The 80's was rife with films that dealt with science and teenage nerds, each of them attempting to make the subject seem cool, most of them failing to capture the coolness of Marty McFly or the success of Back to the Future. The already reviewed WarGames and The Manhattan Project, along with Real Genius and Weird Science were varied attempts to earn the cash of teen movie goers.
Perhaps the least successful and oft-forgotten entry in this genre is 1985's My Science Project. Released in late summer, the movie failed to generate much box office and was negatively received by critics. The film found some life on cable TV, but has only lived on recently in the minds of those nostalgic individuals who read blogs like this one and actually seek out information regarding films from their favorite decade.
Michael Harlan (John Stockwell, Top Gun) is a high school senior who spends most of his time working on his car. His grades have been less than stellar and he needs to pull out all the stops to pass his science class by coming up with a top-notch project. His girlfriend dumps him, so Michael teams up with nerdy Ellie (Danielle von Zerneck, La Bamba) to help with finding the perfect object to present to his class. They end up at a military dump and find a strange glowing device that looks like one of those electrical spheres found at Spencer Gifts. Michael and Ellie, along with friend Vince (Fisher Stevens, Short Circuit) present the device to their teacher (a wonderfully over the top Dennis Hopper). The device is activated and slowly creates pandemonium as it brings items from the past into the present with disastrous results, The students find themselves battling their way through the school in order to rescue a trapped Ellie.
The first two-thirds of My Science Project are fairly uneventful. The characters are introduced. They find the device, mess around with it, it makes their teacher disappear. Fisher Stevens is really annoying. When the device turns the school into a living museum (wait, this plot device sounds familiar...) is where the film really takes off. As the teens work their way through the building, they encounter gladiators, the Viet Cong, aliens, and a T-Rex. This portion of the movie is what the entire film should have been. It's very entertaining, funny, and without question a reason to sit through the first 45 minutes or so.
My Science Project isn't a great movie. Anyone who came through the 80's will find something to feel nostalgic about while watching it. Those who make it to the climax will be rewarded. The movie could, and maybe should be remade as an expanded version of the last 30 minutes. Recommended for those who enjoy dumb 80's flicks.
