HOT: Volunteers

This was a pretty important film for Tom Hanks, not particularly on the film standpoint, but the fact that he co-starred with his eventual wife, Rita Wilson.

Anyway, the second film in a row where Hanks teams up with John Candy.

In Volunteers Hanks stars as Lawrence Whatley Bourne III, who is just graduating college and has rung up a pretty substantial gambling debt. After trying desperately to get his father to pay off his debt, Bourne bribes his college roommate into switching places and letting him join the Peace Corps.

Bourne, after his father pulls strings to keep him there - despite his pleads to leave, is paired with Tom Tuttle (Candy) and Beth Wexler (Wilson) to help build a bridge in Southeast Asia.

Wexler, after the finding the truth about Bourne, cannot stand him - and how easy he has connected with the natives. But after some coaxing and a little help from At Toon (Gedde Watanabe), an English speaking native, he manages to get her to fall for him.

Tuttle, meanwhile, gets lost in the woods and is brainwashed by a local Communist force to finish the bridge. Bourne also makes a deal with a local Opium drug lord to finish the bridge to make it easier for them to transport their drugs.

Once they realize that the locals just may be better off without this bridge it might be too late.

Again, I watched this film a lot when I was younger so it has some sentimental value - and after re-watching it I still enjoyed it, but not as much as I probably did before.

For one, I was not a huge fan of the snobby Hanks' accent, but I got past it. Also, three major villains and not one of them was that villainous.

Grade:

46/50: Sixteen Candles

What a difference.

I was so hoping that Sixteen Candles wouldn't be another Pretty in Pink. Honestly, I enjoy the Breakfast Club and Weird Science, but I just could net get into Pretty in Pink.

Sixteen Candles just had so much more going for it, and I really came away enjoying it.

Again, we have a young lady, Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald), who is jonesing on one of the most popular boys at school, Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling). It also just so happens to be her sixteenth birthday - and her sister is getting married the next day.

Oh, and because of all the commotion at her house for her sister's wedding - her entire family, including those visiting for the wedding - have forgotten her birthday.

Meanwhile, Jake has noticed that Samantha stares at him, and well he actually starts to 'notice' her.

Then there's The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall), who has a huge crush on Samantha, and is trying desperately to get laid and impress his friends. The Geek is able to talk to Samantha, and this gets him to be friends with Jake as he tries to find out more about her.

Finally, we get the very odd and not entirely need - but very glad he was - Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe). An exchange student who is staying with Samantha's grandparents, and comes for the wedding. He heads to a dance with Samantha, finds a lady and gets totally plastered at a party - he was hilarious.

And really, that is what made all of the difference comparing this movie with Pretty in Pink. The latter film was just far too serious for my taste. It as lacking the comedy that The Geek and Long Duk Dong provided so well in this film.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this film was the way the romance developed. Samantha and Jake are the whole point of the film, but they aren't even together at all through most of it. Sure, we get that kiss at the birthday cake, but (SPOILER ALERT) that was their only real interaction throughout the entire film (SPOILER OVER). And, I loved it.

This probably ranks around the sames as Weird Science for me in the John Hughes' films. Breakfast Club is still the king of the pack for me - that film was able to mix the comedy and the drama so well, it has to be at the top.

Grade: