe this point of view, and again, see what you think. Blind Date is one of the most different comedies to emerge from this decade. No matter where you sit on the quality issue, perhaps it deserves a second look.

Terrific cast

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 22 August 2015]

The only other Blake Edwards I've seen is "10", but I do prefer this. "Blind Date" isn't wall-to-wall gut-busting, but there are all sorts of little things (touches, gags, what-have-you) that really make this an enjoyable movie. The two leads make for solid comedic actors (Basinger and her million dollar scream makes a great sillyass drunk, Willis playing against type as a high-strung business type . . . and he's hilarious when he loses his sh|t). And at some point along the way, William Daniels strolls in and owns the whole flick. Marvelous stuff.

One scene in particular had me geeking out pretty hard. John Larroquette's office looks out onto the (still under-construction) Fox Plaza, otherwise known as the Nakatomi Building. That was awesome.

7/10

One of those movies that makes you laugh

[MichaelMovieLoft · 6/10 · 8 December 2004]

I love this film. This was Bruce Willis' first box office film in a leading role. It's a nice little film that has its funny moments. Blind Date is not Citizen Kane, but it's sure a good film to watch on a day off. When Kim Basinger gets drunk, that's where the funny moments start. She goes from being a sweet southern belle to the date from hell. She embarrasses him at a business dinner, goes ga-ga at a club, gets his car lifted, and drives him to the point of insanity. Meanwhile, ex-boyfriend Larroquette is stalking them around the town driving them nuts. His character isn't given much depth, but he works with it. All in all, it's a funny, innocent film that will make you laugh.

A Pretty Enjoyable Comedy

[Uriah43 · 7/10 · 7 December 2014]

"Walter Davis" (Bruce Willis) is a dedicated, hard-working employee for a company that is pulling out all the stops to impress a possible new client. As a result he desperately needs a new date for the office dinner party. As luck would have it his brother "Ted Davis" (Phil Hartman) just happens to know of someone named "Nadia Gates" (Kim Basinger) who recently arrived in Los Angeles and so Walter takes a chance and calls her on the phone. When he gets to her apartment he is surprised at how attractive she is and wanting to loosen her up a bit he gives her some champagne even though his brother warned him not to give her any alcohol. Big mistake. Anyway, rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a pretty enjoyable comedy for the most. Admittedly there were some slow scenes here and there but after the first 15 minutes or so it really got going. I especially liked Kim Basinger who performed quite well and looked absolutely gorgeous. Be that as it may I rate this movie as above average.

A proper comedy from the eighties

[AndreiPavlov · 7/10 · 12 April 2006]

This movie is an easy-going one. Light atmosphere, nice gags, good and not-so-good joking all the way, young Kim and Bruce, and fine urban/suburban scenery. It's kind of a very warm family movie that can suit nearly every evening when there is nothing to do (though some humour is rather adult). My opinion is that they could not handle the script better than this.

Don't know how about others, but to me this movie is very neat and quite funny. Though they shouldn't have called the dog "Rambo", while "First Blood" is one of my absolute favourites. How dare they! Solid 7 out of 10. Thanks for attention.

Likable farce with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 14 December 2015]

Released in 1987, "Blind Date" stars Bruce Willis as a workaholic who is forced to get a blind date (Kim Basinger) for an important company dinner meeting. Everything goes awry when she has too much to drink. John Larroquette co-stars as the girl's crazy ex and Stephanie Faracy has a small role.

This is a likable farce with quite a few laughs, but not enough to give it a higher rating. Being shot in 1986, everything about it screams mid-80s – the big hair, hideous mullets and music with electronic drums. Plus it's cool seeing Willis when he was young and with a full head of hair. On the negative side, even farces have to stay somewhere within the bounds of plausibility, but "Blind Date" sometimes goes over-the-top goofy, like at the midpoint when the house moves away while hooligans run wild in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, this is worthwhile for some laughs, particularly if you like the cast.

