The brainchild of 80s movie master John Hughes, Weird Science is an outlandish and goofy ride through suburban teenage angst. Kids in the 80s weren’t like the rebellious youth of the 50s, the drug-addled hippie kids of the 60s or the disenfranchised youth of the 70s. They were simply looking for people who understood them. John Hughes was their cinematic savior.
Gary and Wyatt are two nerds who don’t get on well with the ladies. They are smart, skinny, pale and socially awkward. Popular kids ignore them, jocks and goons make fun of them and girls just walk right past. Since they can’t make it with the ladies, the duo decides to make a lady of their own. Using an ancient-looking modem (by today’s standards) the boys hack into a government computer and create Lisa- the perfect woman. She’s got large breasts, gorgeous legs and a waistline to kill for.
To the boys’ collective surprise, Lisa also comes equipped with super powers, making her capable of doing anything she and the boys want. Instead of catering to their every indulgence, Lisa instead plays an impish role, confronting the boys and helping them to find within themselves the qualities that women like. It’s certainly the long and uncomfortable way of getting what they want but Gary and Wyatt have no choice.
At the time, I’m sure that Weird Science was interesting and mostly fresh. These days though, the film seems full of clichés and just plain silly. This is mostly because teen films of the 80s overexposed the angst and insecurities of young people. While Gary and Wyatt are able to overcome their issues, films like Weird Science make it seem like conquering your fears and reinventing yourself is oh so easy. While it’s fun to watch, we not-so-secretly know that this is not true.
But Weird Science is one of the better 80s teen comedies. It doesn’t get bogged down by seriousness or melodrama like its 80s peers but it does have heart. Thankfully though, the film doesn’t wear its heart on its sleeve. Even when the heartwarming goo arrives, there’s still plenty of humor to go around, be it sight gags, quick one liners or just fine comic timing.
The brainchild of 80s movie master John Hughes, Weird Science is an outlandish and goofy ride through suburban teenage angst. Kids in the 80s weren’t like the rebellious youth of the 50s, the drug-addled hippie kids of the 60s or the disenfranchised youth of the 70s. They were simply looking for people who understood them. John Hughes was their cinematic savior.
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