REVENGE OF THE NERDS II: NERDS IN PARADISE (1987)

The nerds go to paradise (aka Fort Lauderdale, Florida) to take part in a national fraternity convention. As movie luck would have it, the vast majority of the other frat members are all nerd-hating jocks. (The same story as Part 1.) Even the dude who runs the hotel they have reservations with has an immense hatred of nerds. So, now with their reservations canceled, they’re forced to stay at a skid row murder motel with a monster living in the swimming pool. There’s also a storyline about them getting double-crossed and kicked out of the conference. Honestly, none of it is important, it's all just an excuse to get the nerds in an exotic location filled with sun, booze and girls in bikini's. Sadly though, Nerds 2 doesn't deliver in the nudity department. Which is odd since I think that's what most of the target audience was looking for back in 1987. I know I was! Guess the filmmakers decided the wise thing to do was sink the entire series by going the PG-13 route instead. Kinda like what the POLICE ACADEMY series was doing at the same time.

The basic story idea to the Nerds series has a lot of room for success, but for whatever reason, it feels like the filmmakers of this first sequel lazily cobbled together some callbacks to the original film and a few mildly funny skit ideas then slapped it all together into a movie. There’s no real connection to the original and it definitely doesn’t expand the overall story. If anything, it muddies the waters. For example: the literal opening scene of the film shows Lewis putting a framed picture of Betty in his suitcase, but then later on he’s playing tonsil hockey with a new girl…so, is he with Betty or not?

Meh, whatever. Nerds 2 is a watchable film with a few humorous moments (Booger’s pick-up line at the airport, for example), but the weak script doesn’t give the cast much to work with. Hell, I would have rather seen a film about the Nerds investigating the creature living in the swimming pool, than the whole Nerds vs. Jocks thing done over again. Maybe have the Jocks team up with the Nerds to figure out a way to get laid more. Fuck, anything would be better than seeing the same lame jokes from the original film.

I have vague memories of the Beastie Boys being involved with promoting this film, but then not actually appearing in the film. I remember (back in 1987) thinking that that was weird. Although, the nerds do perform a Beastie Boys-ish song at a party.

Overall, REVENGE OF THE NERDS II: NERDS IN PARADISE is a watchable 1980's comedy. Definitely watchable for curious first time viewers. I think I'm just jaded since I remember it not being as awesome as I (hopefully) envisioned it to be back in the day. I definitely wasn't sad when I dropped this VHS tape back in the rental return drop-off. Although, I do vividly remember one sunny afternoon around this time period walking up to the drop-off slot while my mom waited in the car and some high school-age kid come rolling up in a Chevy truck with "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" playing at at least 300 decibels. I was like, "Fuuuuuucccck, I'll never be that cool!"

Oh yeah, here's the disappointing tit scenes you were looking for.

P.S. Granny Sez Surf or Die.

Part 1 - Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Part 3 - Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992)
Part 4 - Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love (1994)

REVENGE OF THE NERDS (1984)

The story on this one’s pretty simple: college-age jocks vs. college-age nerds at a school that apparently has no actual classes nor any kind of rules of conduct.

Two best friends, Lewis and Gilbert, arrive at Adams College and are almost immediately kicked out of their dorm, along with a bunch of other “nerds”, to make room for some football players who partied so hard that they burned down their own fraternity house. The nerds join a different frat and from then on it’s just frat versus frat pranks and hijinks. Including such knee-slapping tomfoolery as sexual assault, illegally installing cameras in a female frat house and rape by deception. It’s a feel good adventure for the whole family!

Released in the summer of 1984, I was just a kid and I remember watching this movie a number of times. Mainly because it had a few tits in it, but it was also funny. Revisiting the film now for this review, it’s kind of shocking at just how caveman this movie is. That said, it does have it moments and, I guess, historically it is kind of important. At least as far as 1980’s pop culture goes.

Quick pace, solid cast that seem to be dedicated to their roles (I wish James Cromwell had a bigger role), dated humor, one clearly underage student partying with older students (and taking part in a "panty raid"), a goofy goose-like honk laugh, no teachers, zero strong female characters, zero gore, zero blood, not as much nudity as you would expect, an old woman in a night gown caressing a young boys face, vintage clothing fashions, a hook on a door frame that goes nowhere.

REVENGE OF THE NERDS is definitely dated and could (should) be seen as offensive to modern audiences, but hey, the 80's were all kinds of fucked up. If you're curious about it, then it's worth checking out.

[Update: This has absolutely nothing to do with the review, but while I was going through old newspapers looks for ads I noticed that on the weekend that Nerds debuted these movies were also showing (No wonder I spend so much time at the theater when I was a kid!)…GHOSTBUSTERS, GREMLINS, THE NEVERENDING STORY, THE KARATE KID, THE LAST STARFIGHTER, THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, CONAN THE DESTROYER, STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK and more. Plus, PURPLE RAIN came out the next week. Fuckin’ sick]

Part 2 - Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987)
Part 3 - Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992)
Part 4 - Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love (1994)