Major Payne

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Major Payne

PG-13

1995

1h 37m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

29%

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14 Reviews

68%

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100,000+ Ratings

Maj. Benson Payne lives, breathes and sleeps war. But after being honorably discharged from the Marines due to a lack of wars, Payne, the natural-born killer, has absolutely no idea how to cope in everyday civilian life. Fortunately, before he completely breaks down, Payne finds his way back into a military capacity at Madison Preparatory School, leading a group of misfit JROTC students who don't want to be led. Whipping these kids into shape might be his toughest battle yet.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

06/07/2022

1/4

The problem with this movie isn’t ambivalence, because nothing has been sufficiently established, either morally or psychologically...

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

3/4

Although the plot of the movie is a familiar formula, the dialogue and performance are not; it's a smart, funny job of poking fun at all those movies where sadistic drill instructors terrorized their green recruits.

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

03/02/2022

1.5/4

The movies have yet to utilize the writing and performing talents that were evident from Damon Wayans on In Living Color.

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

10/13/2015

3/5

Silly slapstick movie has some violence, salty language.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

09/15/2005

2/5

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

02/18/2005

1/5

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Antoni W

@Antonir 5d

It's certainly one of the movies ever made

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Dakota P

@DaCinephile Aug 16

Major Payne excels at identifying exactly what kind of movie it intends to be, then executing that goal without hesitation. There was certainly no “failure to communicate” on set. It leans on many of the familiar tropes and lessons found in comedies of the era, but by never taking itself so seriously that it gets in its own way, Major Payne becomes one of the more successful comedies of the ’90s. Damon Wayans’ consistent intensity keeps the movie rolling where others would typically get dull.

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Pipe Smoking L

@RT92467537 Jul 11

Tortured with it more than that Paula Abdul album in my mom's car as a kid... a movie about Damon Wayans. And nothing else really... Damn Wayans plays a clown. Or a r#$*rded guy. Or a homeless re#*^ded guy. Or a r*%^@ded late 80's wannabe gangster... or all those things as a Drill Sergeant. I guess. It has all the heartwarming Disney-esq trash that comes to ruin the comedic element seen through the beginning. Plays out like Idiocracy. After the first 25 minutes, turn it off. True to Hollywood standards, all affairs and lifestyle-military are played and portrayed with 100% accuracy and with the fullest amount of respect to Vets. More real than the movie Patton.

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Jeremy W.

@reliablecritic Jun 11

WORTHY WATCH! One of my most favorite childhood movies of all time and I still love it.

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Tony T

@tonyknowsbest May 27

Very funny! Worth the watch.

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Kyle P

@KP007 May 6

Movie gets better with time

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Nick Castle

Director

Damon Wayans

Maj. Benson Payne

Karyn Parsons

Emily Walburn

Michael Ironside

Lt. Col. Stone

William Hickey

Dr. Phillips

Albert Hall

Gen. Decker

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Synopsis

Maj. Benson Payne lives, breathes and sleeps war. But after being honorably discharged from the Marines due to a lack of wars, Payne, the natural-born killer, has absolutely no idea how to cope in everyday civilian life. Fortunately, before he completely breaks down, Payne finds his way back into a military capacity at Madison Preparatory School, leading a group of misfit JROTC students who don't want to be led. Whipping these kids into shape might be his toughest battle yet.

Director: Nick Castle
Producer: Eric L. Gold, Michael I. Rachmil
Screenwriter: Dean Lorey, Damon Wayans, Gary Rosen
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 24, 1995, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.4M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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