The film runs 95 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area.

GRADE: B- or C+ (5.5/10)

Underrated Comedy...

[Merely · 7/10 · 15 April 2000]

with some very funny scenes! John Larroquette is very good and I always enjoy William Daniels. The interplay between them is classic. It is mostly physical comedy, which is apparently not funny to everyone, from the looks of the ratings here, but I liked it. I also prefer Bruce Willis doing comedy. And while capable in the role, Kim Basinger is nothing to write home about.

Good Fun

[TVGirl · 21 December 1998]

One of my favorite 80's comedies. Many very funny and memorable scenes. It's a fun, light-hearted film about a blind date gone awry. Of course, everything that can happen DOES happen on this particular date, and many laughs are the result. The best scene is when Walter and Nadia go to a restaurant after Nadia has had too much to drink. Apparently, she has some sort of chemical imbalance to liquor, and things go haywire in front of Walter's business associates.

Inconsistent and weak

[gcd70 · 4/10 · 18 January 2008]

Blake Edwards, one of the masters of slapstick, once again seems to indicate that he has had his day with this inconsistent, weak story about a corporate exec. who goes on a blind date from hell with an uncontrollable but gorgeous young woman. You see Nadia is fine until she gets a hold of any form of alcohol, and needless to say, Walter Davis (Bruce Willis) allows this to happen despite all the warnings. Absolute pandemonium immediately breaks out, but sadly absolute hilarity does not.

Most of the humour based around this premise doesn't work because it's too predictable, over the top and because the two lead characters are so frustratingly stupid. In fact the funniest scenes belong to John Laroquette as an obsessive lawyer and William Daniels as his county court judge father who would like nothing better than to see his son practising law in an entirely different state, or even country. The two play off each other well and create some truly comic moments.

Screenwriter Dale Launer's idea was good and it's unfortunate that it turned out to be a one joke film, with a reasonable sub-plot that probably saved the whole thing from oblivion. Funny man Bruce Willis is okay, but stick to the "Moonlighting" series for his best. Kim Basinger may be a looker, but she's not much more, while for Blake Edwards fans its back to the "Pink Panther" series and Peter Sellers.

Friday, August 26, 1994 - Video

Funny choas from Blake Edwards

[lawrence-14 · 7/10 · 15 April 2000]

Bruce Willis (in his pre-action hero days)is perfect as the hapless Walter Davis who finds his whole life crashing down on him after just one night with his sister-in-law's cousin, Nadia (Kim Basigner). The reliable Blake Edwards is in the director's chair so there are many funny moments in store. A winning romantic comedy.

Poor script - redeeming factor - the 3 leading actors

[David Nicholson · 3/10 · 4 May 2001]

The story moved clumsily along from one idiotic situation to another none of which were really tied together by the end of the movie. Bruce Willis' character changed twice during the movie, but the changes were sudden, and the character never evolved. Kim Basinger's character was like a Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde which never really worked, and John Laroquette's character had a limited redundant vocabulary (I'll kill you), and a running gag of driving his car into buildings which really didn't work when you discovered in the latter part of the movie that he was a defense lawyer. These three actors made the movie tolerable, but it would have been much better if the writer and the director had never made the movie to begin with.

I never understood why this film was criticised so much

[gtbarker · 8/10 · 26 November 2005]

I saw this film when it first came out and I laughed out loud at quite a few scenes and thoroughly enjoyed it. Both Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger are excellent and there was obvious comic chemistry between them. There also plenty of great lines and performances from the supporting cast too, especially from John Larroquette (Basinger's psychotically obsessed erstwhile boyfriend). It was a complete mystery to me why it was so panned on release, but reading some of the comments here I am glad to see that this minor gem is finally getting the recognition it deserves. All I'll add is: dobermans, golf balls, moonwalking and an abject lesson in why you should never get your new girlfriend drunk.

