Gung Ho

PG-13

Released Mar 14, 1986

1 hr. 51 min.

Comedy

List

33%

21 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When a western Pennsylvania auto plant is acquired by a Japanese company, brokering auto worker Hunt Stevenson (Michael Keaton) faces the tricky challenge of mediating the assimilation of two clashing corporate cultures. At one end is the Japanese plant manager (Gedde Watanabe) and the sycophant (Sab Shimono) who is angling for his position. At the other, a number of disgruntled long-time union members (George Wendt, John Turturro) struggle with the new exigencies of Japanese quality control.

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j f

It’s no Mr Baseball, I’ll tell you that.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/22/23

Full Review

Steve D

The script doesn't give Keaton a lot to work with.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/05/23

Full Review

antonis k

Great film about the importance of teamwork, friendship and work, but also how two countries can work well together. In my opinion a very underrated Ron Howard Picture. (A+)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As an Asian American all of the complains of racism are unfounded. This movie shows the extreme stereotypes of both sides and it does so as a way to paint the most entertaining personalities of each character. People would complain if the movie was boring so of course they made an comedy funny and entertaining. Now to the movie this movie shows the way America was changing in the late 1980's. America was going through major economic changes as it started to lose their position as a global power and countries like Japan, Korea, and China began chipping away at the economic stronghold America once had. This movie shows the struggle of a small town that lost their lifeline the auto plant forcing people to movie, shops to close down, and hope to be lost. The town union sends a representative to a Japanese auto maker to pitch opening a new plant in town. As the movie progresses we see the struggles of a small American town clash cultures with the Japanese executives who demand their employees assimilate to their work ethic. During the late 80's as companies such as Toyota and Honda opened plants and headquarters in the US these issues weren't just a comedic vehicle (no pun intended) but real life. The Americans and Japanese workers continue to clash as both proud cultures fight tooth and nail to not change. In the end though just like in reality the Japanese executives learned how to embrace the American Labor Unions, culture, and way of life while the American workers learned a new work ethic and how to change to the demands of the new global market. It was a big change for both countries and cultures but in the end countries like Japan and Korea has built strong diplomatic and business relationships with America, its workers, and its markets helping to bring raise America from what was a desperate situation in the late 80's.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

scott m

Story about a USA car manufacturing company that is taken over by the Japanese, and this causes a lot of friction between the two cultures. Today I think Asians understand a lot more about family/job balance. Good movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm not sure if our views of Japanese auto makers were this bad in 1986, but watching it now it's no surprise that Japan took over the US auto market not long after this and continues their dominance to this day. This film is just a cringeworthy look into how that all started.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

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Ron Howard

Director

Michael Keaton

Hunt Stevenson

Gedde Watanabe

Oishi Kazihiro

George Wendt

Buster

Mimi Rogers

Audrey

John Turturro

Willie

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Gung Ho: Official Clip - Superior Quality Workers

2:13

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Is a Frog's Ass Watertight?

1:10

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Hunt Fights Oishi

2:00

Gung Ho: Official Clip - The Game Is Won in the Fourth Quarter

1:52

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Morning Exercises

2:02

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Morning Swim

1:47

Gung Ho: Official Clip - This is Looney Tunes

1:31

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Hunt's New Car

2:10

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Cleanup in Aisle Three

1:27

Gung Ho: Official Clip - Japanese Board Meeting

1:37

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

By the end, it's curiously unformed, almost a blueprint for another movie.

Jan 2, 2018

Full Review

Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

Its tone swings violently from pratfall to preachment, from an indictment of featherbed laziness to an extended beer-commercial celebration of the mythical American worker.

Jun 28, 2011

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Drawn from real life, the conflict between cultures is good for both a laugh and a sober thought along the way.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

TV Guide

Keaton is lovable, as usual, but he comes across as a dumb jerk. This was an obvious attempt at 1930s-type social comedy. Social it may have been; comedic it wasn't.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 28, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 25, 2005

Full Review

Eric Lurio

Greenwich Village Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Jun 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

When a western Pennsylvania auto plant is acquired by a Japanese company, brokering auto worker Hunt Stevenson (Michael Keaton) faces the tricky challenge of mediating the assimilation of two clashing corporate cultures. At one end is the Japanese plant manager (Gedde Watanabe) and the sycophant (Sab Shimono) who is angling for his position. At the other, a number of disgruntled long-time union members (George Wendt, John Turturro) struggle with the new exigencies of Japanese quality control.

Director: Ron Howard
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 14, 1986, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.4M
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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