2930. Weird Science (1985)

Starring: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock

Director: John Hughes

Running Time: 94 mins

Weird Science is an American film about two teenage boys who create the perfect woman, who teaches them confidence and how to break out of their shell.

An enjoyable trip into a teenage world of fantasy, Weird Science is as funny as it is far-fetched. It doesn’t quite deliver on the same emotional level as other John Hughes films like The Breakfast Club, but with a fun premise and great energy throughout, it’s an entertaining watch all the same.

Now, as much as the film’s premise might seem a little on the juvenile, chauvinistic side, the truth is that it tells a story which turns the tables on what you might expect.

So, while it might at first seem like a film that just drools over a teenage boy’s dream by conjuring up a beautiful woman who follows your every command, the core meaning of the story is something altogether different.

Kelly LeBrock plays the object of Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith’s dreams, but rather than simply laying down and doing everything they want, she pushes them out of their shells, helping them to become more confident and better people.

And in that, rather than simply playing on teenage fantasies for an hour and a half, there’s genuinely engaging and worthy emotional depth to Weird Science.

Of course, it’s not quite on the level of some of director John Hughes’ best films. The Breakfast Club is in a different world, but it’s fair to say that the film’s fantasy premise gets in the way of its deeper themes.

That’s not to say that it’s a superficial film, as I’ve already explained, but it’s first and foremost a light-hearted comedy, playing with fantasy in an energetic and thoroughly enjoyable way.

With rapid-fire humour and fast pacing throughout, there’s a lot of fun to be had with Weird Science, even if it doesn’t deliver spectacularly on its deeper emotional themes. But if you like a little bit of far-fetched fantasy fun, then it’s the perfect film to sit back and enjoy, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.4 overall.