I love this film and feel it is an underrated classic. Although I am a 90s kid, I am very fond of the movies of the 80s, Amadeus, Clue, Back to the Future, Indianna Jones, Beetle Juice, ET, Annie, Secret of NIMH, NeverEnding Story, Stand By Me, Legend, Princess Bride and Who Framed Roger Rabbit to name a few. D.A.R.Y.L has very nice cinematography, colourful sets and costumes without being too fancy and good special effects, while the soundtrack is cool. I liked the script too, it was funny and heart-warming and the story was engaging and poignant as well as briskly paced. The direction I had no problem with either, while the acting is fine especially with Barrett Oliver who is simply wonderful in the lead. Overall, I think D.A.R.Y.L is a classic, and one of the most underrated films of the 80s if not ever. 10/10 Bethany Cox

For me, there is simply nothing not to like about this film. It is well scripted, the parts fit together seamlessly and logically, and everything is justly proportioned--that is, everything's in good balance.And the best part of it is that the acting is never overdone. The main characters are really human and believable, and Barret Oliver's acting is totally natural and spontaneous.So even though one has to suspend disbelief in the science fiction impossibility of the story (a mere machine could never actually become a human brain), it's really worth doing so, just for the fun of it. Just accept the basic premise of the plot for the sake of the story, and then relax and enjoy a heart-warming display of what are real human values in a world where these are sometimes sadly lacking, and a thought-provoking consideration of what it means to be 'a real person.'

As with each decade movies from the 1980s have a very unique style that cannot be fully described in words but to those individuals who grew up in the era it is unmistakable. A true 1980s film is one that evokes hope, that any dream can truly be achieved, that good will always triumph over evil and that feel good cheesy music, colourful baggy shirts and inappropriate sunglasses will put a smile on your face. Whilst the most memorable 1980s pictures focus on comedy, romance and success (e.g. Ghostbusters, Mannequin, Wall Street etc) there are outliers that go in a different direction but still retain the basic heart of this era: the feel good factor. DARYL tells the story of a seemingly abandoned child who is adjusting to a new life with foster parents, the story takes a twist however when it is revealed that he is really an experiment in artificial intelligence. The target audience is primarily kids and family and such spectators are rewarded with all the necessary ingredients that this movie should have. It successfully touches upon the aspects of life that boys would see as fun when growing up and through DARYL the audience can fantasise about driving in high speed car chases, flying planes, being a star sportsman, video games player and being super smart. What more could a kid want in life? The movie remains engrossing throughout despite a slow pace as a result of a very strong performance by the lead character. DARYL is a thoughtful, touching, interesting and entertaining movie that despite being more than 20 years does not really feel dated (the true sign of any classic). For those who grew up in the 1980s movies like DARYL will always have special meaning as they represent an innocence and hope that sadly most of us lose as we grow older and cynicism kicks in. As a standalone sci fi family film DARYL takes itself seriously whilst knowing how to have fun, is thought provoking and delivers an evening of entertaining escapism for the entire family. After more than 20 years there are few family films being released today that can make the same claim.

Yes, my name is Daryl. When my brothers first saw this movie, my mother was still pregnant with me. At first they wanted to name me Turtle, after the lovable best-friend, brother to a so-called "hooker", but after a stern, "No!", they decided that Daryl would have to do. I get plenty of comments like "Hey where's your other brother Daryl? *idiotic laugh*", due to the famous Bob Newhart show. But I have yet to receive a "Hey, why don't you work your magic on my ATM account?" or "Where's your jet?" I may have a biased opinion, but I think this movie is pretty good. The plot was nice, and I think the kid playing Daryl, Barret Oliver, was a really good actor, considering his age.Sincerely, D.A.R.Y.L.