Fun 1987 Moonlighting style romance comedy

[romannoir · 7/10 · 30 July 2022]

I actually love this movie, it's endearing and silly! Bruce Willis is similar to his Moonlighting character, and Kim Basinger is a charmingly tipsy blonde who takes the uptight Walter out on the Blind Date of his life!

A mildly pleasant misfire.

[gridoon · 4/10 · 4 September 1999]

Blake Edwards tries to combine visual and verbal slapstick, and he delivers a few (scattered) laughs, but his direction is too static for this kind of wild comedy. The film is a mildly pleasant misfire, and Willis wasn't yet comfortable enough to be able to carry a movie on his own. There is a funny little performance by Daniels, who plays a judge.

Blake's last great hurrah & Say hello to Bruno, America ;)

[george.schmidt · 27 February 2003]

BLIND DATE (1987)*** Bruce Willis, Kim Basinger, John Larroquette, William Daniels, Phil Hartman. Willis in his first film during his "Moonlighting" hey-day is faced with the blind date from hell Basinger, a bombshell who "loses control" with one drink of alcohol, causing a night of slap-stick heavy consequences. Larroquette is a riot as her zealously jealous pinhead ex hellbent on destroying Willis. Best bit: Larroquette's car destruction. Directed with flair by ace Blake Edwards.

Generally harmless comedy

[RoseNylan · 6/10 · 19 March 2009]

Bruce Willis plays a young accountant who needs a date to go with him to a big business dinner involving a wealthy Japanese businessman in this slapstick heavy romantic comedy. Willis' brother, played by Phil Hartman, hooks him up with Kim Basinger, who looks like perfect woman. The only problem is that whenever she has a drink, she goes crazy. Of course, Willis gives her a drink and she completely wrecks the business dinner.

The problem that this film has is that there is nothing really compelling to compliment the slapstick comedy. There is really no reason why Willis' character would stay with Basinger after everything she did to ruin his career other than to set up for later slapstick gags. That said, there are some very funny scenes in this film. Any scene that involves John Larroquette as Basinger's jealous ex-boyfriend is a scream. There are enough laughs and fun here to make this film worthwhile, but just don't expect anything very memorable.

Kim Basinger - a successful actress!

[DomiMMHS · 7/10 · 13 February 1999]

My rating for this movie is the clearest 7 out of 10. It's just too good entertainment though it's just too bad. The first point is much stronger.

Surprising that John Larroquette can make a nice psycho. I won't bother discussing whether his character is believable or not. But you can laugh very much because of him. Not in the very first scene he appears, but in all the later. It only gets better. The situations are absolutely absurd, but you can't help enjoying them. (Why should you?)

Nor do I want to discuss the credibility of Kim Basinger's character. But she is just too wonderful, as she is always. When her character starts to fall out of line, she makes me feel a small and bizarre deal of joy, she can really make you laugh in some scenes and she also works out real emotion in some scenes - in a movie of this kind. Apparently there are people who think of her as a dumb blonde (!) whose job is nothing but being beautiful or something like that. I can't understand this, she's actually a real good actress. She doesn't play a complex or somewhat character here, but it's her who manages to make much fun of it. She's successful!

So everything in the movie works. The madness of the plot, the showdown-like action scenes in that big and crazy house, and that one thing with the brandy... don't ask me why it works. And Bruce Willis...well he's not bad... but he can't really be but Bruce Willis, that tough, blood-smeared guy in his muscle-shirt, can he?

No, actually I liked him more in "Mortal Thoughts", "Death Becomes Her" and "Nobody's Fool" than I did in this one.

lacks any laughs

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 1 March 2015]

Walter Davis (Bruce Willis) is overworked with no personal life. His work friend Denny is a slimball womanizer. They have a new big traditional Japanese client. His boss Harry Gruen (George Coe) require everybody with first class dates to a dinner with the new client. His brother Ted (Phil Hartman) sets him up with his wife's cousin Nadia Gates (Kim Basinger) as a blind date. He's warned not to get her drunk or else she'll get out of control. The date goes well even after they run into her ex-boyfriend David Bedford (John Larroquette). For some reason, he gives her some alcohol and away she goes.

