Too much of everything

Simply Perfect

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Cold War silliness with a group of American boys befriending a Russian sailor that has washed ashore in Florida and learning "they" aren't that different from "us," after all. Cue the eye rolling. Most notable today for being the first starring role for Joaquin Phoenix (billed as Leaf Phoenix back then). He's kind of annoying in this, honestly, but a lot of that is the clichéd way the character is written as a gung-ho anti-commie cartoon. Peter Billingsley is another of the kids. A few years prior he would have been top-billed but, alas, the plight of the aging child star. Whip Hubley (who?) plays the Russian and he's pretty much awful. He does have a nice head of hair, though. I've noticed a lot of remarks here seem up-in-arms about the "homo" insult and other things along those lines that weren't forbidden back then. So if you're someone who is prone to getting the vapors every time you hear something that offends your delicate sensibilities, you might not want to watch this.

This is one of those movies you see on a Sunday afternoon on TV. This was my first time renting it from the library, I am trying to watch all of Joachin's films. His acting was great an so was his reading ability..that is what makes a great actor. The little blond that was in Something Wicked This Way Comes was exceptional as well. The 80's look comes thru in this movie, and it still stands up to today's films. If you like Joachin Phoenix, this is one to admire and watch. The music is really 80's a lot of keyboard. And the only person I didn't like was Carol King. She can't act and she can barely sing. Otherwise it was enjoyable.

This is a feel good movie at a time when the Cold War was winding down (although most people didn't know it at the time). The acting is just awful, the characters are flat, and the plot already has been done (See "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming" http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0060921/). It has its James Bond moments, probably intended, but they do little or nothing to help get this turkey off the ground.On the other hand, the first time around for this plot, "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming", benefited from both a great cast and great writing. "Russkies" pales by comparison. I have to wonder why they bothered to make the film.

So, the message that Russians are people just like Americans gives some substance to this film. Clearly, this was intended for a cold war audience, but the theme can obviously still apply today. However, the constant fear of homosexuals makes these boys quite the hypocrites. Whether the boys are fighting or explaining American culture to the Russian, it is quite clear that gay is bad. When the boys fight, they refer to each other as homos. When the boys help dress the Russian, they repeatedly make gestures implying the bad outfits chosen are gay. Even when the Russian tries to give the boys a hug, they refuse on the grounds that it is gay.It appears that the real message of this movie is: Don't hate the Russians, just hate the gays...