Weird Science (1985)
Source Comic: “Made of the Future” Weird Science (EC Comics)
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes critics: 57%
Rotten Tomatoes audience: 69%
My Rating: 5/10
It is a little bit of a stretch to call Weird Science a comic book movie. The source was an anthology comic from the 1950s, and a single story from the series was the basis of the film. John Hughes wrote and directed the movie, and it’s pretty clear after watching the film and reading the comic, that the movie is, at best, inspired by the comic and not an adaptation of the source material.
The film centers on Wyatt and Gary, two fifteen year old high school students who are obsessed with girls, but don’t understand them. They’re nerdy, disliked, and come across as a bit creepy and perverted. One night while watching the movie Frankenstein, they decide to use the awesome power of 80s computers to simulate the perfect woman. Something goes wrong (or miraculously right) and their simulation becomes a real woman.
One of the first things I noticed in the movie is how good John Hughes is at getting the small details right. The overall story of the movie is silly, and the whole thing reeks of wish fulfillment (honestly, when I finished the movie all I could think was that it’s pretty much exactly what an unpopular nerd would daydream). It tries to add a message of being yourself, but it’s not done very well, as the boys aren’t very likeable until they’ve completely changed their personalities. That said, the little moments, like the boys symbolically putting bras on their heads, or the kid waking up with shoes on his pillow are so genuine to the teenage experience that it gives the movie a sense of realism that it really shouldn’t have.
The acting is fine. Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith are Gary and Wyatt, and they do well, even if their performances aren’t the most memorable of their careers. Kelly LeBrock plays Lisa, and she’s easily the high point of the movie. Her blend of confidence, humor, and compassion makes her completely believable in her role as the perfect woman. On the other hand, I felt like Bill Paxton, who played the older brother Chet, was completely miscast. He does well at being unlikeable, but he was 30 years old at the time of filming, and the obvious age gap was enough that I just couldn’t buy him as a college-aged older brother.
Technically, the movie hasn’t aged very well. The visual effects are awful, especially anything having to do with the computers. There are some practical effect sight gags late in the movie which are still fun (though Chet’s transformation is pretty bad), but they don’t really contribute to the story. The costumes and music place the film firmly in the 80s, but those are part of the movie’s charm.
I’ve rewatched Weird Science a few times, and while it’s always fun, I have found it to be a little bit less enjoyable every time. There’s a reason that it’s one of John Hughes less popular movies. It’s fine as an escapist fantasy, but the further removed one is from being a teenager, the less relatable it becomes.
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