टीन एजंट

I am rating this to up the rating. And reviewing it, just to add my piece of mind.

First off, the french teacher. Hilarious. Best part of the whole movie. "I want all references to the operative, the french teacher." Next, the dialog. It's funny. Most of the time, it's great. At least I find it funny most of the time.

The lead actor did a pretty good job. He's as flat as a pancake. But I think he's supposed to be a superficial high school student. They could have made him a bit more bright. He does save the day in the end. And it would be slightly more believable if he came across as a bit brighter from the start. But, you know, it's a comedy. You can't be too critical.

I realize this is sort of a demographic movie. I am sure it's aimed at teens as a fantasy. At 45 though, I still appreciate a mindless fantasy/comedy/adventure. And this is a pretty good one. I think it deserves a better rating - I rate movies with based on similar movies. I don't compare this to Das Boot, for example. I compare it to say, Hackers or something like that.

This movie is for the fans of light hearted adventures mixed through out with comedy (sometimes so stupid it's hilarious!!) When Michael Corbin's lethargy in his high school French class keeps him from graduating; his adventure begins. Even though he (Richard Grieco) is considerably older than the part he is portraying; he does pull it off. I particularly enjoyed the hotel bedroom scene: SEXY and HILARIOUS!! His (Michael Corbin) "goof-off teenager" attitude solidifies the part for Grieco through out the entire movie. All of the supporting actors: the French Teacher, Helen Hunt and his friend on the tour bus that uses his shaving water to rinse his toothbrush (which I was expecting to see him even pick his nose next which thank God he dosen't!!!) keeps the minor scenes in check with the genre of the movie. Keep in mind that this movie is a "comedy"...nothing more, nothing less. It was not made to be picked apart...just watched. I have seen this movie about 6 times and have even added it to my collection. Granted, there are many more movies that are more realistic and have better acting, but what the hell...I still enjoy watching it!!! Only because it dosen't qualify as a "Classic", but because it is a VERY funny and entertaining movie for all ages, it gets an 8 out of 10.

If you're looking for any sort of award winning cinematic experience with deeply textured meaning this flick is not for you. However if you just want to relax with something that demands almost no thought but will give you more fun than it should this will be perfect.

A teen comedy mixed with spy spoof this was supposed to be the launch pad for current teen dream Richard Grieco. It didn't lead to a big career for him but he is appealing in the lead. His extremely over-waxed eyebrows aside he is attractive and humorous as a college student mistaken for a secret agent on a summer class field trip in Europe.

The script is silly and the situations ludicrous but there are two things that make this worth catching, the gadgets and the cast. Once the plot kicks in Grieco's character is outfitted with the sort of weapons, cars, etc that wouldn't be out of place in a Bond picture all utilized in a fun way.

The real strength of the film though is a cast that is far above what would be usual in this type of flick. Aside from Grieco's game performance there's Robin Bartlett's ever more flustered French Teacher who by the end is kicking butt and taking prisoners. Plus the totally unhinged evil duo of Roger Rees and Oscar winner Linda Hunt chewing the scenery and having a hell of a good time thereby providing the audience with one too. The rest of the cast also plays into the proper mood of lampooning the spy genre making this a breezy delight.

With Quebec standing in for Europe there are some beautiful locations and for any car lover some very cool vehicles. The definition of escapist fare.

William Dear has a gift for quaint humor. In "Harry and the Hendersons" he shaped the scenes as if he were seeing them through a convex lens. He seemed to be delighting in the glimmers of absurdity he brought out in the characters. Of course, with the considerable talents of leads John Lithgow and Melinda Dillon at his disposal, it was hard not to pull off the capricious meeting of Bigfoot and friends.

With "If Looks Could Kill," he faces the problem of matching this lightness of touch and tone (the mark of something mature and adult) with the sentiments of teen rock-loving audiences. These kind of fans take no prisoners. It's either all or nothing with them, like a religion, even if their ideals don't seem much different from garden-variety churchgoers. The humor that is likely to come out of this is more often darkly self-deprecating, unremittingly desperate, and garishly self-immolating or self-pitying. Hardly fertile ground for lighthearted laughs.

Plus the point of this movie is as part encouragement and part reprimand for highschoolers who have not taken study (in this case, French class) seriously enough. Dear and crew succeed at poking fun at the mindatory tone of the script embodied by the outraged father (Gerry Mendecino) but fail with the vigilant French teacher (Robin Bartlett's Mrs. Grober comes across like fingernails on a blackboard.) The hero (Richard Grieco) runs bemused (He's mistaken for a renowned secret agent.) through unexpected adventures, only one of which has anything to do with speaking French, which only reinforces the incorrigible's assertion that learning a foreign language is a waste of time.

The movie is a little long on espionage gadgetry, and short on erudition. It might as well be saying "Be a spy; have fun. Be bilingual; so what?" As the antagonists Augustus Steranko and Ilsa Grunt, Roger Rees and Linda Hunt deliver their lines with enough skill and style that the moral of the movie should be "Forget French; amuse yourself with English!" Unfortunately, they are overwhelmed by the violence the script requires of them. We are forced to look back on its cheap sentiment for its mock hero and cherub-faced heroine (Gabrielle Anwar). But again the girl speaks English, so who needs French?

If this movie is a failure at what it sets out to accomplish, what's left of it--the plans of a power-hungry madman to rule a unified Europe uncovered and foiled--zips past us without too much pain, and the casting of Richard Grieco as the dupe who learns his lesson just in time feels right. His pointed eyebrows add just the right touch of perversity to a movie that revels in its rebel pose. With Michael Sidberry, Geraldine James, and as Anwar's father, a nod to real rock heroes, Roger Daltrey.

I get tired of pointing these things out to people, but this is a comedy. People complaining about that fact that's it's unrealistic seem to be missing something. At no point did the movie makers expect you to find this realistic.

It's an escapist teen fantasy. Ordinary guy gets to drive expensive car, meet cute women, and have an adventure.

Of COURSE it's ludricous. But it's cute and funny in a lot of spots. I laughed out loud many times BECAUSE it's silly. So if you prefer sophisticated humor, maybe this is not for you.

It's less silly than say Top Secret. It's more of a straight action/adventure - it's just that the premise is totally unrealistic and so is the protagonist - he goes from being clueless to saving the day. Don't expect James Bond here people - it's not supposed to be.

I give it 7 out of 10. Why? Because it made me laugh out loud in multiple spots. Which is the point to comedies.

(Why some people watch comedies when they lack of a sense of humor is beyond me - some of the comments made here indicate that they do, though :)