The 80's style may have outdated, but the heart hasn't

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2009)

I was born in 1989, so I don't actually remember a thing about the 80's, the decade that infamously gave us the worst hairdo's and movies (though that's debatable- I think its quite a swell decade). Lucky I have great flicks like "The Breakfast Club" to turn to. I have seen the concept re-worked on many sitcoms and teen drama shows, so I didn't really find too many surprises, plot-wise, with this film. Five high school kids, all representing "types", are stuck in detention together one Saturday. They can't stand or understand each other, of course, but with some shouting and group pot-smoking, they get to. While the slang may be dated, the sharp dialogue and engaging performances are not. Considering 95% of the film takes place in a single room, the fact that it never outstays its welcome, and is purely entertaining yet thoughtful, is quite a triumph. The teens (including Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Nelson)are obvious clichés, but they are meant to be-- so we can pick apart that stereotype too. My teen experience wasn't quite like theirs (we don't have as much of the cliques here in Australia), but I found a bit of myself in each character.