Back to the Beach (1987)

Really Surprised!

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Back to the Beach (1987) Masked Criticisms ReviewHunterSo the premise is simple, we watch a film at random, sometimes it's good… mostly it's not, this is Masked Criticisms.EisensteinI think from the title alone one can tell which of the two basic categories this film belongs to. Hunter If you mean it was poop, then yeah it was poop.EisensteinNow let's not be too hasty. Back to the Beach is a comedy film from the 1980's that spoofs surfer pictures from the 60's. It follows two old film stars that return to the seaside to relive their glory days and embarrass their hip kids. This film is part of a series, but honestly I had no idea until just now when I looked it up on IMDb.HunterYou wouldn't need to see the others to understand what the hell was going on. It was so random and unpredictable and yet cliché at the same time. I guessed the ending ten minutes into the film, however I would never have imagined Pee Wee Herman to come out of nowhere to sing surfing bird then literally fly away, but that mind fart certainly happened.EisensteinThis whole film had a lot of set ups for cameos but I guess we're too young to recognize any of them. Except, that is, for OJ Simpson. Not the film makers fault, I mean they couldn't have guessed he'd kill his wife, but it did really date this film. Along with a whole pile of other 80's clichés; skateboards, waist high thongs, surfing, bad hairstyles…Hunter…cocaine…EisensteinThere was no drugs in this film.HunterI meant the director.EisensteinThat would explain the lack of choreography.HunterOh yeah, I kind of forgot it was a musical, I suppose that's a good thing though, I can't stand musicals.EisensteinYou liked Frozen…HunterAnother thing I have to give this film credit for is that everyone in it is fit, not the main family, granted, but everyone else is attractive, sadly no chubby chicks though.EisensteinMy main problem with the characters is that they were all wannabes. The punks who were supposed to be intimidating looked like pantomime Sex Pistols.Hunter… and since it's on a beach the girls are in thongs. I'm not usually a fan of those really long 80's thongs but some of those chicks, man. EisensteinYes well, anyways, what it all comes down to is an out dated film laughing at even more out dated films, unfortunately it really doesn't hold up as I can't tell what's an 80's cliché is and what's a 60's farce.HunterI was thinking of giving this film a 6 out of 10 just for the babes alone, but Eisenstein here says I have to rate the entire movie as a whole so I'm gonna have to say 3 out of 10. It's not so much a beach party, more of a tsunami of poop.EisensteinWhat a poetic analogy to end on. 4 out of 10.

In the early to mid 60's Annette and Frankie were in what I used to think as dumb beach movies. But as I've gotten older their really quite funny and entertaining. The music was good and boy Annette and Frankie could sure sing. Their really wasn't much of a plot to these movies just hanging out at the beach with the girls in bikinis of course Annette was in her one piece, and the guys and their surfboards. Back to the Beach follows this rule and even carries on the music side of it too. I personally fell head over heels (again) for the 45 year old Annette when I saw her in this. I was very upset when I found out she had her first public symptoms of MS during filming of this movie. But this is a good last tribute to the queen of the 60's beach movies. It's not the best movie it's silly it does have a plot though, and it is watchable but I still give it only a six because the kid that plays Annette and Frankie's son in this movie is so annoying that I wanted to strangle him. Lori Loughlin(of full house fame) is cast as their daughter and she does a fine job but it still doesn't overshadow the annoying son. Pee Wee Herman a.k.a. Paul Reubens makes a brief appearance in this as a singer singing us "The Bird"

I have a friend (to keep his name confidential, let's just call him Nor) who swears up and down on the merits of 1987's beach blanket bimbo film Back to the Beach staring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. In a recent communication, Nor commented on how this film always made him `feel good', and how many films can `honestly make that claim?'Now, when Back to the Beach first came to our local theatre some 17 years ago, I remember accompanying my little sister to the mall venue and having a fluff of a good time. I couldn't recall for you any of the characters or storyline if confronted on the street today, but as I roll my eyes upwards to try and recall this sand castle of a movie, I am not left with any resounding bad notions.Well, flip forward to 2004 and Paramount Studio's is finally releasing Back to the Beach on DVD to what I can only expect was little pressure (sorry, Nor). I doubt there was a lengthy petition nor do I expect that there was a rampage outside the Studio gates looking to free this film from its dust ridden resting place. However, now that its back, what better way to start off the summer than putting this small gem into the DVD player and being reminded of a simpler, more innocent time. Playing on Saturday afternoon television every so often, you may not require a detailed review of the films storyline, but here goes…Frankie and Annette have grown from their beach personas and are now living in Ohio. They return to L.A. to visit their daughter who to their surprise, is living with her boyfriend. To further add stress and tension, Frankie bumps into Connie (an old friend) who still has the hots for him and soon Frankie and Annette's marriage is on the rocks. All comes to a head when a group of thugs teams up with Frankie and Annette's rebellious son and challenge the father (known only to us in the film as the Big Kahuna), to a surfing contest. Back to the Beach's script could probably been written on a post-it note, but that doesn't mean we are not going to have some fun along the way. Interweaved through all the 80's fashion crazes are old television stars and even a 60's type musical number on the beach that if you don't watch out, will have you tapping your feet to the Jamaica SKA. Blink and you might miss Bob Denver and the late Alan Hale (Gilligan and the Skipper for you younger folk), Pee Wee Herman, Don Adams (Get Smart), Barbara Billingsly, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver). Even Stevie Ray Vaughn and O.J. Simpson can be seen if you don't take washroom breaks. Now, I will be the first to admit that throwing a bunch of stars into a movie doesn't necessarily make for a good time, but the fact that none of these accredited actors take themselves seriously, means that the audience too can sit back and enjoy the performance. When Bob Denver continues to play up his Gilligan character he made famous, it takes us back even further to childhood memories of sitting in front of the 13 inch black and white television rooting for the castaways to eventually find their way off the island.Back to the Beach is not for all tastes and that was evident even back in '87 when the movie only grossed $13 million (granted, it was released on the same date as Dirty Dancing so it sort of slipped into the background). The humor is definitely roll-your-eyeish and the corny surfing scene in the climax kind of left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Most younger viewers won't get the inside jokes either like when Annette goes to the cupboard and pulls out a jar of SKIPPY peanut butter (she was their commercial spokesperson back in the early 80's) and that might take away from some of the films appeal.However, for a fun time in the vein of Saturday Night Live where each scene sets itself up as a skit – some work, some don't – it's not a bad way to say ‘hello' to the summer. Or should I say `aloha'? www.gregsrants.com

This a movie that should be taken tongue and cheek, And just enjoyed for the fun it represents and the cameos of all the baby boomer stars. the songs are fun the story is a little silly but its fun to go back and realize how silly things were when we we younger,But I must say that I tottaly enjoyed frankie and annette as well as all the other stars of the flic, I heard a rumor that there was suppose to be a sequal however thats when unfortunatly annette was stricken with M.S. and so that was that ...so follow former mouseketeers and all others get this fun movie when it finnally arives on DVD this summer and enjoy it as I will