A classic that’s remembered for two different things - neither of which really pertains to me and my lifestyles, but I still remember watching it when younger. Is it a product of it’s time? Yeah. Is it the first of it’s kind? Also probably yes. Does it stand out in the ever-crowded cinema-scape ranging from yesteryear to today? I mean, who knows, but either way I’d call it Rad.

Rad is a movie about BMX - or at least close to it. It’s a movie of a small town to which a big corporate shindig is building and hosting the ultimate BMX track - the Helltrack. It’s gonna be a real cash generator for sure, but the corpo spits out a pitch to help further pull the locals on board - they’ll do some qualifying races so perhaps some of the home turf, non sponsored kids can have a chance to get in on the big event. Enter local kid Cru, he’s got the moves and the attitude, he just needs a push in the right direction. When the planets align and a little persuasion from the number one lady biker comes up though, he goes for broke and tries to get in - and then the complications start!

Acting here is fine. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad in most cases - but I feel like there are some pretty high bars these days to compare with, and although I find it good and fun, some might find it a little corny. There isn’t a whole lot of stand outs here that stick around with you forever - although I think the bar was more angled towards showcasing the stunts then it was elevating any of the actors to super stardom. Still, at most there’s one or two folks who do maybe just an “okay” job and have a line that could have been better than what it was, and the rest is fine to good if you ask me.

Characters provide plenty of moments for that small town feel. Locals cheering locals and adoring their little home town hero, the interplay between the main and his sister or mom, or even just between main trio friend group over the course of the movie. Again, it’s nothing that’s wicked mind blowing, but for a movie in the 80s it checks all the expected boxes and doesn’t make you hate it in the process. Admittedly, I did have some extra fun with it thanks to a documentary I recently watched (“Did you know that dude there was in a not-bike related olympics?”), but the worst you can say for the most part is they may be tad stereotypical at this point.

Where most folks would remember the movie the most is probably the folks who either enjoy that campy 80’s feel-good charm, or more likely the folks who were or are into the BMX scene in the first place. There was a lot of big names for the sport in here - including the one guy that could do a backflip, which at the time was pretty rare even though today as with most extreme sports people have gotten to such crazy things that it seems almost laughable that at the time it was impressive. It’s also not all just straight tricks by the masters either - there is some gnarly crashes in the flick as well, so people were certainly earning those paychecks this time around. Still, it adds to that authenticity and it serves as a bit of a demo reel of back in the day. That said, it’s not exactly unheard of to see some of the tricks - be it swapping an actor for an actual bike stunter, or throwing some plywood down atop a pile of lumber for the bike to be rode across.

Costumes are modern for the flick as is the setting. In turn, don’t except it to blow your mind (although some fashion choices in retrospect do stand out as pretty wild), but it all feels pretty natural and lived in to the movie. Language is pretty goofy at times, like the resident “ass-sliding” activity which really is just a water slide, and there’s some curses beyond that one in there. No violence in here, outside perhaps some emotional damage to corporate image through greed-mongering numerous attempts at cheating their way out of their own word, but as mentioned there are some actual wrecks in here. Those wrecks are actual wrecks to, so if you wonder why it looks real that’s probably the reason right there - but I’d also say it’s a good movie to sit in the vibe of instead of focusing on all the hard details. Heck, that’s probably why the bicycle boogie scene is so remembered - well that an it’s so wild and unexpected.

Audio is balanced well, although perhaps some stuff can be a little quiet here and there. Soundtrack, in a very much not typical state for me, is quite good and somewhat memorable. Heart of Thunder is actually on my regular-use playlist, so perhaps I may be a bit jaded in that respect but it’s still an upbeat set of songs to bop around to. The thinking folk will find the classic stuff to think about as they would in a lot of family movies - friendship, community, corporate greed and shadiness, morals, romance, and how it can be scary to be in control. Of them all, the weakest might be the romance, given it’s a little bit love at first site and a little bit impressed by drive - but at the same time it also shows a bit of rejection from mismatched interests and the likes before it gets to that part, so there’s still a bit to go into for the brain-loving folks I think.

Look, I’m not saying it’s the best movie ever, but it’s fun. It’s got that upbeat attitude and showcases something that at the time really wasn’t there - the BMX and all those sick trickers. It has charm and a bit of comedy and underdog adventure to it, but it’s also in turn reasonable for someone like me (an outsider to BMX that doesn’t hold any real interest in any sports) to find it goofy. For the person who has a passion that isn’t really a mainstream thing though, I feel like there’s a bit you could latch on to there. For fun there are worse movies you can pick, and it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome in the slightest, so maybe have a fun time and check it out.

@IMDB

Rad (1986)