Review: Weird Science


Two high school nerds (Anthony Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith) ‘create’ the perfect woman on their computers and thanks to a major lightning storm (and some Hollywood magic- i.e. Total BS), she physically materialises (as Kelly LeBrock)! But she’s not just there for T&A purposes, they’ve given her a brain, after all (what, are these guys idiots or something? Why would they do that? Why?), as she teaches the boys a thing or two and tries to boost their popularity. Robert Downey Jr is amusing as a snotty ‘cool’ guy named Ian (A cool guy named Ian?). Bill Paxton plays Mitchell-Smith’s psychotic, grotesque military man brother Chet. In a particularly surreal excursion, Aussie Vernon Wells (the villain in “Mad Max 2”, and the underrated “Commando”) and the inimitable Michael Berryman (“The Hills Have Eyes”) turn up as freakish bikers, clearly inspired by “Mad Max 2”.

 

1985 John Hughes (“Sixteen Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Uncle Buck”) comedy is the bastard stepson of the Brat Pack John Hughes oeuvre, neglected or reviled for reasons completely unbeknownst to me. Sure, its science is dopey (Since when have computers functioned like that anyway? Cute Barbie dolls, though), but that’s kinda beside the point. The idea is definitely one that teen males, particularly geeky ones, will get behind, and Hall’s lead performance is easily the best of his early work. Best of all, is the all-out, disgustingly funny turn by Paxton (don’t ask him about it though, apparently he hates talking about Chet) as the brother from hell.

 

It’s not always on target (they don’t want a girl with big boobs? Are these two dweebs nuts? Seriously, what’s up with that?), but pretty good-natured in a smutty sort of way, and often funny. Hall’s attempts at talking like an African-American blues enthusiast, are screamingly funny. The screenplay is by Hughes himself, the oh-so 80s music score is by Danny Elfman (“Batman”, “The Simpsons”) featuring a memorable (like it or not) title song by his band Oingo Boingo.

 

Rating: B-

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