Whether or not if you view this as a corny teenage 80's movie. There is no denying the Michael J Fox was perfect to play Scott, with his uneasy on screen antics Michael was a perfect choice for the film. Enough back story to not leave us with unanswered questions and very few slow scenes. Teen Wolf will always be a movie I stop to check out if none of the classics are on.

This film holds a special place in my heart. This is a movie about triumph in the face of typical kid problems. Those problems are amplified in the form of sudden superpowers and how he and others deal with it. It's a pretty straightforward formula with some (sometimes funny) comedy bits thrown in. Oh, and of course, the girl next door vs. the popular pretty girl dilemma.Acting is mediocre. The script is not all that great. What it lacks in technical and art execution is made up in heart.I come back to this film when I want nostalgia for my childhood. It reminds me of my own struggles as a child, and I could relate to those issues. Naturally, like everybody, I want superpowers to solve my problems, but the movie reminds the audience why that is folly.

In the same year that Fox became a superstar going back to the future he also had this little werewolf gem creep out. The title says its all really in its brilliant cheesy way, a typical 80's film title. Young teen Fox slowly discovers that he is in fact a werewolf and its been in the family for generations. In all honesty this is your very standard cheeky 80's high school romp which was the staple diet of many classic comedians throughout the 70's and 80's. The twist in this of course is the supernatural element which is simply a play on the effects of puberty, swapping spots for claws. Its all here as you would expect, the sexy blonde everybody lusts after, the plain brunette our hero never notices, the party obsessed crazy ass best friend, the quiet sensible best friend, the bully, the fat kid, the token black guy (lemonade...awesome character name) and various amusing stereotypical teachers. The best easily being the carefree gum chewing basketball coach.So if you put the predictable teen antics to one side what are the wolf antics like? Well its pretty darn sweet as a matter of fact, and what's more amazing is the makeup effects on show are really quite good. The little sequence of Fox turning into the wolf has clearly been influenced by 'An American Werewolf in London' and its a really well done moment. Its not scary or gruesome in any of course but it still does look quite realistic utilising simple effects and quick editing. His father in wolf mode doesn't look quite as good admittedly, more like a greying woodland animal with puffed up hair.There isn't all that much wolf action so to speak, its mostly more silly high school antics but in wolf mode. Wolf mode gives our hero greater strength, better vision, brains etc...the guy becomes a super werewolf and aces everything in school whilst becoming a ladykiller (not literately). The main events of the film are based around the high school basketball games in which Fox's character usually sucks but naturally as a werewolf he's turned the game on its head. This film actually got me into basketball for a time, it introduced me to the game, because of this I bought NBA Jam hehe. The game segments are really good fun and as the film climaxes it does get a little emotional I can't deny. The game montage accompanied by Mark Safan's 'Win in the End' is glorious mainly down to that corking track. Funny how the underneath of Fox's arms didn't have any werewolf hair applied, always obvious when he raises his arms. I think people can relate to this film in many ways, certain characters despite them being cliché, the problems of popularity, loneliness, bullying, sexuality etc...usual teen stuff. In all fairness this film doesn't really differ much from the vast array of fast food American high school flicks out there, the werewolf angle is only a different representation of teen angst. It shouldn't really be a good film but somehow it is, what you see isn't original and there aren't any dazzling special effects, its more a character/school based fantasy which is simply a good fun little ride. Attractive performances all round especially from Levine as Stiles and a wicked soundtrack make this a solid cult gem.8.5/10

This was one of those movies that I remember watching a few times back when I was a kid and back when Michael J Fox was still acting and I must say it is one of those eighties movies that I still have a fondness for, even though now I would probably not watch it again because despite all of the fondness that I have for the film, there is nothing really all that much about it that makes it stand out all that much. It's not as if it is The Terminator with a classic Arnold Schwartzenegger one liner, or any number of other classic eighties movies that I remember with fondness because, well, there isn't all that much about it that would make it a classic.Basically it is about a boy in highschool who suddenly discovers that he is a werewolf, and that it is something that runs in the family. After the initial shock, he suddenly becomes really popular, and is able to take on an opposing basketball team all by himself. In fact at the beginning of the film it is very clear that the schools basketball team basically blows, and it is not until one game when he finds himself at the bottom of a stacks on that he becomes the wolf, and then goes on to win the game – single handedly.Some have suggested that this is a subtle exploration of the nature of High School in your average American town (or suburb, or what not – it is not really made all that clear, but you could suggest that this could occur in any high school in any part of America – except for the fact that werewolves are creatures of myths and legend). Some have also suggested that it is about how, unless we are sporting heroes, or there is something important about us, that we are damned to spend our lives in obscurity. Yeah, I can see that in this film, and I can also see it as some form of subtle criticism of the American way of life (not that there is much that you can criticise), and that one is defined based not only upon how many people know who you are, but also how many people like and look up to you.It could also be considered some form of morality tale, in that we don't need magical powers to be able to win, all we need to do is to work as a team and believe in ourselves. Well, that is all well and good, but it suggests that by doing that then we can go from being a basketball team that blows to a basketball team that can win a championship – the problem is that it never actually works out that way. Still, this is a Hollywood movie, and in the end, the hero gets the girl – the right girl, not the snivelling bitch that leads you on because you are a famous person, and she can only define herself based upon what that famous person thinks of her, and that they win the basketball game, and the evil vice-principle (it is always the vice-principle that is evil, isn't it) is put into his place, and then the movie ends. I guess that suggests that everything is sorted and everybody lives happily ever after – until the make a sequel, that is.