Un poliziotto al college

This is one of the mindless dumb comedies that you know is going to be dumb. Still, it's not as bad as I expected. Question: how in the world do they not see then 34 year old Arliss Howard is a grown man? I mean, look, he goes undercover as a teen in high school but his character is supposed to be 24 years old. Even as a 24 year old he's not believable.

Still, I found myself chuckling a couple times, even cheering a bit. This came out during the 21 junpstreet era which was huge in 1988. Other than miscasting it's not really a bad movie.if you've got 90 minutes to kill and can find it, why not?

'Plain Clothes' is not great comedy, though it does, at least subtly, attempt stupid humor (such as the running gags with the school announcements and the Springsteen jokes). And, as a b-comedy with a relatively unknown cast leading with Arliss Howard and Seymour Cassell (who is great, but doesn't often act in the mainstream circuit), this may be one obscure 80s comedy that could only really be best enjoyed by us fans of obscure 80s movies. Familiar, name-escaping faces, a different story, high school in the 80s, it just might have what you're looking for.

Plain Clothes is the story of a babyface young cop (Arliss Howard) who's younger brother is prime suspect in a teacher's unusual murder at his high school. Convinced that his brother is telling the truth when he claims to be innocent, the cop goes undercover as a high school student to investigate. Only, what he discovers is much more than just a murder. You have your typical 80s teen movie elements, since this does take place in a high school and our main character does pose as one of the more interesting students. Love triangles and social scuffles mixed with the suspense/action of the cop story angle. It does quite a bit of shifting and does, as another viewer commented, culminate in a rather confusing climax.

For this bit of narrative game playing and mild comedy treatment, this movie is perfect for just a certain kind of audience (if you love obscure b-80s movies) and a certain kind of day (lazy weekend noons are probably best). By the way, Max Perlich fans should not miss him in his trademark leather jacket and buzz cut when he shows up (briefly) as Carter, one of the kids who befriends the undercover cop.

Arliss Howard (looking at home) stars in this enjoyably offbeat mystery comedy, which he plays a cop who goes undercover at his brother's high school when he's accused of stabbing a teacher. Because how young he looks no one believes he's a cop, so why not go back to school to figure who committed the murder and helping is his partner (a terrific Seymour Cassel) who pretends to be his father. But there's no escaping the daily grind of high school.

Kind of surprised this is not more well known, bestowing an excellent ensemble cast (George Wendt, Diana Ladd, Suzy Amis, Larry Pine and Robert Stack) giving decent performances by presenting an odd assortment of characters and sharing great chemistry (especially Howard and Cassel). The story moves between trying to connect the dots throwing out possible leads and red herrings (in predictably daft way), while also adjusting to school life. These are the usual things (bullying, popularity and crushes), but it remains charming, authentically atmospheric and lightly humorous. There's a certain mock seriousness attitude abound and there's neat running gag involving amusing quips over the school PA system and a memorable little poetry reading to explain the word metaphor. It has snappy energy and frequent humour, while low-key it does balance out nicely against its murder mystery angle.

Pleasing under-the-radar late 80s comedy.

Nick - Arliss Howard - is a young 24 year old undercover cop. He's been getting assignments that make him interact with children, something Nick hates. Unbelievably, a teacher gets knifed at his younger brothers school. This senior, Matt, gets charged with murder, after witnesses heard him tell the teacher he wanted to "kill him". Believing his sibling is innocent, it becomes necessary for Nick to go undercover as a transfer student at the school. It's a horror show, with bad lunches, bullies, stupid quizzes etc. But, one, there's an adorable teacher named Robin - Suzy Amis- who catches Nicks eye. And, second, he learns about a teachers blackmailing scheme which may reveal the true killer. Can Nick solve this crime? This is, ok, kind of a dumb movie, although there are some funny parts. Even the crime is less than memorable. However, the budding romance between Howard and Amis is sweet and comical, especially as Nick is supposed to be a student. If you are really hard up for a new movie choice, you might give it a try. Otherwise, you probably want to steer clear.

A light-hearted and completely enjoyable movie. The one liners and situations were humorous and quirky. The constant flow of jokes and double entendres in the background make this a movie to enjoy again and again. The comments made over the PA are worth the price of admission. Some of the acting was a little soft but did little to take away from the fun. Worth the time to watch and if you ever see it at your local video store - buy it. Seeing George Wendt and Robert Stack hamming it up is a treat for those of us who watched these actors growing up. The sexual situations were light and harmless and the violence was low-key. Still not sure if this would qualify as a teen movie, crime drama, love story or something else. It is quite unique.