Just One of the Guys (1985) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
96 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
6/10
If loving Joyce Hyser is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
Son_of_Mansfield6 June 2004
Warning: Spoilers
*Some mild spoilers, viewer discretion is advised*

I remember watching this on HBO seemingly every day of every summer of my teenage years. Joyce Hyser is flawless. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role of Terry. I think it's her voice and her sense of humor. She expresses a lot in her voice and has one of the best senses of humor that I have ever seen in a female. I talk about Joyce Hyser so much, because this may be the only movie that she has a lead in EVER. The movie, which may not fully do her justice, is made better whenever she is on screen. Also she actually passes for the opposite sex(sorry Mr. Curtis and Mr. Lemmon). Joining Joyce is a fine cast including Clayton Rohner(dork), William Zabka(villain,duh), Sherilyn Fenn(love interest), and Arye Gross(House II!, another dork). Terry's boyfriend and best friend do well in their roles, but don't deserve to be named for they are not quasi-famous to me. As for Billy Jayne, I go back forth in liking him and not. He accurately depicts someone obsessed with sex. If you have any interest in the above actors, I don't think you will be disappointed. There is nothing visually stunning. The script is o.k., Buddy gets the best lines. The soundtrack is pure eighties which is always an adventure. All in all, a pleasant distraction with good actors that makes today's teen movies seem dull which of course isn't hard. And one of my favorite topless scenes which is actually essential to the plot in my opinion.

**Rick: Where do you get off having t**s! Terry: Sorry.**
18 out of 19 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
The Battle of the Sexes Takes an Interesting Turn
vertigo_1430 May 2004
Just One of the Guys is classic 80s b-teen comedy. Even though it is utterly dated, it is still a great comedy with a good story, good performances, and a good soundtrack.

Joyce Hyser is Terry, an aspiring journalist who wants very desperately to get a summer internship at the local newspaper office. Except, her article on the school cafateria's food selection, wasn't selected for submission. Even though her teacher tries to explain that her writing skills are good, it was just boring content, she is convinced her article being refused has something to do with her gender. She embarks on a misguided attempt to engage in a battle of the sexes in that "anything you can do, I can do better" kind of way.

So, with her parents out of town and a neighboring high school not seeming to require any registration information (or her present high school asking any information regarding her two week absent during her experiment), she easily poses as Terrence, a guy who will write an article and submit it and prove that there is preferential treatment being practiced in the contest.

But, as Terrence, her experiences in the experiment soon become the subject of her article.

First, are the obviously difficulties of a girl posing as a guy at a high school, and the most obvious examples come from the scenes of Terry in gym class. She has to figure out how to change in the lockeroom without other guys finding out. She has to find ways of getting out of gym class and the possibility of playing "shirts" vs "skins" games. And so forth.

Second, she starts falling in love with Rick (Clayton Rohner), a cute quiet guy who she tries to help get a date and fix up his appearance and personality. This leads to problems when girls, convinced that Terry is really a guy, start falling for her. Particularly, the nymphomaniac, Sandy, played by Sherylin Fenn. It also leads to some moments where Terry risks exposing her identity in the few times she wants to lean over and kiss him.

Third, Terry starts to have problems with her jerky boyfriend who just wants to fool around everytime he comes over and only feigning interest in Terry's current social and academic problems.

And fourth, both Terry and Rick face their share of confrontations with a food-tossing bully named Greg (Billy Zabka).

