Dream Date

It's a tv movie so take it with a grain of salt. I thought I would just watch it because it has Clifton Davis starring in it and I loved him in "That's My Mama" and "Amen." Plus it put focus on the Jan Brady of the Cosby show, Tempest Bledsoe, aka Vanessa. Cliff as the helicopter parent is a bit over the top but then there'd be no movie if he just had a normal conversation with his daughter. This is a good movie if you want to see a lot of your favorites from AA sitcoms from the 80's & 90's. It also has Anne Marie Johnson from "What's Happening Now," Kadeem Hardison from "A Different World," Michelle Thomas from "Family Matters." It also has Pauly Shore and Richard Moll. The pervy neighbor's behavior would so get him cancelled in this day and age. I got some good laughs out of it so it was worth watching.

Not stating ripe-off as being bad, but for those who seen this will note that Michelle Thomas played Theo's girlfriend on the Cosby show, Tempestt Bledsoe was daughter Vanessa, and Kadeem Hardison played Lisa Bonets friend on a Different World. Not to take away from the movie which was great but seems that ever movie done in the late 80s took at least 2 to 3 actors from a show. Example as follows: Dance Till Dawn '1988' had Tempestt Bedsoe (Cosby), Alyssa Milano & Brian Bloom (Whos the boss),they both were in 'Crash Course' together, Tracey Gold & Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) and the list goes on. I am an 80's freak but looking back at some of these movies you have to wonder if they even put any effort into them or was these movies basic plugs for the actors. A push off away from their regular sitcom issues.

I had a feeling that this was a Made-for-TV movie, just judging by the opening credits in that TGIF kind of font. What we have here is a safe, amusing film about an overprotective dad who is so nervous about his 15 year-old daughter's first official date, that he follows her. Of course, you should expect unusual consequences given a plot like that. Something to make dad realize that he had totally overreacted.

Although the film is somewhat lackluster at points in both plot and humorous gags, it turns out to be an amusing little film. And one which oh-my-god the teenagers were not super-depressed or apathetic as many of today's teen productions are (i.e. the entire teen catalogue on the WB Network). Plus, an added bonus (and the reason I picked it up) is a small part by Pauley Shore as the clueless heavy metal kid at the school dance who thinks that his locker has been possessed by the Devil, whom he'll release, in exchange for turning the Vice Principal into a frog so he can dissect it in biology class. You also get to see Bull (from Nightcourt).

It's nothing more than a bit harmless fun and humor.