Lovesusti
The Worst Film Ever
Freaktana
A Major Disappointment
ActuallyGlimmer
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Skyler
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
policy134
This is quite boring. When I first saw the trailer, I thought that this was in the same style as Animal House. True, there are some raunchy jokes but the plot shifts to a lesson on morals midway through and the laughs peter out. There are basically none in the second half.It's also funny to think about that this and The Breakfast Club is basically Judd Nelson's filmography. Maybe a few still remember his performance in New Jack City but up until Suddenly Susan what did he do that really sticks in your memory? Like all teen comedies, there has to be a slob. We get two here, one Palmer Woodrow and the Coach. Palmer Woodrow got on my nerves but luckily he is off screen for most of the second act. The Coach is great and Walter Olkewicz really was an interesting actor way back when. He did everything (Twin Peaks, The Client and comedies such as this).Gordon Jump basically repeated the character he got famous for on WKRP but he did it like it was all new to him. May he rest.Finally, the plot. Do you even care. Switched identities were hot at this point but for the life of me, I can't think of any movie that did it better than Trading Places. Oh, and Andrew Clay is in the movie too.
thedrumm
This is one fantastic movie. It is still funny 20 plus years later. It is a shame they never made Tourista, the sequel to Making the Grade. Sure it is a 80s movie with all of the usual 80s fare, but it is worth watching. There are funny things in the background throughout the movie as well as great lines that you barely hear.For any comedy to be great, it needs at least one character that stands out. Judd Nelson was not character. He was overshadowed by the real Palmer Woodrow III, Dana Olsen. This as well as the money problems at the corporate level are probably why Tourista wasn't made. With the additions of Gordon Jump from WKRP in Cincinnati and Andrew Dice Clay, this movie will make you laugh. The Dice man actually does a good job in this movie. I know, I was shocked as well. In realistic terms, it isn't the greatest comedy of all time. However, it is a personal favorite, and you should enjoy it too.It is now on DVD, so get out there and watch it. See it soon!
gavin_imdb
You have to take this movie for what it is and when it was released. The characters are likable and the dialogue doesn't try too hard to be funny; it just is.Granted, some of the appeal may be nostalgic at this point; it's hard to imagine how this looks to a first-time viewer today. OK, some parts are bound to be ridiculous; there is a break-dancing scene and accompanying music that are hopelessly dated... then again break-dancing does appear to be making a comeback.I'm not a huge Andrew Dice Clay fan, but this movie is where the "Diceman" character originated.The actor who plays Palmer Woodrow wrote the movie The Burbs, as it turns out.
Mister-6
SEE Judd Nelson break-dance! SEE Andrew "Dice" Clay before he got more famous and less funny! SEE what ALL '80s teen comedies were like, more or less!"Making the Grade". Let's see... basically, a loser student (Olsen) pays off another loser (Nelson) to pretend to be him so he can pass his classes and graduate (for some inheritance or something, I don't know - this is not one of those movies that celebrate the joys of higher learning).And, of course, all the hips trends of 1984 are there for you to drink in till you're positively drunk from all the flash, trash and splash of the Gimmie Decade. Not just the aforementioned break-dancing display, but also some of the tackiest clothes you've seen since your last garage sale, an almost ALL synthesizer sound track and a Brat Packer!
If you love the '80s, you gotta catch "Making the Grade". Not for the story, mind you...just for "the experience".Five stars. "Making the Grade" - barely passing, needs work on its social skills, recommend less time around the Diceman.