80s teen movie fans are sure to enjoy this movie. Unfortunately, it is not one that seems to have gotten enough recognition this days, at least when compared to movies like Better Off Dead, The Sure Thing, the John Hughes movies, and others which have been revived recently. Despite a few shortfalls (Joyce Hyser's whining in the beginning), this movie is just as entertaining as those. Plus, that gorgeous Bobby Jacoby as Terry's oversexed younger brother, Buddy; 80s teen favorite Billy Zabka as Greg; and soft-spoken Clayton Rhoner as Rick, all give great performances. I highly recommend it for teenagers and fans of the 80s teen genre.
25 out of 29 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
sweet fun comedy
triple816 November 2003
I really enjoyed this when I saw it and would highly recomend. Very good,sweet welldone comedy that could have been cheezy but isn't. It's not heavy at all, just a sweet teen comedy that's better then alot of them because it's actually funny and very sweet at the same time. Most of the reviews here seem to be positive as well.
18 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
One of my favs of the '80s
timmauk9 January 2001
I got this movie at a rental store in 1985. It had already been out and I guess didn't do well so it went straight to video. We asked the guy at the counter what was a good movie to see. He recommended this one. Good choice. I must have seen it about 25 times now.

It's a cute movie about a girl who thinks she's a hot shot school reporter but she gets shot down during a school contest. Winner of the contest gets to work at a real paper during the summer. So she gets in drag(?) as a boy and goes to another school to resubmit it there. Still doesn't get accepted. So the teacher tells her to think of another story with an interesting angle. This is how she turns her future experences as a boy at that new school into "I was a teenage boy for eight weeks"!

This has old stars and new ones in it. Old being Leigh McCloskey from "Dallas" (as the boyfriend) and Toni Hudson of "Cross Creek" and "Places In the Heart" (as the girlfriend). The new stars are Arye Gross from TV's "Ellen" (as one of the geeks), William Zabka of the "Karate Kid" (as the bully), and Sherilyn Fenn of Twin Peaks (as girl who wants the new kid).

Clayton Ruhner is very good in his second ever role. Joyce Hyser is cute and funny as the girl/boy. Though her character is a bit stuckup, she changes her view in at the end. After all, beauty has fallen for the beast, er.. I mean geek. The rest of the cast is good and together makes this movie fun to watch.

Special mention to Billy Jayne as the horny brother who is so desperate to have sex he will try anything to get it. If you get a chance to see it unedited, do it and I know that you will enjoy this cute look at '80s teenage life. Though I don't remember school being like this.
43 out of 48 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Who said the beautiful girls are not smart enough!
Reno-Rangan14 November 2016
I always like the 80s films, because that's the time the teen films were revolutionised. I did not know this film's existence, also not knew 'She's the Man' was its remake. Very enjoyable comedy flick. It was not a flawless film, but they were minimised. This is the story of Terry, a senior high school girl who after failed to get her desired summer job at a local press, she decides to reapply for the internship disguised as a boy with the help of her little brother. The rest follows what she's going to achieve from her new getup.

I really don't know any of these actors, but I liked them all, especially the lead actress. As I have seen many similar films, I don't think it failed to get my attention. So 80s, I mean very impressive like usual with slow and steady narration. You should not compare it to the present teen films. It was not just a different era film, but smartly highlighted the trend among the high school kids of the 80s. Particularly like the relationship and sexually perspectives, though not that strong contents.

I don't think everybody would like it, especially the todays youngsters, but surely the 80s and the 90s guys would enjoy it. I was not even born when it came out, though I feel my generation was very close to it than the present. If you have not seen many films like this theme, you should try it, but watch out for the slow story progression. That's the only thing that might disappoint the viewers, but if you are okay with that, then it is a better film than you would have anticipated.

7/10
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
gender bender
willrams13 April 2003
This amusing 1985 gender bender is a reminder of Victor/Victoria, but only as a comedy not a musical. Terry played by Joyce Hyser, believes her teachers don't take her very serious because she's a pretty girl. She fails to win a journalism contest and decides to switch schools - and gender. She does make a very handsome guy, and plays her role so well and is accepted as one of the guys. She can be very tough also. Even the guy Rick, played by Clayton Rohner, is fooled by her. It's not until the last reel that he realizes that she loves him.