Director Blake Edwards is running on fumes. Most importantly, I don't buy Bruce Willis as this character. This character is suppose to be a workaholic office drone. Kim Basinger is bad at drunk acting which is a real art. There has to be a class for that. Everything about this is badly manufactured. None of it is terribly funny. The slapstick and the ridiculous setups don't work. I don't understand why he gives her a drink in the first place. The setup should be that she accidentally takes a sip. The bright side is that I don't actually hate these characters. I just don't necessarily care about them.

A few good laughs

[Captain Ed · 7/10 · 7 June 2000]

I'd give this a six or seven. The first half of the movie is an absolute riot, with both Kim Basinger and Bruce Willis doing a great job with physical comedy. However, the second half drags despite a near film-stealing performance by William Daniels, as tart as ever. As mentioned in an earlier review, the continuity of the story stumbles in several places, most notably when the two main characters declare that they never want to see each other and, without benefit of any developing scenes, suddenly can't live without each other. Looks like part of the film got left on the cutting room floor. Unfortunately, this is a consistent aspect of Blake Edwards' films (see Skin Deep, which is almost unintelligible). This film is no exception.

Still, if it comes up on cable (pay channels only), you could do a lot worse than Blind Date.

Split right down the middle when allowing for nostalgia factor.

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 4 March 2008]

Bruce Willis made this film in the middle of his stint in the hugely popular TV Show Moonlighting, and it's very much in keeping with the fun side of that particular show. I remember watching this at the cinema many years ago with my then new girlfriend, and I remember laughing heartily as Bruce prats about falling over things and being thrust into ridiculous situations caused by the (then) luscious Kim Basinger. Viewing it now 20 years later I still have a soft spot for it, but it plays out more as a time capsule oddity in view of Willis's subsequent career. He was not very far away from making action genre template Die Hard, and that is the context in which to view this early comedic effort.

The plot revolves around Walter Davis (Willis), who needs a date for a very important business dinner, his brother sets him up on a blind date with his wife's cousin Nadia (Basinger) with the express warning of not getting her drunk as she goes wild when taking too much booze. Naturally things go from chaos to bigger chaos as Nadia promptly gets drunk and tears Walter's world to shreds. Some fun set pieces and tidy humour dialogue keep the proceedings jovial enough, but a running gag with one of Nadia's ex boyfriends turning up quickly becomes annoying, and the standard plot gag of Nadia ruining everything also becomes tiresome.

It's got it's moments but just not enough to lift the film above average, the two leads do well enough to keep the mood going, but ultimately the film for me is straight down the middle with a rating of 5/10.

Sometimes Successful Farce.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 3 August 2013]

An enjoyable piece of fluff, built solely around the notion that Kim Basinger has some kind of metabolic disorder that renders her a reckless drunk if she takes the slightest bit of alcohol. Workaholic Bruce Willis is talked into taking her to dinner at a fancy French restaurant in LA but has underestimated the magnitude of her problem and sees to it that she has a bit of champagne.

What follows is an amusing concoction of slapstick, insane dialog, embarrassing situations, and character development in which Bruce Willis turns from a pragmatist into a Dionysian fool.

These are well-off people we're talking about. They live in the kind of Southern California milieu in which everyone is expected to have a swimming pool. I counted eight people who were pushed, fell, or were forced to dive into one of the pools to escape a a dog. The hedges are all perfectly barbered, the grass neatly trimmed, the interiors impeccable, and the acreage infinite, all rather like my place.

The comedy is usually slapstick. People fall off balconies, ladders, and, in one case, a tree after being hit accidentally on the head with a golf ball. One running gag is effective by any measure. John Larroquette, as Basinger's jealous lover, follows the couple in his car and when his attention is distracted, which it is, three times, his car leaves the road and invariably smashes through a plate glass window -- once a paint shop, once a pet store, and I forget the third. Each time he picks up souvenirs of his accident until he finds himself speeding along in a battered, paint-splashed car, his own clothes and face varicolored, and being blinded from behind by some kind of chirping primate. And this is a man who, though a lecher, is rich and dignified.

