The Kid with the 200 I.Q.

It would be awfully hard not to like this one with Gary Coleman as the witty, yet inadaptable under-age college student. He has all the "diff'rent strokes" to give a lasting impression to this, just as long as he's learning how to accept rough challenges that teach a crucial lesson in the world. I can't help not to be impressed by how the movie got started, though. There isn't a single clue as to why he's so smart in the first place, and the rest suddenly turns into inferiority. This piece of evidence results into glitches in the writing, and you may find out that it's all just a predictable coincidence in the making. Those who can remember "Arnold" will have something to look forward to once again. Great fun, but horribly wasted.

Back in the early 80's, the pint-sized actor Gary Coleman was a massive TV star. He became most associated for playing the character Arnold in the series Diff'rent Strokes. It was a role that was so popular with the public that Coleman ended up earning $70,000 an episode – pretty astronomical money in the early 80's and not too shabby even by today's standards. Alongside this high prominence series he made a number of TV movies also, of which The Kid with the 200 I.Q. was a typical example. In it, Coleman plays a 12 year old boy genius who is given a scholarship at a university. Needless to say, he stands out somewhat in this environment which leads to many strange situations.

I saw this film back in the day as a kid and have only just seen it for the second time just recently. I have to say that, while it is super generic and predictable, it was also still kind of a fun watch. Coleman elicits a certain charm throughout, even if his limited acting range meant that he wholly fails at any point to convince anyone that he is a super intelligent kid. Still, the daft premise is hardly a deal breaker when it comes to family-oriented fare such as this. Coleman's character assists his much older room-mate both athletically and academically, while he tries in vain to fire into a much older cute girl; given that he is meant to be a 12 year old I daresay such scenes would no doubt not be allowed today! There are also some likable performances from some of Coleman's co-stars, in particular Dean Butler as his amiable room-mate and Kari Michaelsen as the girl he has a crush on. All-in-all, this good natured TV movie still makes for an enjoyable watch.

Back when we were young (the MTV generation), a lot of us looked up to Gary Coleman. We loved Diff'rent Strokes, and everything he did. He was the hottest thing to come down the pipe. He was also in several TV movies to capitalize on his presence. He paired up frequently with Robert Guillaume in these films (who doubled as executive producer in this one). Gary plays a child genius named Nick Newell, who admires Professor Jason Mills, an astronomy professor. The problem is that Mills treats him harshly (like any pompous college professor) and Nick doesn't know how to connect with him. The acting is good, but the story is kind of blah. It mainly serves as an exploitation flick for Coleman, whose charm shines through. But we don't find how how or why he is a child genius. That isn't the point to this film. The point is to milk the Coleman Cash Cow for all it's worth. Along with Guillaume, Gary has a fine supporting cast to work with. Dean Bulter does well as college jock Steve Bensfield, who is roomed with Nick in their freshman year. Kari Michelsen also shines as Julie Gordon, who Nick crushes hard for, but does not realize that she is too old for him. There are a few supporting players that are worth mentioning as well. The late Mel Stewart plays the likable caretaker Joshua Debs, who takes a liking to Nick, is his closest ally on the campus and has known Professor Mills since he was a child. Keep an eye out for Rance Howard, Harrison Page, Crispin Glover, Corinne Bohrer, and Clarence Gilyard Jr. in small roles. If you want to see a better film that features the Coleman/Guillaume pairing, try the 1979 remake of The Kid From Left Field.