I had never seen this before until today on The Comedy Channel, and although I did not know any of the stars, it's such an amusing tale of high school graduates, that it held my interest. Good for some laughs!
14 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Another Delightful Comedy from the 80´s
claudio_carvalho22 March 2019
The teenager Terry Griffith (Joyce Hyser) is an aspiring journalist that believes she was discriminated by her teacher in the high-school in a competition for an internship in a local newspaper because she is a girl. She decides to disguise and pose as a boy in another high-school to see if she gets the internship. Her brother Buddy Griffith (Billy Jacoby) and her best friend Denise (Toni Hudson) help her and she hides the situation from her boyfriend Kevin (Leigh McCloskey). She befriends her schoolmate Rick Morehouse (Clayton Rohner) and helps him to be successful with the girls. But the problem is that she falls in love with Rick while she learns that she had not been discriminated.

"Just One of the Guys" is another delightful comedy from the 80´s. The story is flawed but very funny and it is hard to believe that the hot Joyce Hyser is a boy. But the situations are hilarious and this film is cult for many viewers including me. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Apenas um dos Rapazes" ("Just One of the Guys")
14 out of 19 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Yentyl on crack
JZvezda6 March 2003
I have seen this movie more times than I've seen my own elbows.

Gifted thespian Joyce Hyser plays "Terri" (note cool yuppie spelling). Terri is a hot babe, the height of teen fashion, and an aspiring journalist. She's got her meticulously-lined eyes set on an internship with the city newspaper. To try and earn it, she submits an essay on the nutrient content of high-school lunches. Her english teacher is not impressed. He thinks her writing sucks wet pantyhose. Apparently the sodium-level of tater-tots is a topic that fails to move him. What a stick!

Rather than face the reality that her writing bites old dusty cardboard, Terri convinces herself that the essay has been pooped on simply because she does not have a penis. How could anyone *not* be excited by tater-tots? It HAS to be sexism! Having arrived at this highly logical conclusion, Terri does what any rational and self-reliant teen would do in this predicament:

Dress up as a boy, enroll in the rival school, and enter the essay as a guy. But of course, silly!

As a dude, she is sure to be taken seriously. As seriously as one can be taken while wearing black skinny ties and 10 rolls of duct-tape.

Terri lops off her heavy-metal-mama hair, rummages through her brother's closet, and a few crotch-grabbing lessons later...viola! A boy!

I'm not even gonna' front --this movie gives me the warm fuzzies. Joyce Hyser make most funny faces. Me laugh lots. She should have been a huge star, or at the very least been given her own bad FOX sitcom. I love this movie and I don't care how uncool that makes me. I'm going to go watch it for the 367th time...I can never get enough of girls in drag and guys with painted-on Wranglers.
11 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Fun & Funny Time Capsule
sharon-1727 January 2004
This is a charming little movie that never fails to make me laugh out loud no matter how many times I've seen it. Terrific acting by the entire cast. Why none of them became big stars is a mystery to me. The fashions, hairstyles and language are a 1985 time capsule.

I suggest you see it for yourself, but not on commercial television, because they edit out all the good jokes!
31 out of 36 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
great B comedy from the 80's. Sex-Romp Vibes, but With Heart.
witster1819 September 2013
First off, Billy Jayne's character of "Buddy" steals the show here. Right there with Farmer Ted(Sixteen Candles),Tim Matheson(Up the Creek) Dave Marshak(Ski School), and Sean William Scott's "Stifler"(American Pie) or "Doug Glatt"(GOON) as one of/if-not-the best goofball characters from the VHS era. He is hilarious!

"Just One of the Guys" is sorely under-rated. When more modern films like "Take Me Home Tonight" are ranked about the same - it really, truly is a travesty.

Joyce Hyser's performance is far from perfect, but I still think she was a good casting decision. She's not quite believable enough as a guy to really put this film over the top. In her 'female' clothes she is fantastic - she's more charming and effective here when she's playing 'the real' Terri.

The film has it's heart in the right place. Not only is each starring role well-developed and well-cast, there are other co-stars that well-represent just about every stereotype that you would find in High School during the 80's.

