Whatever. Probably was good in the 80s but doesn't hold up now

"Real Genius" is a decent, wacky teen comedy that capitalizes on the popular 80s trend of science-centric narratives. Val Kilmer delivers a standout performance as the charmingly irreverent genius, imbuing the film with a lively energy that elevates its high jinks. While the movie cleverly mingles humor with scientific brilliance, its blend of outlandish escapades and youthful ingenuity ultimately makes it an entertaining, if somewhat forgettable, piece of 80s cinema.

Utterly unenjoyable. I didn't think it was possible for Val Kilmer to be unlikable in a movie, but he was intolerable in this. He's not alone, as every character in the film except Jordon was unlikable. There's nobody to root for as I disliked everybody. The jokes are stale and the worst of 80s comedy style. Even the jokes that should be funny are delivered so poorly that they stop them from working. Nearly 2 hours of tedium. An utter disappointment.

Loved the movie. One of my favorites. Definitely my favorite Val Kilmer movie. Yes, over Top Gun. My next favorite was his portrayal of Detective Dobson on Psych. The only thing holding this back from 5 stars is the the trailer and the movie poster showed Val Kilmer floating in a balloon chair, which was NOT IN THE MOVIE. RIP Val Kilmer.

So many great lines and moments

A truly cool, fun, and creative 80's movie

Loved Val Kilmer’s performance as Chris Knight. Also probably one of the funniest movies I’ve seen, and with some epic quotes!

Possibly the most underrated 80’s teen movie. Actually, it definitely is. 5 stars.

Not the kids playing in freshly popped corn. You know it's got to be burning hot.

Val Kilmer is hilarious and the comedy delivers many laughs. The characters and music are great. This is a classic 80's Movie.

I wish Val Kilmer had done more comedies.

Better than expected. Worth a watch if you enjoy Kilmer, Meyrink or 80's college comedy movies. Unexpected decent soundtrack also. Which is a bonus.

Almost perfect movie, a rare non-exploitative 80s comedy, with a pitch perfect cast , including an all-in performance by William Atherton, and Val Kilmer in Amadeus-like abandon. Gets better with each watch.

cheesy but enjoyable movie

Not genius, not even good.

A very young Val Kilmer stars as Chris, a new intern at a renowned science academy called Pacific Tech He’s assigned to work on a new satellite with a much younger apprentice Mitch It starts rough at first as you’d expect but the both of them slowly warm up to one another Mitch even develops feelings for a fast talking genius girl named Jordan, she’s not the typical hot-painted woman we’re so used to in these movies she’s actually on Mitch’s level of intellect which he finds attractive Both he and Chris also face a bully trying to one up them every chance he gets Their goal is to impress the dean of the college to get results Then when they find out the government wants to weaponize the satellite for their own purposes they start to have second thoughts This was actually a fun campus movie and the end scene featuring a giant pile of popcorn is silly but cool A students educational skills shouldn’t be used for destructive ends but to better the world and themselves Kilmer is so freaking likable next to the actor who plays Mitch, they’re both geniuses not by choice and try to use their gift of knowledge the best they can And would you believe this was inspired by actual events from Cal Tech? I certainly can Director Martha Coolidge uses some familiar material to make this quite endearing and funny without over relying on heavy talks about high corrupt government leaders and their dependence on weaponry A nice 1980s treat

One of the greatest movies ever. Effervescent and right out of the best fun movie decade ever.

80s gem. comfort food for my 80s palate.

Overall, while I usually enjoy seeing Val Kilmer playing an over-the-top character in a wacky comedy, the gags and over-the-top sense of humour didn't gel with me here. The jokes feel far too forced, and they are trying far too hard to obtain a laugh from their audiences. Moments between scenes also sometimes needed to flow better together. Still, I must confess that the third act brings the movie to a fun conclusion with some great sci-fi-related ideas and creative visuals, redeeming the film's quality and level of entertainment.

Something of a forgotten teen flick that deserves a lot more attention, Real Genius is a film that, on the surface, you could dismiss as a simple and bland fish out of water college film. But its far more endearing and smarter than I was expecting it to be. It would have been very easy to disregard the antagonists as being stupid, and even easier to portray them that way, but the filmmakers avoid that particular pitfall. They demonstrate that the nature of genius is different from person to person. A group of people can all be smart, but their personalities could be wide ranging. One could be tidy and fastidious, one could be careless and hedonistic, one could be spiteful and slimy, one could be vainglorious and selfish. These are all traits our characters have, and much like The Breakfast Club, it humanises a set of individuals that could easily have been little more than stereotypes. The plot has a lot of your classic 80s college shenanigans, with wild parties, life lessons, rebelling against authority, the wormy suck up getting their comeuppance, but the framework of the story makes these events feel natural and not just a requirement. It came out when Val Kilmer was on the cusp of superstardom, and he really throws himself into the role. Real Genius doesn't have the same regard that the teen movies of John Hughes attained in the 80s, but if you have the time, I'd say it's more than worth checking out.