Rating: 
Summary: Sixteen Candles 20 Years On
Review: Sixteen Candles takes place basically over the course of one day when a family forgets the sweet sixteenth birthday of one daughter amid the preparations for the oldest daughter's wedding. The sixteen year old is played by the 80's teen queen Molly Ringwald. It was the movie that helped her gain that title and is the best of her career. She plays the role of Samantha Baker with ease and charm. We feel all her range of emotions from the hurt of being forgotten to the longing she feels for a boy, Jake Ryan, who she has a major crush on but doesn't think he knows that she's alive. Little does Samantha know that Jake wants to meet her and the movie goes through a series of near misses between the two. Anthony Michael Hall plays "The Geek" who is constantly hitting on Samantha. He acts like he is a man of the world, but really is full of hot air. Mr. Hall is extremely funny and the scenes where he gives Jake advice on women and eventually drives the prom queen home in Jake's father's Roll Royce are priceless. Both sets of Samantha's grandparents are funny, one set are the worriers and the other the carefree sort. Gedde Wannabe is funny as an exchange student who comes with one of the grandparents. He does take the Asian stereotypes to the max but he comes across with a nice degree of charm. John and Joan Cusack show up in bit parts and the movie has a great soundtrack. The Thompson Twins' "Wish You Were Here" perfectly frames the ending scene where Jake and Samantha finally hook up. Sixteen Candles was the directorial debut of John Hughes and set the stage for the Brat Pack movies that would be the dominant teen movies of the 80's. Unlike his other movies like The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink or Some Kind Of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles isn't full of teen angst, self-examination and skepticism that the others are. It is a charming look at the life of a teenager that seems to actually be real. The new version restores the original soundtrack and improves the sound somewhat, but compared with most digitally remastered dvd's, this one isn't quite up to par. It is definately an improvement over the original dvd version and since the first one has long been out of print, it is worthwhile just to have it back in circulation.
Rating:
Summary: Great 80's Teen Flick
Review: Sixteen Candles takes place basically over the course of one day when a family forgets the sweet sixteenth birthday of a girl amid the preparations for the oldest daughter's wedding. The sixteen year old is played by the 80's teen queen Molly Ringwald. It was the movie that helped her gain that title and is the best of her career. She plays the role of Samantha Baker with ease and charm. We feel all her range of emotions from the hurt of being forgotten to the longing she feels for a boy, Jake Ryan, who she has a major crush on but doesn't think he knows that she's alive. Little does Samantha know that Jake wants to meet her and the movie goes through a series of near misses between the two. Anthony Michael Hall plays "The Geek" who is constantly hitting on Samantha. He acts like he is a man of the world, but really is full of hot air. Mr. Hall is extremely funny and the scene where he gives Jake advice on women and eventually drives the prom queen home in Jake's father's Roll Royce are priceless. Both sets of Samantha's grandparents are funny, one set are the worriers and the other the carefree sort. Gedde Wannabe is funny as an exchange student who comes with one of the grandparents. He does take the Asian stereotypes to the max but he comes across with a nice degree of charm. John and Joan Cusack show up in bit parts and the movie has a great soundtrack. The Thompson Twins' "Wish You Were Here" perfectly frames the ending scene where Jake and Samantha finally hook up. Sixteen Candles was the directorial debut of John Hughes and set the stage for the Brat Pack movies that would be the dominant teen movies of the 80's. Unlike his other movies like The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink or Some Kind Of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles isn't full of teen angst, self-examination and skepticism that the others are. It is a charming look at the life of a teenager that seems to be the most real.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Sixteen
Review: John Hughes directorial debut, "Sixteen Candles" is a real treat. The cast of young actors are very genuine and the story line is very good. The movie revolves around Samantha Baker(Molly Ringwald), whose sixteenth birthday is forgotten in the hectic day before her big sister's wedding. In a funny scene, Samantha is talking on the phone to her best friend, complaining how she has to go down stairs & endure the family making a big fuss over her birthday. When she gets downstairs, not a word about her birthday, mom even forgot to make her lunch. The look of utter suprise on Sammy's face is priceless, and Ringwald has that cute kewpie doll face that really makes the expression work.
The other issues in the movie, growing up, falling love, interacting with family & friends are very real. One of Hughe's greatest strengths as a filmmaker is the keen ear he has for teen dialogue. His characters act & speak like REAL teenagers, not some hollywood producers conception of teenagers.
I especially liked Paul Dooley as Sammy's father, he was affectionate without being sappy, and their scene in the living room is warm and engaging.
The happy ending is wonderful.
If you like well made movies that capture the teenage years and the 1980's, check out "Sixteen Candles".
Rating:
Summary: "No, Sam. You're Just Being a Little Selfish and Immature."