Everything works. From the music, to the writing, to the finale', "Just One of the Guys" is one of the most over-looked comedies of it's generation, and certainly worth a look if you haven't seen it. Some of the acting is less than perfect, but it's light-hearted approach to every subject, and many laugh-out-loud moments make it a real winner.

Highly Recommended.

You might like this if you liked: Three O'clock High(about even with this), She's All That(not as good), or Fraternity Vacation(a notch below).

73/100
6 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
5/10
A slice of 80s life, but not a laugh riot
penelopedanger17 December 2004
The 1980s were full of role-reversal comedies where black became white, father became son, rich became poor, old became young, male became female. "Just One Of The Guys" expands on the latter theme, suggesting the best way to battle rampant sex discrimination is to switch sides. "Valley Girl" and "Spinal Tap" veteran Joyce Hyser was already pushing 30 when she starred as teenager "Terry/Terri," whose rapturous beauty made her a reject in the beauty-hating world of high school journalism, but somehow didn't keep her from passing as a guy who looks eerily like Ralph Macchio.

The expected "Three's Company"-esquire comic misunderstandings arise, where "Terry" has to hide being in love with "his" new best friend Rick, but must also constantly avoid boy-crazy stalker Sherilyn Fenn. The film takes such tortured pains to avoid the merest hint of homosexuality that the results are sometimes a little painful to watch.

The film has funny moments, though, and through its extensive location shooting at Coronado and Scottsdale High Schools in Scottsdale, Arizona, it perhaps inadvertently captures a genuine slice of teenage life, 1985-style. (Not that at age 16 I was an uncredited extra in this movie or anything like that.)

For sheer 80s teen movie nostalgia, give "Just One Of The Guys" a chance, if you come across it on TV. It's not Shakespeare, but it's better than watching C. Thomas Howell as a black man.
17 out of 26 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
More Obscure, But One of My Favorites
evanston_dad11 April 2008
This is one of the lower-tier teen comedies from the 1980s, and it's not as well known as movies like "Sixteen Candles," "Pretty in Pink" or other films about high-school angst, but it's one of my favorites.

Terry Griffith, aspiring journalist, gets an early taste of sexism when an article she writes for an internship contest is passed over for an obviously inferior article written by boys, so she poses as Ralph Macchio and signs up at a rival high school, hoping to submit her article there and get it accepted. Things get complicated, as such things do, when she falls for a nerd who's actually kind of cool when you get to know him, and she becomes the target for the high school bully, played by William Zabka, who created a cottage industry out of playing the blonde jock high school bully in teen movies from the 80s, and who coincidentally also tormented Ralph Macchio in "The Karate Kid."

Terry doesn't know much about being a boy, but never fear -- her little brother, who names his penis Spike, does, and he teaches her all the basics, like how to scratch her balls.

Grade: A
19 out of 23 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
"Who do you think you are -- Tootsie?"
utgard1419 September 2015
Wonderful '80s comedy about a high school senior and aspiring journalist (Joyce Hyser) who, believing sexism is responsible for her not getting the newspaper internship she wanted, changes schools and pretends to be a boy to win the internship and show up the sexist pigs. At the new school, she-posing-as-he falls for a nerd while dealing with a school bully and an oversexed female admirer.

An appealing starring vehicle for Joyce Hyser, an actress largely forgotten today save for this movie and for being an ex-girlfriend of Bruce Springsteen. I first saw this as a teenager and there was something very alluring about her. Okay, yeah, the killer body with one of the best topless scenes from any '80s movie is right up there but I mean there's something else. She has a likable screen presence and a believable tomboy quality without ever seeming butch. She's like a sexier Nancy McKeon. Billy Jacoby is lots of fun as Hyser's horny brother. He really steals the movie. Clayton Rohner is the nerdy love interest, although the movie's definition of nerd is different than mine. He's got a nice chemistry with Joyce. Sherilyn Fenn steams things up as the girl who falls for "boy" Joyce. Today a movie like this would be a lot less fun with more focus on heavy-handed messages. This is an under-appreciated politically incorrect gem with an upbeat but cheesy soundtrack and lots of laughs. Plus it has William Zabka as the high school bully. How can a movie with Zabka as a bully possibly be bad?
6 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
An inane attempt to tap into the zany teen movies of the time.
Rev.Fish23 December 1999
I won't waste my time reviewing a piece of bubble gum like this suffice it to say that bubble gum, every now and then, is kind of fun but gets stale quickly.

