Review of Class of 1999 (1990) by Justin J — 27 Jun 2016

Goofy but entertaining sequel to "Class of 1984" has no connection to that first film except for the writer/director and that teenagers are out of control. This time around the film is less torn-from-the-headlines and takes a more science fiction rounds, making this sequel something of a cross between "Escape from New York" and "The Blackboard Jungle.

" High schools are out of control and some parts of the United States are so bad they have been declared "free fire zones" in which even police will not enter. In these areas, the savages rule themselves and in one free fire zone in Seattle is a high school that is so violent the principal, Malcolm McDowell (who filmed his part in two days), hires a ponytailed scientist, Stacy Keach, to bring in his robot teachers, who are played by Pam Grier, John P.

Ryan, and Patrick Kilpatrick (you don't know his name, but you'd recognize him as a perennial bad guy character actor). The protagonist of the film is Bradley Gregg who part of a good gang, that also includes Joshua Miller who memorably played the creepy kid in "The River's Edge" and "Near Dark.

" and Darren E. Burrows who played Ed Chigliak on "Northorn Exposure." There's also Traci Lind as the pretty new girl who is also the principal's daughter. It's a pretty funny set up that I think had the potential to be a clever satire, but the film really just degenerates into a dull low budget sci-fi action flick.

Two stars for the set up and the film's opening act, but the rest of the film is pretty boring.