I have always enjoyed watching this movie. The movie features a few actors that are still working today. This movie also feature before the "big hair days and makeup" of the rock band Vixen, who would later score some minor hits during the mid to late 80's Glam Hard Rock era.

Back in the 60's, the Beach movie was a popular genre in the fluff-type of film that was prevalent then, but Frankie and Annette were not the ideal types that looked good in bathing suits (Linda Evans was, though). In the mid-90's, we finally had hunks and babes, but by then, drive-ins were out and these films could only be seen on VHS tape or DVD and a lot of them were awful. In the early to mid 80's we had some knockouts in the female department, but the guys were wiry and geeky. However, with Hardbodies, that all changed, because the lead (Grant Cramer)was a handsome man with charisma, and it ushered equality for both sexes.Cramer plays Scotty, a typical L.A. drifter with no job, but probably gets by somehow. He has a steady girlfriend named Kristi (the lovely Teal Roberts) but lives in a dumpy apartment that he's way past due on rent. He also has a goofy looking friend named Rags (Courtney Gains) who hangs out with them. The story involves three middle-aged men who come to L.A. to have "philosophical discussions" with the babes of L.A., but they don't know how to approach them. They spot Scotty using his techniques (dialoguing and BBD) on various women and they soon ask him for his help. He refuses their offer of room and board at their swank beach house, but after getting evicted and sleeping under the boardwalk, he agrees to teach them his techniques.Of course, what prevails afterwards are the typical: beach parties that last until dawn, music, the usual double-crosses, and the eventual plot resolution. Still, it's great fun. The acting is O.K., some are fine, others are gawd-awful. The music is cool (Vixen is in it). The ambiance is fun and the dialogue is fresh. Worth renting on VHS; I doubt it's on DVD, but avoid the sequel; it's a bore.

It is rare when a writer seems to flawlessly catch the rhythm of a local "dialect" of english and the writer of "HardBodies" did a fantastic job of capturing the beach/surfer/valley "lingo" in this film. Not only this, but the movie had a highly original plot, great characterizations, a minimum of stereo types and many memorable phrases. The story revolves around three older divorcee males who come to the beaches of California looking for some fast action with the local bubble headed beach babes. Their ineptness at catching any action leads them to hire a down on his luck beach bum to teach them that the girls were even more bubble headed than they originally thought!(No person ever stayed a virgin underestimating the IQ of a bikini wahine). The tides are turned on the bum when the newly enlightened lotharios use their talents on his own girl friend. There are some amusing sidelines concerning body building females, hence the title, girl rock bands, and some inept younger dorks with the same intentions as our divorcees. Of course more than your average number of buxom females turn up topless on the wayside. Altogether this is a classic of the beach movie genre.

Hey, at least this movie is what it is! A t & a classic. And, what a concept: 3 older bachelors hire a younger guy to party with them and train them on how to pick up younger women? C'mon, that's a beautiful script. Genius! All guys should rent it, especially to see the characters come clean in the end... Moral to the story: it is more important to just be yourself.