Review: If you grew up in the 1980s, and you haven't seen this movie, I don't know what to tell ya. It's as much a staple of 1980s culture as "Thriller," ColecoVision, and Saturday evening runs of "Solid Gold." In fact, "Sixteen Candles" and its influence are so ingrained in American pop culture, every other adult in their mid-thirties is able to recite the script in their sleep. For the uninitiated, former Brat Packer Molly Ringwald is Samantha Baker, a suburbanite whose parents blow off her sixteenth birthday because they're too preoccupied with her older sister's wedding, which takes place the next day. High school crushes are as inevitable as acne, and Samantha has the hots for the hunky jock Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), who is already attached to prima donna prom queen Carolyn (Haviland Morris). While Samantha works up the nerve to approach Jake, she's trying to ward off the Geek (a star-making performance by Anthony Michael Hall) and his unwanted advances. All the while this is happening, Samantha is completely bummed that her parents forgot her birthday. I mean, a kid's sixteenth birthday is pretty major, so her frustration and angst are pretty understandable. But no matter how well you summarize this already-familiar plot, you can't deny the fact that "Sixteen Candles" has some of the best one-liners you will find in any film. The humor is plumb-dumb silly but a whole lot of fun thanks to director John Hughes. However, if "Sixteen Candles" has revealed its age in any way, it's through its subplot with foreign exchange student Long Duck Dong (Geede Wantanabe). The ethnic jokes border on tasteless, but it's hard not to laugh out loud at Dong's attempt to assimilate into American culture. While "Sixteen Candles" isn't a "classic" as we understand the term, it's a revered favorite that still generates chuckles from me. I'm just disappointed that the film features music and a soundtrack that's different from the original version. What's more, the DVD looks like a bare-bones effort with virtually no features and it has lackluster sound. However, "Sixteen Candles" still earns its five star rating for it's such a sentimental favorite for many viewers.
Rating: 
Summary: Still pretty good
Review: This movie has some politically-incorrect jokes based on nationalities and sexual preference - but I'm not politically correct and don't care.Molly's character Samantha turns 16 and her family does not remember it because they are busy with her sister's impending wedding. The sister gets zonked on Midol or equivalent before and during the wedding. Anthony Michael Hall is perhaps the funniest character, and because he is basically the same in all his films, this was probably his best role. A few notable small parts for John and Joan Cusak, and Jamie Gertz. Apparently an earlier DVD release had music, sound and picture-quality issues, but this one boasts having the original music mix, and sounded and looked fine. Odd thing is that Amazon has it rated as "R", while the cover and opening of the movie have it as "PG". There is a fair amount of four-letter words, body-part references, and a bit of shower nudity. No extras to speak of, so you are buying it for the movie only.
Rating:
Summary: A Rememberable Teen Flick.
Review: This is definately the rebound film. It is hard to live up to a movie like The Breakfast Club. This film is your average, average, teen movie. It does boost some new things to the screen, but it is mostly predictable, however, it is enjoyable. It has enough great moments to outweigh the cheesy parts, which makes it good in my book. If you are in the mood for a "no surprise" movie, this is the film for you. I reccomend it.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Sixteen
Review: John Hughes directorial debut, "Sixteen Candles" is a real treat. The cast of young actors are very genuine and the story line is very good. The movie revolves around Samantha Baker(Molly Ringwald), whose sixteenth birthday is forgotten in the hectic day before her big sister's wedding. In a funny scene, Samantha is talking on the phone to her best friend, complaining how she has to go down stairs & endure the family making a big fuss over her birthday. When she gets downstairs, not a word about her birthday, mom even forgot to make her lunch. The look of utter suprise on Sammy's face is priceless, and Ringwald has that cute kewpie doll face that really makes the expression work.
The other issues in the movie, growing up, falling love, interacting with family & friends are very real. One of Hughe's greatest strengths as a filmmaker is the keen ear he has for teen dialogue. His characters act & speak like REAL teenagers, not some hollywood producers conception of teenagers.
I especially liked Paul Dooley as Sammy's father, he was affectionate without being sappy, and their scene in the living room is warm and engaging.
The happy ending is wonderful.
If you like well made movies that capture the teenage years and the 1980's, check out "Sixteen Candles".
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, disappointing DVD....
Review: This wonderful comedy is as much a slice of the 1980s as "Saturday Night Fever" is of the 1970s. It is still laugh-out-loud funny, especially for those of us who lived through that time period. Unfortunately, the DVD offers no special features that could really enhance the experience. A scene selection menu is hardly worth it! What about some of the music videos from the soundtrack or a commentary track from someone involved in the production? What a waste! Plus, there is also an inescapable commercial stuck on to the beginning, which stinks!
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing DVD version of Funny Flick
Review: After countless viewings, this John Hughes modern classic is still laugh-out-loud hilarious. It's also a great time capsule for the styles of the 1980s. Unfortunately, the producers of the DVD version didn't capitalize on any of that and the almost non-existent Special Features are a serious disappointment. At least you will enjoy seeing the movie uncut!
Rating:
Summary: Sixteen Candles
Review: From the first time I ever saw this movie it became my all time favorite movie!! It captures teen highschool life so perfect!! It's the best teen 80's movie!! If you're an 80's fan this is the movie for you!! I would recommend this movie to anyone who like the highschool movies!!
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