The burlesque alternates with less frenzied moments, and the dialog is sometimes funny. Larroquette is a lawyer who has decided to defend Willis in court. His very presence draws an angry comment from the judge, William Daniels, who is perfect in the role. "I hoped never to see you in this courtroom again," snarls the judge. Larroquette approaches the judge and smoothly blackmails him into letting the defendant go, while he himself promises never to practice in the judge's jurisdiction again. Daniels scowls, ponders the proposition, then finally agrees, because the prospect of getting rid of Larroquette is simply too bright for him to resist. With a smile, the lawyer leans across the bench and says earnestly, "Thanks, Dad."

There are some weaknesses too. On those few sips of wine, Basinger stays drunk for a long time, and when she sobers up and wants to go home, the crazed Willis drags her to another party, which he invades. There he swills down booze, gets loaded, and jiggles matzoh balls while insulting the guests. Drunks -- seriatim. And of course not all the gags succeed. But when they do, they can be subtle as well as obvious. "Get on with the wedding," Daniels orders, "and kill the dog." The minister begins his intonations while, off screen, a distant gunshot is heard.

Blake Edwards is adept at handling comedies. Sometime's he's made something out of virtually nothing, as in "The Party." He does pretty well by this script.

Blind Date

[jboothmillard · 2/10 · 5 September 2015]

Most people incorrectly think that the former Moonlighting star made his leading movie star debut in Die Hard, in fact it was in this film, and unfortunately it wasn't rated well by critics, I had to see why, directed by Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Pink Panther films, A Shot in the Dark). Basically Walter Davis (Bruce Willis) is a workaholic, all work and no play or attention to his appearance or personal life, so he allows his brother Ted (Phil Hartman) to set him up on a blind date. Walter's date, who will accompany him to his company's business dinner with a new important Japanese client, is Ted's wife's cousin, Nadia Gates (Kim Basinger). Nadia is new in town and wants to socialise, she is shy and there is an awkwardness between her and Walter, as the evening goes on Nadia has a drink, and this causes her to behave in a wild manner, Ted warned Walter beforehand about her behaviour under the influence of alcohol, but he thought this was a joke. The situation gets worse when Nadia's ex-boyfriend David Bedford (John Larroquette) shows up and starts stalking the couple all night, trying assaults of all sorts, including ramming Walter's car. Walter ends up going insane with Nadia's mishaps and David's pursuit, he wreaks havoc at the dinner, and Nadia gets Walter fired, his car is destroyed, and he is put in a prison cell after threatening David with a mugger's weapon, including forcing him to moonwalk and firing at a frightened man's feet. Nadia pays the $10,000 bail for Walter's release, and she is forced to agree to marry David so he will help Walter avoid prison time during his court case. Walter realises he may in fact have real feelings for Nadia, so to spoil the wedding he injects a full box of chocolates with brandy, she eats all of them before the ceremony, and chaos ensues with her drunken behaviour. In the end Walter, previously seen going all over the house trying to talk to Nadia, stops the wedding and expresses his feelings, the paid kiss and embrace what looks like true love, and they get married. Also starring William Daniels as Judge Harold Bedford, George Coe as Harry Gruen, Mark Blum as Denny Gordon, Stephanie Faracy as Susie Davis, Alice Hirson as Muriel Bedford, Graham Stark as Jordan the Butler and Joyce Van Patten as Nadia's Mother. It is unsurprising critics thought Willis would be another TV star attempting an failing somewhat in his first film, he doesn't quite fit, and Basinger, despite being beautiful, is rather irritating as the woman turned crazy by alcohol who causes disaster for others. This film has almost nothing that works, the attempts at slapstick create only titters of laughter, the mad behaviour gets the point where it cringing and unbearable rather than funny, and there is hardly any believability with the love story, it is most disappointing comedy. Pretty poor!