4/10 for oft mechanical writing, visual gags that never work, and overall bad acting (except for CLAYTON ROHNER: he sold his character well).
5 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Not a great movie, but a very charming and likable one.
Li-11 June 2003
Rating: ** 1/2 out of ****

I happened to come across Just one of the Guys on TV the other day, and with absolutely nothing else to do that day, I decided, what the heck, why not just give this 80's teen sex farce a shot. At any rate, it was bound to be better than Porky's and I might even get a few cheap laughs in the process. To my surprise, Just One of the Guys turned out to be one of the better teen comedies I've seen in a while, thanks in no small part to Joyce Hyser.

The premise is gimmicky. Basically, hottie teen Terry (Joyce Hyser) decides to dress up like a guy in order to prove she could get her previously rejected article published if she were a man. Well, she ends up befriending a loner named Rick (the underrated Clayton Rohner, who was so funny in April Fool's Day), but does so while in drag. She thinks it's up to her to help him out by getting him a date for the prom, but whatta you know, she starts to fall for him and the rest can't be hard to guess from there.

Okay, I realize I just made this movie sound pretty bad, but if you actually give it a shot, you might find it rather enjoyable. Surprisingly enough, there's not that much nudity to speak of (mostly male, though, thankfully, Hyser does give us a quick shot of her breasts) and the humor isn't half as smutty as I'd expected. Rather, the humor we're given is Terry's balancing act between her "old" self and this new identity she's created. Not all of the jokes work, but there are plenty of inspired moments that keep the momentum going. Take, for instance, the girl (Sherilyn Fenn) who has a crush on Terry; what could have been a set-up for a cruel and tasteless gross-out is given a little weight, and the way this subplot is resolved is satisfying and actually even a little sweet.

The film prefers to use its premise not for gross-out gags, but to build a cute love story, and yeah, it does a pretty good job at that. Hyser and Rohner have appealing chemistry, though it's Hyser who gets the lion's share of the work. Having to balance between playing a very pretty girl and a convincing male teen isn't easy, but she pulls it off with flying colors.

Obviously, the film is going to end with Rick discovering Terry's real identity. That scene is handled rather well, but I found the epilogue a little too abrupt to be entirely satisfying. I found myself caring a lot about these characters; would have been nice to know where they ended up from there.

