Revenge of the Nerds (1984) – Encore Review

“Excuse please, but why do they call you “booger”? – Takashi

“[picking his nose] I don’t know.” – Booger

Number of Times Seen – Too many to count (Cable in the 80’s, video, 14 Jan 2016 and 10 Apr 2020)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – A band of college freshman misfits create their own fraternity in order to show their worth.

My Take on it – This is yet another film that was a favorite of mine as a teen growing up in the 80’s.

The story itself was probably one that I probably shouldn’t have been exposed to on cable at such a young age, but…

The film is hilarious and still holds up after 36 years in the comedy department because the jokes are all still quite humorous to watch whether they are physical or verbal comedy.

The story itself is one that is actually quite timeless and although many attempts have been made to try and copy the success and feel of this film, none are as successful as this one is.

The cast of characters that we are introduced to in this film are great and they find a way to show much diversity in the way that all of the nerds, geeks, dorks, etc act here.

Ultimately this is a movie with a moral about overcoming adversity and it actually works on numerous levels especially since it shows how the underdog tries to fight back against the bully.

The film has a few scenarios that cross certain lines and I doubt if they would have been included in a modern film, but within the context of this story, they still work well.

Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards are both superbly fit for the lead roles and are helped out so much by the supporting character who help make this film so memorable and fun to watch.

Bottom Line – Hilarious comedy that still works so well even after 36 years. The story is somewhat timeless and things have been copied quite often since this film came out but none have been as enjoyable as the original. The cast of characters are great and definitely are able to show the gamut of nerds, geeks, dorks, etc that we all have encountered in our lives (or can relate to). The story is one about overcoming adversity and they show how these misfits find ways to show the bullies that they still have what it takes. Some of the scenarios played out in this film cross some lines and they would probably not have been put in a modern film, but they still seem to work within the context of this story. Carradine and Edwards are perfect as the two leads and are helped out by such a great supporting cast. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – James Cromwell has said that when he came up with the nerd laugh, that the other actors imitated, he realized while driving home from the studio on the first day of production it was his ex-wife’s laugh. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10) (no change from original review)