History Film / SpiesLikeUs

* OverlyStereotypicalDisguise: {{Inverted|Trope}}. The two KGB Special Agents' "American" disguises seem like they were inspired by ''[[Franchise/{{Barbie}} Malibu Ken]]'' dolls, since they consist of bleached blonde hair and preppy, pastel-colored clothing (complete with their own baby blue ''Jeep''). In rural Pakistan. Of course, neither Emmet nor Austin are suspicious of them until the latter notices that [[ImpostorForgotOneDetail one of them is wearing a Russian-made watch]].

* OverlyStereotypicalDisguise: The two KGB agents' "American" disguises seem like they were inspired by ''[[Franchise/{{Barbie}} Malibu Ken'' dolls, since they consist of bleached blonde hair and preppy, pastel-colored clothing (complete with their own baby blue ''Jeep''). In rural Pakistan. Of course, neither Fitz-Hume nor Millbarge are suspicious of them until the latter notices that [[ImpostorForgotOneDetail one of them is wearing a Soviet-made digital watch]].

* TheAce: Millbarge, especially in comparison to Fitz-Hume. His EstablishingCharacterMoment showing his job as a tech-guy somewhere in the bowels of the Pentagon has him showing his boss the decoding and translation of an encrypted Russian message he was asked to do, and the two of them explaining how complicated (or from Millbarge's point of view, simple) the code was… before Millbarge then shows his boss what he used to decode it: one of those code-watches that come inside of cereal boxes. He's also fluent in multiple languages and combat. There's really no reason to assume that Millbarge would have been unsuccessful if paired with a competent partner (which he eventually finds in the form of Boyer).

* AcronymAndAbbreviationOverload: Many parodies of arcane abbreviations rattled off by government and military folks. GLG-20, OIO, NATSAT, WAMP, JamScram, SatScrambler... on top of ''real'' ones like FSB, CIA, DIA, SatCom, GravSat.

* NoEndorHolocaust: Not shown or discussed are the ramifications of detonating a ''40 megaton'' fusion warhead in space above New York City. Even if no one died from blast effects, the US Northeast would suffer massive issues from EMP damage.

* ExplosiveInstrumentation: Somehow the destruction of the MTV satellite with the SDI laser pulse causes a TV to blow up in a bedroom with two teenage girls watching the channel.

* TheCameo: The movie is full of them: Creator/SamRaimi, Creator/CostaGavras, Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/TerryGilliam, Creator/FrankOz, Music/BBKing, Creator/RayHarryhausen. Also Bob Hope, as a ShoutOut to the ''Film/RoadTo'' pictures he made.

* TheAce: Millbarge, in comparison to Fitz-Hume. His EstablishingCharacterMoment showing his job as a tech-guy somewhere in the bowels of the Pentagon has him showing his boss the decoding and translation of an encrypted Russian message he was asked to do, and the two of them explaining how complicated (or from Millbarge's point of view, simple) the code was… before Millbarge then shows his boss what he used to decode it: one of those code-watches that come inside of cereal boxes. There's really no reason to assume that Millbarge would have been unsuccessful if paired with a competent partner (which he eventually finds in the form of Boyer).

* AllMenArePerverts: Our heroes fight over the binoculars so they can perve on Creator/VanessaAngel zipping up her jumpsuit.

* DecoyConvoy: Fitz-Hume and Millbarge are just relased in the Middle East and told to wander around in the hope that they will distract the KGB from the real GLG-20 mission. However, [[SpannerInTheWorks the real team is intercepted by a random patrol and one of the agents is killed]], forcing the remaining agent to ask Fitz-Hume and Millbarge to help her.

* InformedFlaw: Millbarge is extremely competent and intelligent, especially in comparison to Fitz-Hume, yet the premise treats him as a bad agent despite pretty much singlehandly saving the day.

* MakeGamesNotWar: The final scene of the movie has an American and Soviet politician playing ''Trivial Persuit'' together. If someone whiffs their question, they lose a real missile silo, represented by taking markers off of a ''TabletopGame/{{Risk}}'' board.

* NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught: One of the two "heroes" (to use the term loosely) managed to pressure the other into helping him cheat on their government promotion tests, through good, old-fashioned Chevy Chase-style chuztpah. [[RefugeInAudacity When discovered, in order to cover themselves, they worked together by reflex to cover each other.]] Subverted when the CIA test givers were so impressed that they gave them an immediate promotion to field agents. Double subverted as this was a plot to throw expendable agents into the field as a diversion for more nefarious activities.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: InUniverse, the Soviet soldiers guarding the ICBM love the song "Soul Finger" by the Bar Kays. However, they're not familiar with Music/LittleRichard's "The Girl Can't Help It", which backfires on them during [[AbsurdlyHighStakesGame the "negotiations"]] in the last scene.

* ColonelBadass: Colonel Rhumbus. He knocks out his own squad of elite ninja soldiers, then takes our heroes through accelerated elite spy training. His salutes are so snappy that you can ''hear'' his gloved hand cutting through the air.

** Colonel Rhumbus' rating of Fitz-Hume and Millbarge after the encounter: "Pussies". He then ''takes them all out singlehandedly.''

'''Col. Rhumbus:''' Boys... it'd be a ''shame'' to have to kill you now. ''[drives off]''\\

* TheAce: Millbarge, in comparison to Fitz-Hume. His EstablishingCharacterMoment showing his job as a tech-guy somewhere in the bowels of the Pentagon has him showing his boss the decoding and translation of an encrypted Russian message he was asked to do, and the two of them explaining how complicated (or from Millbarge's point of view, simple) the code was… before Millbarge then shows his boss what he used to decode it: one of those code-watches that come inside of cereal boxes. There's really no reason to assume that Millbarge would have been unsuccessful if paired with a competent sidekick.

* TheAce: Millbarge, in comparison to Fitz-Hume. His EstablishingCharacterMoment showing his job as a tech-guy somewhere in the bowels of the Pentagon has him showing his boss the decoding and translation of an encrypted Russian message he was asked to do, and the two of them explaining how complicated (or from Millbarge's point of view, simple) the code was... before Millbarge then shows his boss what he used to decode it: one of those code-watches that come inside of cereal boxes.

* DoesNotLikeGuns: Milbarge, by his own admission.
--> '''Milbarge''': I must really like you, because I don't like horses, and I ''hate'' guns! ''[opens fire]''

* GrenadeHotPotato: Fitz-Hume actually catches the grenade - and has no idea what it is, leading to to ask, "Hey, what's this?" Milbarge answers, "You don't want it!" so Fitz-Hume calmly stands up in the middle of the firefight and calmly tosses the grenade back, landing in a box of grenades.
* GunsAkimbo: Milbarge pulls one on horseback to get Fitz-Hume back from the Russian highway patrol.

* OffscreenTeleportation: While Austin and Emmett are walking away from them and talking, the two KGB Special Branch agents somehow get from the jeep they were occupying (behind our heroes) to standing in front of them. They do the same thing into the highway patrol shack where Fitz-Hume is being held. Both times, Fitz-Hume and (when he's present) Milbarge look just as confused as the rest of us.

* OverlyLongGag: Milbarge and Fitz-Hume greet a group of doctors by individually addressing each with "Doctor," to which each replies "Doctor," leading to 30 seconds of dialogue consisting of a single word. Ending with: Milbarge: "We're not doctors!"

** Also, the Old El Paso tortilla chips and Budweiser the guys are enjoying when their container is air dropped into Afghanistan. Not least, the box of Lucky Charms that Milbarge gets his decoder disk from.

** While Milbarge and Fitz-Hume are in Pakistan, several times people speak to the native Pakistanis (and vice versa) in a foreign language (probably Pashto, as Fitz-Hume uses a "Pashtu" to English dictionary) with no translation.
** When Milbarge quotes a Russian proverb to the KGB agents, there is no translation of what it means for the audience, which helps emphasize that you shouldn't understand it unless you know Russian.

'''Milbarge:''' It means we're O.I.O.\\

'''Milbarge:''' Obligated Involuntary Officers.

* {{Expy}}: Steve Forrest's villainous General Sline (who ordered the operation) is essentially a copy of the trope-naming GeneralRipper, changing the reason for nuclear warfare from "[[SillyReasonForWar the Russians are tampering with our bodily fluids]]" to "[[{{Eagleland}} America]] [[UsefulNotes/PeaceThroughSuperiorFirepower must show the Russians that they have the edge in weapons technology,]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist regardless of the body count.]]" This is not any less chilling, considering he's still willing to cause ''nuclear war'' without any hesitation or regret.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: The CIA only think that the nuclear launch is only to destroy a satellite and frame the Russians. When it misses, Sline admits that the entire goal was to start World War III, saying that an unused weapon (in this case, nuclear weapons) is a waste of resources, and thermonuclear war is the best option. Both CIA agents are aghast, and ForcedToWatch.

* HighlyVisibleNinja: In the woods at night, they turn on ''floodlights'', so that they can show off better! Then, when the ScaryBlackMan Colonel wants to show how tough he is, they obligingly rush him one at a time.

* OffscreenTeleportation
** While Austin and Emmett are walking away from them and talking, the two KGB Special Branch agents somehow get from the jeep they were occupying (behind our heroes) to standing in front of them.
** They do the same thing into the highway patrol shack where Fitz-Hume is being held.
** Both times, Fitz-Hume and (when he's present) Milbarge look just as confused as the rest of us.

* OverlyLongGag: Milbarge and Fitz-Hume greet a group of doctors by individually addressing each with "Doctor," to which each replies "Doctor," leading to 30 seconds of dialogue consisting of a single word.
** Ending with: Milbarge: "We're not doctors!"

* ThanksForTheMammary: Done amusingly - Shortly after the "Doctor Doctor" scene, Emmett Fitz-Hume gets some alone time with Karen Boyer, and does some ObfuscatingStupidity while bringing his hand close to her chest, eventually grabbing one of her assets and as he goes on rambling grabs hold of the other one with his other hand. Karen's initial reaction is mere annoyance, but after she takes hold of Emmett's hands to get them off her chest, she somehow warms up to him and they kiss.

* WithFriendsLikeThese: The protagonists are dropped into Pakistan only to be captured by bandits.
-->'''Fitz-hume''' (subtitles): "If you let me go, you can use my friend's head as a polo ball."\\

'''Millbarge''' "What's he doing?"\\
'''Fitz-hume''' "Err, he's saying hello."\\
'''Millbarge''' (taking hold of the bandit's head): "Hello! Hello!"

* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: The protagonists are dropped into Pakistan only to be captured by bandits.
-->'''Fitz-hume''' (subtitles): "If you let me go, you can use my friend's head as a polo ball."\\
''Bandits all laugh. One of them takes Dan's head in his hands, testing it for size.''\\
'''Millbarge''' "What's he doing?"\\
'''Fitz-hume''' "Err, he's saying hello."\\
'''Millbarge''' (taking hold of the bandit's head): "Hello! Hello!"

* DecoyConvoy: Fitz-Hume and Millbarge are just relased in the Middle East and told to wander around in the hope tht they will distract the KGB from the real GLG-20 mission. However, [[SpannerInTheWorks the real team is intercepted by a random patrol and one of the agents is killed]], forcing the remaining agent to ask Fitz-Hume and Millbarge to help her.

* TheCameo: The movie is full of them: Creator/SamRaimi, Costa-Gavras, Creator/TheCoenBrothers, Creator/TerryGilliam, Creator/FrankOz, Music/BBKing, Creator/RayHarryhausen. Also Bob Hope, as a ShoutOut to the ''Film/RoadTo'' pictures he made.

* TitleDrop: "They're spies... like us!"

Two totally incompetent applicants, Emmett Fitz-Hume and Austin Millbarge, are chosen from a CIA recruitment program. They are parachuted into Pakistan and eventually end up in Afghanistan, chased by the Russians, where they learn they are being used as decoys to draw out the Soviet defenses. Two real spies are sent in. Their mission is to hijack a Soviet missile launcher, launch the Soviet missile and test the new U.S. orbital defense laser.

** Also, the Old El Paso tortilla chips and Budweiser the guys are enjoying when their container is air dropped into Afghanistan.