Kickin' It Old Skool (2007)

Overall rating from 1 to 100: 62

O Masterpiece (95-100)
O Excellent (75-94)
X Good video rental (60-74)
O Merely OK (50-59)
O Pure mediocrity (30-49)
O Medusa: don’t watch (1-29)

Review by Jason Pyles / May 2, 2007

I can’t begin to tell you how long I’ve been trying to legitimately work “Mekaneck” (the name of a He-Man and the Masters of the Universe action figure) into one of my reviews. Today is the day. “Kickin’ It Old Skool” is nostalgic: Its opening credits show close-ups of lots of ‘80s toys in a boy’s room. One of those toys is Mekaneck. I couldn’t contain my delight.

This movie will mostly appeal to a select group of people: those who were children of the ‘80s. If you know what a Wacky Wall Walker is, then you’ll enjoy this dumb movie’s stroll down memory lane — especially if you’re a male.

Twelve-year-old Justin Schumacher (Alexander Calvert) is a breakdancer and the leader of a dance team called The Funky Fresh Boyz. Justin digs Jen, but he has to compete for her affections against a jerky kid named Kip. (This reminded me of my parallel life during the ‘80s when I had to put up with the likes of one diabolical Bill Barnes for the attention of Jeana Nicely.)

At a talent show dance contest, Justin tries to do “the move,” flips off of the stage, hits his head and goes into a 20-year coma. What we have here is a set-up that’s similar to “Blast From the Past” (1999), the movie where Brendan Fraser’s family needlessly hides out in an underground bomb shelter for 35 years, and when he submerges from underground, his old-fashioned ways are ridiculous to many but endearing to others, particularly the love interest.

“Kickin’ It Old Skool” is a similar fish-out-of-water comedy, which has its strengths in moments where 32-year-old Justin’s friends have to explain modern phenomena such as American Idol in terms of the ‘80s equivalents, such as Star Search.

So, Justin (Jamie Kennedy), who is stuck in the ‘80s, finds himself in present day with exorbitant medical bills and without his boyhood love, Jen (Maria Menounos). She happens to be engaged to Kip (Michael Rosenbaum). What must Justin do? He must reassemble The Funky Fresh Boyz and enter a dance competition, winning the $100,000 prize and the heart of the girl he loves.

Yes, we’ve seen this movie before — many times. Nevertheless, we haven’t been able to enjoy some spectacular breakdancing and ‘80s reminiscing quite like this before. In fact, the breakdancing in “Kickin’ It Old Skool” rivals the modern “Krump” dancing featured in “Stomp the Yard,” from earlier this year.

Mostly the humor is stupid and crass. The scenes where Justin’s friends instruct him on “how to get to second base” are way overboard.

But my biggest criticism lies with Jamie Kennedy: Young Justin was a cool kid. But when older Justin awakens, Kennedy plays him like he’s mentally handicapped. He should still be that same cool kid, just out of touch — like Brendan Fraser’s Adam Webber character in “Blast From the Past.” It’s almost as if Kennedy is trying to pull off some kind of dimmer-witted Jon Heder creation. I wish Heder had played this role. But that’s OK ... at least the movie had Mekaneck.

Directed by Harvey Glazer
Jamie Kennedy / Maria Menounos / Michael Rosenbaum
108 min. Comedy
MPAA: PG-13 (for crude and sexual content and language)

Copyright 2007.
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