But enough with the quibbles. Sure, Just One of the Guys isn't a great movie, not by a long shot, but it takes the time to make us care about the characters and their dilemmas, and while the lack of potty humor might not make it as gut-bustingly hilarious (if potty humor is your preference, that is) as some of today's offerings, the fact that the movie touched me made it superior to just about any other teen comedy I've seen in a long time.
38 out of 43 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Great movie but doesn't make sense
kkoltyk7 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I know it was 1985 in this movie but I'm just curious how she dropped out of one school, enrolled in another one without her parents and obviously without a birth certificate because it would say female, then enroll back into her old school like it was nothing. I know it's a movie, and they do this in a lot of movies like it's that easy to just switch schools. I was born in 1985 and this is definitely one of my favorite 80's movies. I haven't seen it in so long and it was on one of my streaming platforms and I watched it after not seeing it in years and just thought that was funny. Still a great movie to watch if you've never seen it and like 80's movies.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Joyce Hyser's time to shine
pmtelefon26 March 2020
As far as '80s teen movie moments go there's no greater one than Joyce Hyser has towards the end of "Just One of the Guys". Hyser out does the legendary moment Phoebe Cates has in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Hyser is stunningly dreamy throughout this movie. She also has charm to spare. She's the main reason "Just One of the Guys" is as enjoyable as it is. The rest of the cast is also good and they help a lot too. I saw "Just One of the Guys" in the theater (MovieWorld, Douglaston, NY) and many times since. It's not a classic but it's always an enjoyable watch.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
A Good Example of 80's Comedy
Uriah437 May 2015
"Terry Griffith" (Joyse Hyser) is a popular senior in high school who wants very much to be a journalist for a newspaper after she graduates. Unfortunately, when her paper for a local newspaper journalism prize is rejected, and she is slighted because she is essentially too attractive, she decides to secretly enroll in a rival high school and compete for the journalism contest there--as a guy. But what she doesn't count on is the unexpected turmoil her decision creates by leading two totally different lives. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this film was simply hilarious. Along with that it doesn't take much to see that both Joyse Hyser and Bill Jayne (as her younger brother "Buddy Griffith") were clearly having a good time playing their parts which made the movie even more enjoyable. Likewise the performance of William Zabka (as the high school bully named "Greg Tolan") and the addition of such attractive actresses like Toni Hudson ("Denise"), Sherilynn Fenn ("Sandy") along with the aforementioned Joyse Hyser certainly didn't hurt either. In short, this is a good example of 80's comedy and I recommend it to all those who might be interested in something of this nature. Above average.
5 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
One of my favorite movies!
campblood135 August 2003
I can watch this once a day, everyday. Joyce Hyser makes the film so much fun. Jacoby gives a comic genius performance as the horny brother. Clayton Rohner is great as Rick Morehouse, the nerd turned stud. I love when Buddy is teaching Terry how to walk like a guy. We get the best line ever "All balls itch, it's a fact." 6/10 Good
3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
A Guy gurl thing
videorama-759-8593914 April 2018
This was an 80's teen comedy like many, that I really enjoyed. After viewing it again, after many years, I didn't realize how enjoyable it was. It too sends a message about having to conform, to get what you want. In this case, it's masquerading as the other sex. Like the familiar themed Soul Man, where Mark Watson had to go black to get into Harvard, here, promising young school girl journo writer, Hyser, a familiar Valley Girl face (which could also have you getting mixed up with Michelle Meyrick, in VG as well, or Breakdance's Lucinda Dooley) plays the male, and changes schools, after getting her paper rejected. Hyser, not a bad little actress, had me believing earlier, at some spots, that may'be it was really a guy, and she really did this well, the act quickly kicking into gear, when first awkwardly parading as the male in front of her sex starved little brother, which had me at times, thinking it was Patrick Dempsey. Meyrick, no, I mean Hyser falls for a loner, and an unpopular, un confident student, though of course, won't admit it, (still attached to her current stud beau, Fraternity Vacation's Leigh McCloskey, which you don't have to be Einstein to figure out, his character profile) which we know this all through the movie, where here is a familiar scenario dilemma. Think the reversal of All Men Are Liars. Apart from being wildly entertaining, and smart too, this movie really shows what it can be like, trying to fit in, or assume a different sex, which isn't helped by bully Zabka, who's just so stereotyped, not just with The Karate Kid, but much more so in Back To School, released only months after this, almost as if his BTS character was cloned. He plays a much bigger dick...d here, then in BTS, which I actually found him really annoying in this. The film plays out to the conclusion, pretty much as you think, but JOOTG'S is one of the better teen 80's comedie's that has something different, a smarter, more realistic spin, put on it, bolstered by good performances, especially it's leads. You may want to too, join that long line of students,who wanna punch Zabka's lights out. I know I would.
5 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Seen it soooo many times
Flinx-229 January 2001
Just one of those cable TV movies which I've seen countless times. Couldn't seem to turn it off, no matter how often it came on (see Airborne). Nothing great, but had some moments. The brother cracked me consistently... up.

