"Private Benjamin" reignited Goldie Hawn's status in movies, but it doesn't leave behind good feelings, and occasionally the self-serious overtones are mean-spirited. After a strenuous opening, pampered Jewish princess Judy Benjamin (Hawn, looking great) asserts herself for the first time by joining the U.S. Army; her recruiter has convinced her it's like Club Med... Is anyone this naive? Probably not, but that's what gives the first-half of the movie a silly kick. The boot-camp stuff has all been done before, but seldom with a woman at the center, and most of Goldie's lines get big laughs (After scrubbing the latrine with her electric toothbrush she tells the guard, "You could eat off that floor--why don't you?"). Unfortunately, the screenplay aspires to higher things other than military slapstick. Judy falls for a mumbling Frenchman (Armand Assante) who is the stereotypical Euro-cad completely out-of-place in these sitcom surroundings; his scenes deaden the rest of the film, which has a curious, but unfunny 'sanity restored' ending. The streak of late-'70s pro-feminism red carpets the movie practically in advance as if Hawn (one of the producers) really wanted to say something; naturally, almost every male in the film is a jerk, a liar, a weakling, a rapist, or a cheat. The portrayal of Judy's parents is torturous, and Eileen Brennan is stuck in the one-note role as cruel Captain Lewis, whose character is eventually brought down to size by turning lesbian! Hawn does manage to carry the movie for much of the way, and yet she bears some of the blame for the film's sour tone. **1/2 from ****

Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) is a picky superficial newlywed who loses her husband (Albert Brooks) during wedding night sex on the bathroom floor. She's 28, married twice, and trained for nothing. Lying recruiter Jim Ballard (Harry Dean Stanton) tricks her to join the army. She's in for a rude awakening and wants to go home. Captain Lewis (Eileen Brennan) is her tough trainer. After being belittled by her father, she decides to stay rather than go home getting taken care of. She becomes a great private and rout the opposition in a war game. While on leave in New Orleans, she meets french doctor Henri Tremont (Armand Assante). Later, he would propose but he isn't prince charming.

Goldie Hawn is fun and Eileen Brennan is terrific. They are both great and the movie is actually uplifting. The movie should probably stay with basic training. The second half isn't quite as compelling and the comedy dries up. The movie is better off expanding on the first half and cut out the second half.

Private Banjamin is an uneven film, but it is also an entertaining one. The first half is very focused, but the second half does get rather scatter-shot and dull. While most of it is funny, some of the laughs have a tendency to become sporadic, while the romance felt forced for my tastes. On the other hand, the film is at least nice to look at with good cinematography, editing and scenery, the story is decently paced and maintains interest and at its best the script is smart and snappy. Goldie Hawn is a very likable lead, and there is a sterling support cast including Eileen Brennan and Harry Dean Stanton. Overall, a very decent and entertaining film. 7/10 Bethany Cox