Sadly Over-hyped

Let's be realistic.

just watch it!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

There was a time and place for movies like this, but even during my younger years I managed to avoid pictures this pointless. The dialog is witty at times, I'll grant that, but it sort of loses it's punch the closer we get to transforming the laser project into a military weapon. Val Kilmer looks so young in this film that I had to look up his stats here on IMDb. This was in fact his very first starring movie role, but a far cry from the performance he delivered as Doc Holliday in "Tombstone". My primary reason in watching this movie was it's presence on IMDb's Top 250 list way back in it's very first year of 1996. I'm finding that the early years of IMDb were influenced pretty heavily by an audience that thought "Up in Smoke", "Dazed and Confused" and "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" were cinematic masterpieces. With a goal of watching and reviewing all of them, it's going to be a formidable task. If I catch a break, there might even be a good one in there.

RELEASED IN 1985 and directed by Martha Coolidge, "Real Genius" is a college dramedy about a 15 year-old genius in laser technology (Gabe Jarret) who's recruited by physics Professor Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton), who has ulterior motives for having the kid work in his personal lab. The newbie's roommate turns out to be the most brilliant freshman in history, who's now a senior and seemingly clouded by college-age mischief (Val Kilmer). Michelle Meyrink plays a kinetic student interested in Mitch (Jarret) while Jonathan Gries appears as a curious wraith-like individual. Robert Prescott is on hand as a brown-nosing foil. To give you an idea of the filmmaking style, the director also made 1983's "Valley Girl." "Real Genius" is generally on par with that more popular movie, but different due to the setting being college rather than high school, not to mention that it involves genius types. I found the witty nonchalance of Kilmer's character to be trying after a while and there's a pervading sense of un-reality about the proceedings with the peripheral characters unconvincingly over-the-top, like during the pool party or at the restaurant/bar. The ice playground at the frat house is another good example. Why sure! Still, there's enough good here if you like 80's youth dramedies. I like the way the characters are unique rather than tried-and-true stereotypes of the genre, like jock types, hot bimbos or John Belushi's character in "Animal House" (1978). THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 48 minutes and was shot in S. Cal. (Claremont, San Diego, Los Angeles and Canyon Country). WRITERS: Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Pj Torokvei. GRADE: B-/C+

I love this movie! I watch it every time it's on cable. The song "Everybody wants to rule world" by Tears for Fears has become one of my all time songs.

Watching this movie always gives me fond memories of the 80s. The song that ends the movie, "Everybody Wants to Rule the Word" gives it just the right feel. I love the depiction of college life, and William Atherton's character is wonderfully smarmy. One of the things I especially like about it is that the kids in it are SMART. I never did like the kind of movie that promotes idiocy as a virtue.