6.5 out of 10.
3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
I thought it would be good. I was wrong.
mrhistory-715698 June 2021
I searched high and low for this movie. Don't ask me why. When I found a copy, I was elated. Don't ask me why. When I settled in with my popcorn and raisinets and pressed play, I held high hopes. Don't ask me why. Very quickly, I was in hell. Let me tell you why.

First, let's talk about the acting. There isn't any. Oh, sure, words are coming out of the mouths of people on-screen, but I wouldn't call it "acting." I'd call it something like "reading lines." Literally. I think people were standing just off-camera holding up cue cards. Or, more terrifying, maybe there weren't, and that's the problem. Oh, sure, Joyce Hyser has some screen presence. She can't act, but she does have a certain something, I'm just not willing to say what it is in public. Then there's Clayton Rohner, who handles himself well and I suspect is the only cast member who ever took an acting class. Aside from Zabka, of course, who is stuck playing the same character he always does. Hard not to feel sorry for the guy, honestly.

Then there's the script. There isn't one. Oh, sure, someone typed away on a keyboard or typewriter and applied words to paper, but I wouldn't call this a script. "Script" implies some level of planning and thought, maybe even a certain amount of skill. This has none of that. Okay, fine. I was told if I couldn't say something nice, to say nothing at all. So, here's something nice: the concept is solid. Not original, but solid; there's a lot of places a movie can go with the good ol' gender switch storyline. The 80s produced some real classics in this sub-genre, so I won't complain about the overall idea. And the "script" isn't a complete write-off. There are some good scenes here and there-the big scene in the cafeteria being the standout-and I may have chuckled once or twice, I'll admit it. Okay, nice over. Now back to tearing it apart. Which is easy, because the holes in the plot are massive. Decisions are made, both by the characters and the writers, that come out of nowhere. I was more confused by this movie than a Fellini picture. This would be a good move to show a screenwriting class to illustrate what not to do.

I could tear apart this movie all day-and I might, just for fun-but you wouldn't be interested in that. You're reading a review. You want to know if this movie is worth your time. Well,

tldr; it isn't.

Hope that helps.

If you like cross-dressing comedies, watch Tootsie or Victor/Victoria. If you want a High School comedy, watch Ferris Bueller or Easy A. Not this. At the end of the day, the best thing about this movie is the poster. Now that I think about it, that might be what caught my interest. Don't ask me why.
5 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Buddy Rules...
Codename-MovieBuff11 December 2002
Hands down, one of the funniest movies ever!! Too bad, some people don't feel the same. Buddy makes the movie. But too bad I never saw him ever again after this masterpiece was made. Oh well. Go rent it, if you can find it. The first time you see your gonna think I'm crazy for all the things I say about the film. But try watching it every night, for two weeks and you'll understand why I love this movie.
5 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Fresh teenager picture from the 80'!!!
elo-equipamentos24 May 2019
Even have been watching a massive pictures during the 80',this l' had missed, the plot is too wisely developed, the crazy idea a gorgeous girl try out to be a male one is great, funny teenage comedy, a sort of those countless school pictures, always having a tough guy with strong body but always with low I.Q., there are many girls seeking for easy love, here the main character get away those standard, this is an original approach from this genre, a fresh idea indeed, meanwhile the production provide a sub plot as the still virgin younger brother Buddy Griffith played by Billy Jacob who has a lewd behavior, his overacting posturing and sex oriented improves the picture a lot, also unappealing on nude scenes, Joyce Hyser although was a pretty girl didn't became a star later, meanwhile she has a very convinced performance as a "Guy", the young Sherilyn Fenn is here on small role, whatever was said a pleasant picture even to mature audience, the soundtrack from those days was too electronic oriented, a called new wave, in vogue in this period of time, a next of my generation on late 70'!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2/10
Drek
Steve-73321 November 1999
Acting and directing are awful.

Plot is stale and predictable.

If I had to find a positive ... the film's producer seems to have done a professional job.
5 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An error has occured. Please try again.

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed