Review of Risky Business

I would recommend against seeing this film, so I don't feel bad about including spoilers in this review. But, just so you're aware... SPOILER ALERT!! I can enjoy "Pulp Fiction" as art. I appreciate "A Clockwork Orange", which has far more explicit nudity, _and_ violence, than this film. I appreciate those films because they mean something; the artists who created them were aiming toward something more significant than "feel-good" light comedy. My best guess is that this film wanted to explore teen angst. If that was its goal, however, it failed, as the perspective it gives us is hopelessly lopsided and fails to engage sufficiently (even as parody or contrast) with reality. The overall message seems to be "be willing to cut loose once in a while". That's a fine message, when "cut loose" is defined well. This film portrays "cutting loose" as utter irresponsibility that is blind to consequences. (Although Joel thinks he won't get into Princeton (a bad consequence of his actions), he does (an unreasonable, good consequence). So what is the film really saying here?) That is hardly a worthy message.

I would recommend either "The Breakfast Club" or "Dirty Dancing" over this film, as each of them 1) confronts the same/similar issues as "Risky Business", without so many of the mindless, cliched, "feel-goodisms", and 2) significantly explores something relevant to human life in such a way as to arrive at some sort of conclusion. If you want to watch this film just to see a young Tom Cruise...well, consider yourself warned. There are many other, better movies on which you can spend your time.