Synopsis
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello essentially play themselves. Once a teen surf idol andMouseketeer, they are now, respectively, a stressed-out car salesman and a neurotic housewife.Their son is a leather-bedecked punk who addresses the camera directly to itemize the failingsof his parents. A trip to LA revives aging pair’s youthful spirit, however, thanks also to cameosfrom everyone from Bob Denver (in Gilligan outfit) to Pee-Wee Herman.
Nostalgia is one thing, …ut can one be nostalgic for 80s nostalgia? If you can, then be myguest. The premise is mildly promising, but executed much more successfully by The BradyBunch Movie. The comedic juice is sucked away by the cast’s insistence on delivering alllines AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS.
Audio
Though I was initially unimpressed by the 5.1 track, which didn’t appear to make use of therear speakers at all beyond the music score, I gradually became aware of a fairly consistent, iflow-key, environment creation, especially in the scenes on the beach. Decent, if unspectacularwork, then.
Video
As seems to be the case so often with films older than fifteen years or so, the opening ispretty rough, with lots of grain and a soft picture. But improvement is not long in coming. Thecolours are good, for the most part, though some of the contrasts around Funicello in the nightclub scene seem a bit off.
Special Features
None.
Closing Thoughts
So badly handled, this will work for you only if the mere sight of the once-famous isenough.
