Tomboy (1985)

Such a frustrating disappointment

How sad is this?

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

And how can you not love that cheesy, peppy, oh-so-80s pop theme song? This irresistible female-empowerment exploitation comedy stars the adorable, sexy as hell Ms. Russell as Tomasina "Tommy" Boyd, a young lady who'd much rather tinker with cars and play sports than do so-called "girly" things. She worships studly race car driver Randy Starr (Gerard Christopher), whom she is able to meet through Ernie Leeds, Jr. (Eric Douglas), a filthy rich auto racing entrepreneur. When the confident Randy isn't able to take her seriously, she sets out to prove that anything he can do, she can do just as well, if not better."Tomboy" creates some pretty good vibes for a pleasant 91 minutes. There's enough laughs and titillation to make it quite watchable. A big part of the appeal is Russell, one of the iconic 80s hotties who'd also made her mark in movies like "Private School", "Avenging Angel", and "Cheerleader Camp", and who's recently made a comeback in some of the "Saw" sequels. The movie itself is silly and clumsy at times, but ultimately upbeat entertainment. Voyeurs will be pleased with the amount of breast shots on display, and can take delight in a goofy, erotic commercial performed by Tommy's friend Seville (Kristi Somers, "Hell Comes to Frogtown"). The soundtrack provides tons of cheesy goodness.The direction by Herb Freed, who'd previously done the horror pictures "Haunts", "Beyond Evil", and "Graduation Day", may not be inspired but it gets the job done, as do the performances by an engaging cast. Veteran Richard Erdman is likable as Chester, Tommy's boss and pal; Douglas, son of Kirk and brother to Michael, is effectively smarmy as the rich jerk. Fans of 80s movies will note the appearances by such people as Cynthia Thompson (the female lead in "Cavegirl", Dennis Hayden (one of the terrorists in "Die Hard"), and trash flick favourite Michelle Bauer, in an uncredited bit.This kind of thing may not be Shakespeare, but it sure hits the spot for people just looking to have a good time.Seven out of 10.

I've dated women like "Tommy." They're fun for a while. This is a guy movie. Women will be jealous of Russell's red-hot looks and will nit-pick the movie's lack of plot and acting talents (who would bring a Rolls Royce to a gas station to be repaired, unless the mechanic looked like Tommy?), but for us guys, all Betsy Russell has to do is stand there and breathe. I liked the way women dressed during the 1980s, and the hairstyles are cute as well. The title song is catchy, and whoever stunt-doubled for Betsy Russell on the motorcycle knew what they were doing. I saw "Tomboy" the first time on HBO, so the price was right, but this low-budget movie grossed over $14 million. Not bad.

1st watched 9/1/2008 - (Dir-Herb Freed): Lame, girl taking on a guy role exploitation movie starring Betsy Russell as the mechanic, race-car driving Tommy in her normal b-movie wink-at-the-camera persona, where she gets to show her body every once in a while and feel good about her looks. But seriously, the core of the movie is about the little guy(or in this case girl) taking on the big guy conglomerate, I think. The small-time mechanic, Tommy, creates her own car and keeps a picture of her idol stock car driver, Randy Starr in her shop. Well, don't you know, she gets to meet him, have sex with him and challenge him to a race. Oops!! I guess I just told the whole story, except of course, who wins. I'll leave that up to you if you wish to view the movie past the sex scene. The movie is full of lame performances and proves to me that the perverted audience has a say in Hollywood. The movie got made and actually made some money despite it's lameness. If your idea of a good time at the movies is dumbing your senses and enjoying a little titillation then this movie is for you. Enjoy it!!

Ignore the feminist comment about a sexist plot and non-acting cast members. This movie was one of the best the 80's had to offer as far as wacky teen comedies and at age 15 I thought the excessive skin was right on. I don't think the acting was supposed to be good. It's just like all the other teen movies we love so much by the likes of John Hughes and Savage Steve Holland to name a couple. Yeah I knew it was cheesy but the cheese factor is was what made it so great! Really funny stuff. When I watch these movies I always see someone that is currently acting on a popular drama or in some of today's biggest hit movies and it's a blast to see them as pimply little teenagers. If you are between the ages of 30 and 40 and haven't yet seen this one, I suggest you check it out.