Great for what it is

Rating: 9/10 (23 October 2010)

Empire Records is a simple, feel-good teen movie with a predictable and cliché happy ending and, as other reviewers have noted, completely one dimensional characters. That being said, I have to admit that I love it for what it is. Sometimes I want to watch a deep and thought provoking movie with a complex storyline and sometimes I just want to keep it light. For the latter, Empire Records is perfect.
The primary characters are a bunch of teens working in a record store, each with their own set of problems ranging from unrequited love to attempted suicide. The plot of the story is centered around the possibility of Empire Records turning into a MusicTown, which would put an end to the kids' relaxed and fun work environment. It's simple, sure, and there's something so overdone and cliché about a bunch of teens complaining about "the man," but the good music, original jokes, and hilarious antics of the store employees more than make up for this.
While it's true that each character is only as deep as their typical teen problem, you almost don't want to know anything else about them. The existence of their problems makes for a legitimate storyline but the absence of anything else keeps the movie light and unpretentious. Almost every one of them is likable simply because they listen to good music and make funny jokes. Ethan Embry's character Mark is hands down the best, as a lovable dopey pothead with some of the best lines in the movie. Next would have to be Rory Cochrane's character Lucas. His little sayings throughout the film aren't supposed to be taken as insightful because they're such obvious BS, just like all teenage attempts at being deep. They're hilarious because they are so empty and ridiculous.
It's only a nine because I hate Liv Tyler's whiny and annoying character Corey. She's smart enough to get into Harvard but stupid enough to think that offering her virginity to Rex Manning would be in any way special. Her little faux-tirade at A.J. toward the end of the movie ("You're so special and you're so talented...." blah, blah, blah) is the absolute worst.