Scuola di geni

First off: This is an 80s movie. It contains within it certain aspects of the 80s film genre which may cause you to cringe. A youthful, innocent boy gets corrupted by the feckless rebel; a vicious adult has his own agenda; boy gets seduced by teenage girl who may or may not be the current sex symbol. All generalizations aside, the roles in this movie are well-written and well-played. Val Kilmer is at his absolute best, William Atherton is as sly as Jeffrey Jones is oafish in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." The supporting heroine is annoying and unneeded, but who needs her when you've got Jonathan Gries to laugh at? All-around fun and plenty of one-liners that'll have you wishing you could be so witty.

This movie is in the genre of Animal House and Revenge of the Nerds but features a cast of geniuses working on a laser, with one of the professors and his minions being the opposition.

It is in my top 10 films of all time list.

The humorous dialog goes on between ALL the characters but Val Kilmer has center stage even though the story seems to be about Mitch, the new 15 year old, premature college geek.

It is a magical movie that can truly lift your spirits if you are depressed. You can watch it over and over again because its power is not so much in the story but in the superb and genuinely captivating interaction between Val Kilmer and the rest of the cast.

It is unfortunate that Val Kilmer so quickly "graduated" from the realm of youth oriented roles, as his work in Real Genius is by far the most enjoyable to watch. Kilmer proves adept at excellent comic timing, and he is given a motherlode of razor-sharp one-liners to fire off in every scene (I speculate that writer Pat Proft enjoyed watching The Marx Brothers in his formative years). Chief drawback of this film is the hammy, sneering villain played by Atherton -- as the old saying goes, just give him a mustache to twirl. But if you happened to see the film as a young person, the above-mentioned won't get in the way of your fond memories. I sure know that every time I see that slow-motion romp through the popcorn and hear Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," ramp up on the soundtrack, my cynicism just melts away.

I've noticed that some people who've commented on REAL GENIUS do not appear impressed. This must be either because they lack a sense of humor or simply don't know a good movie when they see one. Val Kilmer is hysterical, the script is filled with clever one-liners. William Atherton is THE ego-meniacle bad guy. And Chris Knight and Mitch Taylor have a guy named Lazlow living in their closet. Come on, this film is terrific. I could watch this film every day. It's that good.

This movie is an incredible display of verbal byplay, interplay, and foreplay, and Pat Proft (of Naked Gun and Hot Shots fame) writes some of the funniest dialogue ever. But give credit to Val Kilmer: he hits every line perfectly (see lots and lots of Quotes). Even the minor characters get their moment in the spotlight, and the plot isn't dumbed down for the audience. If this isn't what happens at M.I.T. and similar institutes, you wish it did...and that you could sign up. Only Gabriel Jarrett comes across as a bit weak, but the rest of the cast bolsters him up.