Movie Review: Weird Science (1985)

The movie stars Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Bill Paxton and Robert Downey, Jr.

My wife had to work Friday night and, as I usually do, I sat up waiting for her to get home. While doing so, I checked out our movie channels for something to watch and, after seeing this movie was coming on, decided to watch it for the first time in quite a while.

This film falls into a category I like to call "when people believed computers would be able to do anything," which also includes films like "War Games." It's obviously dated by today's standards but still fun to watch.

As far as this particular movie goes, the idea of creating a virtual woman was a bit far fetched even when it came out. But, the execution of the film definitely makes the concept work, mostly because it doesn't hold back on the whole cyber concept. In addition to Lisa (LeBrock), the computer program apparent is capable of changing everything from the clothes they wear to the cars they drive. As a result of this, even though the movie does push the limits of believability, it is worth watching solely for the entertainment value.

Another thing I found I liked about this movie was the bullying big brother, Chet (Paxton). Movies like this are only as entertaining as the nemesis the heroes face and, while they do have their everyday high school bullies (Downey, Jr and Robert Rusler), I think Chet takes things to a whole new level because he seems to be perfectly content torturing his younger brother, Wyatt (Mitchell-Smith).

Probably my only real complaint about this movie was Anthony Michael Hall's character, Gary, and that weird South-Park-like voice he would use whenever he was excited. This may have been funny back when this movie came out. But, as I was watching this movie on Friday night, I found I was much more irritated than entertained and even considered muting his lines.

As I said, the movie is a bit dated, especially when you see the really basic computer they use. But, it's still a fun fantasy and one that I do recommend taking the time to watch one evening if you haven't seen it before or haven't watched it in years.

My Grade: B