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 "It's 1999. School
is a war zone. The latest automatic weapons are the
teachers." - Front Cover
Summary
"STAYING AFTER
SCHOOL CAN BE DEADLY!
The time is the future
and youth gang violence is so high that the areas around
some schools have become "free-fire zones,"
into which not even the police will venture. When Mile
Langford (Malcolm McDowell), the principal of Kennedy
High School, decides to take his school back from the
gangs, robotics specialist Dr. Robert Forrest (Stacy
Keach) provides "tactical education unites."
These are amazingly humanlike androids that have been
programmed to teach and are supplied with devastatingly
effective solutions to discipline problems. So when the
violent, out-of-control students of Kennedy High report
for class tomorrow, they're going to get a real
education...in chemistry, history and staying
alive!" - Back Cover
Soundtrack - 2.5 Sticks of Butter
A truly 80's soundtrack which I did enjoy but
since the movie takes place in 1999 not 1985 I was not too pleased with their
choice of tunes. Though I suppose in 1989 they were not aware of the horrendous
drivel that would call itself music during the time the movie was set, so the
soundtrack only looses .5 sticks of butter. I really enjoyed the song that they
played at the end during the credits, in fact I enjoyed it enough to watch
through the credits (something I rarely do).
Plot - 3.25 Sticks of Butter
This film had some background to it! A little
history lesson on how some areas of cities became run by high school gangs, and
centers around finding a solution for this problem - mechanized teachers! An
ingenious idea, especially when the teachers look as cool as the Math teacher
did - we're not talking about Mr. Data here! I would have liked to see a bit
more development between the two gangs though, sort of a foundation as to why
they were fighting with each other.
Action - 3 Sticks of Butter
Chalked full of gang war like action, and a man
against machine theme this film was filled with fun to watch fight scenes. There
were some promising ideas to the fights but it seems to me that they were not
entirely financially prepared to pull off and too many expensive stunts, which
seems to me to be a bit of a shame, because I would have really liked to have
seen more scenes like the one towards the end. But there were pyrotechnics.
Wheeee.
Effects - 3 Sticks of Butter
There were not many special effects in this
movie, which I found rather disappointing this being a movie made in the
"future" - 1999 - but the few effects that it did have were well done.
One of the scenes within the first 15 or so minutes was done pretty well and
gave the audience proof that these androids really were made out of metal rather
than flesh and blood. Towards the end of the movie I was also fairly impressed
with what they did. Overall though there were not all that many and that's why I
rate this movie a 3.
Characters - 2.75 Sticks of Butter
Well the cast looked as if they were still living
in the 80's from the hair to the wardrobes I would have liked to see something
funky done with the outfits at least since the movie was supposed to be
futuristic and there were androids running around. A bit of silver here and
there on the clothing would have been great, or at least something that was not readily
donned in the 80's. However the characters themselves were pretty interesting,
and the family dynamic between Cody the main character and Angel was nice to
see. This does bring me to the one thing I found irritating about casting enough
to knock the score down, Angel - at least if I heard correctly - is a guy.
Cody's brother. Angel seemed quite feminine to me and with the name I assumed at
the beginning that He was a She, but apparently I was mistaken. It just bothered
me, no real reason I suppose. I found Cody's reformed villain bit entertaining
but the elements with the principal's daughter could have been tidied up
slightly. The gang members didn't seem overly violent or evil honestly, I think
they just needed a little TLC and better living conditions and I think the
majority of them would have been model citizens so that aspect too bothered me
since they were supposed to be so terribly destructive and dangerous.
Overall Impressions - 3.5 Sticks of Butter
While none of the components in my mind warranted
a rating over 3.25 I think when combined this movie actually excels and is
deserving of a rating of 3.5. It was an enjoyable movie to watch with a mix of
plot and action combined with a smattering of special effects and characters
that made you want to see what was going to happen next. Okay never was it an
edge of your seat thriller, but it was a fun movie never-the-less. I think this
movie would appeal to both student and adult alike.
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