Bruce and Kim make a couple to remember

[Petey-10 · 8/10 · 21 March 2005]

Bruce Willis plays a workaholic Walter Davis, whose brother Ted (Phil Hartman) sets him up with this gorgeous woman Nadia Gates (Kim Basinger).There's one thing about Nadia you should know, though.If she has even a little bit of alcohol, she loses control and becomes wild. The legendary director Blake Edwards directed Blind Date in 1987.It has a brilliant cast.Bruce and Kim shine together at the time they were both oh so young.Bruce turned 50 on Saturday and you could say he now has the legend value.In this movie he takes the lead for the first time. The next year, in 1988, he had an action classic called Die Hard coming. Next year there should be coming Die Hard 4.0, so can't wait to see that.Other actors do a great job too.There are John Larroquette as David Bedford, Nadia's ex, who's doing an excellent job and William Daniels, who's known as the voice of KITT in Knight Rider and George Feeny in Boy Meets World is marvelous.Phil Hartman, who is sadly gone now after his wife shot him in 1998, is wonderful.There certainly is a cast to remember.I remember the first time I saw this movie back in 1994.I was the biggest Bruce Willis fan at the time and I enjoyed this movie very much.These days it doesn't work quite as good, but it's still pretty enjoyable flick.It offers some great comedic moments that bring a grin on your face.

"I went on a blind date... Anyone got $10,000 for bail?"

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 6 April 2017]

Walter Davis (Bruce Willis) is required to bring a date to a company function. A relative (Phil Hartman) know for finding weird blind dates seems to have located the perfect date Nadia Gates (Kim Basinger;) the only caveat is that she is unstable when liberated. Walter was warned. Naturally the warning must be an exaggeration as we all get a little tipsy. Nope it was right on the money. Nadia who also gives warning goes from polite to helpful to very helpful. To top this off she is being doggedly followed by a psychotic cop ex- boyfriend (John Larroquette.) This is just for starters.

Filmmaking legend Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's) is the man behind the camera. He brings a lot of class and experience to what could have been a generic romantic comedy. His widescreen compositions and long, moving camera takes add a touch of sophistication. Many scenes are done in one long take, lending a theatrical edge to the humor. Whilst Willis and Basinger are the main cast, a big nod must go to John Larroquette who plays the maniac David. He provides almost all the laughs. There is also a starring role for William Daniels the guy who voiced KITT from Knight Rider. And he swears, which is interesting.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Only in the movies

[HotToastyRag · 4/10 · 8 July 2019]

In this technology-fueled age, a traditional blind date is rare. However, even though you know what your date looks like, she or he could still be a total surprise on the inside-just like in the wacky comedy from 1987. Bruce Willis gets set up by his slimy brother, Phil Hartman, to go on a date with a beautiful woman with the warning not to get her drunk. When Kim Basinger answers the door, Bruce thinks he's in for a wonderful night. Then she gets drunk.

Hopefully, dates as bad as these are only in the movies, but there probably is some poor soul who had to endure at least a portion of what Kim's character put Bruce through. I'm sure there's someone out there who was harassed by their date's ex, embarrassed in front of his boss, got lost in a world before GPS, got her outfit ruined, or otherwise got completely blindsided by a good first impression. If any of that, or a combination, has happened to you, you'll probably get a big kick out of this movie. It's pretty over-the-top, and a little tongue-in-cheek, since the assumption is that no one in the audience has lived through as much as Bruce Willis lives through. And yes, it gets pretty silly towards the end, but many modern movies have silly endings, too.

Moral of the story: be careful! Even if your date looks like Kim Basinger, you might end up having a terrible night. My favorite part is when Bruce gets fired by his boss, who expresses his distaste with the line, "I only wish we were in the army, so I could have you shot."