Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2470. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

    2470. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on February 27, 2019 1982, 6 - 7.9, 90-99 mins, Comedy, Feb 19, Movies Of 2019, Review, Romance, United States
    7.5 Funny, likable and easy-going
    • Acting 7.5
    • Directing 7.6
    • Story 7.3
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold

    Director: Amy Heckerling

    Running Time: 90 mins


    Fast Times At Ridgemont High is an American film about a group of California high schoolers and their lives and romances outside of the classroom.

    High school antics in the 1980s – you’ve seen it all before, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the same story once again. Fast Times At Ridgemont High, while not a perfect teen comedy, is a good laugh, finding a strong balance between chaotic vulgarity and cheesy romance and teen drama, complete with a range of lively and enjoyable performances that all make the film a pleasant and easy-going watch.

    There’s an endless amount of these high school romps out there, but in my mind, there’s two extremes of how to do it right, and how to do it wrong. At the upper end of the spectrum, you have the likes of Animal House, which counterbalance pure juvenile idiocy with smart, snappy humour and likably moronic characters. At the other end, you have the likes of American Pie, where the vulgar, gross-out factor is the main objective, rather than a simple and easy-going comedy.

    Fast Times At Ridgemont High sits right in the middle, meaning that while it does occasionally get a little vulgar for its own good, it’s still a measured and well-written movie that prioritises character-driven entertainment and wittier humour over sheer stupidity. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s an intense, taxing film (and nor should it be), but it does at least mean there’s something to interest and entertain you while all of the teenage silliness is unfolding.

    What’s more, with a wide range of main characters – a good six or seven at least – the film doesn’t have to worry too hard about strong character development or real emotional depth. There’s still a degree of that, and that’s what makes the majority of the characters surprisingly endearing, but the movie works well as a series of little episodes from the lives of a group of high schoolers, and there’s not really much need to go any deeper than that.

    Of course, Fast Times At Ridgemont High still doesn’t quite stand up to the likes of Animal House, simply because the whole story is at times a little too detached and spread-out. Each of the film’s little episodes and adventures are fun to watch, but it’s missing a sense of cohesion where all of the characters’ lives have more of an impact on one another, which is something that Animal House does far better.

    With that said, it’s still difficult not to enjoy this movie, and while the characters aren’t quite as idiotically endearing as the leads from Animal House, the performances do go a long way to making them likable and fairly interesting across the board. A young Jennifer Jason Leigh, in particular, gives an excellent performance, shying away from playing a basic, whiney teenager, instead impressing with an assured and genuine performance.

    Other leads such as Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer and Phoebe Cates are all just as strong, while Sean Penn stars as the lovable moron in a John Belushi-esque role, albeit not quite as endearingly stupid.

    Overall, I had a lot of fun with Fast Times At Ridgemont High. It’s not the best high school comedy out there, but it’s a solid and well-written movie that’s a lot of fun to watch. Not too vulgar and not too silly, it’s a pleasant and easy-going watch that’s filled with good humour and likable characters, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.5 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.0
    Review
    June 15, 20170

    1788. 3-Iron (빈집) (2004)

    8.2
    Review
    March 7, 20200

    2878. Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)

    8.4
    Review
    March 3, 20160

    1273. Nine To Five (1980)

    8.6
    Review
    January 10, 20200

    2812. 1917 (2019)

    8.8
    Review
    June 20, 20140

    596. The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.