
Best Defense
1984 · Movie · R · 94 min · ★ 4.3 · 21% critics
A struggling engineer races to fix serious problems in a new military tank before its flaws cause trouble in the field. The story mixes workplace chaos, pressure from above, and broad comedy as testing moves toward a high-stakes deployment.
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Details
- Years
- 1984
- Release date
- 1984-07-20
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Critic score
- 21/100
- TMDB rating
- 4.3/10 (130 votes)
About
You might enjoy this if you like lightweight, goofy 1980s comedies with military satire and scattered laughs, but Not for you if you want a consistently sharp script or a standout comedy from start to finish.
Pros: a few funny moments; energetic tank scenes; easygoing 80s vibe | Cons: uneven comedy; muddled structure; forgettable overall
Themes
- army
- middle east
- armor
- kgb
- engineer
- error
Cast & crew

Dudley Moore
as Wylie

Eddie Murphy
as Landry

Kate Capshaw
as Laura

George Dzundza
as Loparino

Helen Shaver
as Claire
- MA
Mark Arnott
as Brank

Peter Michael Goetz
as Joyner

Tom Noonan
as Holtzman

David Rasche
as Jeff

Paul Comi
as Chief Agent
Directed by Willard Huyck