15 year old Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) are pretty much the nerds of their school, and thus the constant victim of bullies Ian (Robert Downey jr) and Max (Robert Rusler). However, they'd love to be part of the in-crowd, would love to be the life of every party and have really hot girlfriends. And since Wyatt has one of these new-fangled computers, they - after watching the classic Bride of Frankenstein - decide to create themselves the perfect woman, which by a series of freak accidents (paired with a total neglect of all computer science) actually works out fine, and the boys are left with beautiful Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), who is of course totally devoted to them and has magical powers to fulfill all their wishes, but she also has a mind of her own, and her top priority is to give the boys the self confidence they lack. So she lets herself be seen with them to give them attention, then behind their back she organizes a huge party at Wyatt's house when his parents are gone for the weekend. Of course, the party gets out of hand, Gary and Wyatt really don't feel up to what's going on, Ian and Max get the hots for Lisa, our heroes fall in love with Ian and Max's girlfriends Deb (Suzanne Snyder) and Hilly (Judie Aronson). Then the boys want to create a second Lisa for Ian and Max, but create a rocket instead (because that's how computers work, obviously) ... and ultimately Lisa realizes it's hopeless if she doesn't step in to help the boys to get what they've hoped for (Deb and Hilly), so she has a gang of mutant bikers (Vernon Wells, Michael Berryman, Jennifer Balgobin, Jeff Jensen) attack the party and puts it in the boys' hands to save the day ...

Bill Paxton turns in a rather hilarious performance as Wyatt's brother.

Now I have to admit up front I'm not John Hughes' biggest fan, and haven't been in the 1980s when he released his (in lack of a better word) iconic teen comedies, and I actually was among his peer audience ... but this one is fun, at least retrospectively speaking. Sure, the "science fiction" of the film is as far fetched as can be and has really to do more with the world of magicians and genies than anything known about IT - but it's fun to see how Hughes plays with the tropes of the genre he has used time and again on the canvas of a genre a bit alien to him. And frankly, not all does work out great, but in its best moments, Weird Science is lots of fun, and even in its worst a pleasant trip down nostalgia lane, with early performances by Robert Downey jr and Bill Paxton being an extra sales point from today's point of view.

So no masterpiece perhaps - but lots of fun!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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