Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Just One of the Guys Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 3, 2020

Just One of the Guys may not be first on the tip of the tongue when it's time to rattle off a list of the best high school films from the 1980s, but it is certainly one of the more enjoyable. Directed by Lisa Gottlieb (Cadillac Ranch), the film captures that quintessential decade spirit in its look, its style, and its story, exploring the literal and figurative battle of the sexes on that ever-evolving battleground within the hallowed halls of high school. The twist is a gender-bending lead who finds herself in a world of jocks, fueled by testosterone, and dedicated to proving that gender inequality is alive and well in her time. The film is hardly a classic nor a breath of fresh air but it's nevertheless a lot of fun in the moment, carried by a spirited lead and a zippy cadence that help mask the inherent flaws, including unoriginality and a failure to push emotional boundaries. But as a breezy time killer it's a fairly satisfying watch.

High schooler Terri Griffith (Joyce Hyser) is an aspiring journalist and an A-student with dreams of making her living with her brains rather than her beauty. She's a good student but when her submitted article isn’t chosen as a finalist for a prized internship at the Sun-Tribune, she believes it’s her sex, not her story, that’s holding her back. Eager to prove herself capable of playing with the boys, she cuts her hair, wears her brother’s underwear, stuffs a sock down her pants, and, with her parents out of town, takes on the identity of a new boy named "Terry" at a nearby school, sure that short hair and a macho walk will win her the coveted internship. But she discovers a whole new world of life in a jock strap as she navigates a man’s world and sets out to prove that, in her present world, it’s what’s between the legs, not between the ears, that matters to those in positions of authority.

The story ultimately pushes Terri to not simply exist in a man's world but to find herself in her own. Through all of the humorous asides in locker rooms and all of the clumsy encounters with members of the "opposite" sex, her story boils down to the intimate exploration of self that is achieved by taking the time to see the world, and her place in it, from a different perspective. Her journey takes all of the expected avenues, none of them particularly bold in terms of narrative construction. Where she and the film end is not particularly surprising in the aggregate, though some of the details do play with more realistic resolutions and repercussions rather than something more manufactured to satisfy some storytelling demand. The film's essential character beats rightly overtake the humorous one-offs that give the movie rhythm but not heart. It's well balanced in that regard, always finding a proper tonality in the moment and within the larger structure.

Joyce Hyser melts into character(s) with capable cadence, capturing the spirit of a female struggling to break through her gender's "limits" while finding balance in her transformation, carrying both the sensitive and slapstick elements with equal attention to detail. She absorbs the character on both ends and works that middle ground quite nicely, maintaining her essence as a female while operating externally as a male, at least as best she can. Hyser rolls with the laughs and digs deep to uncover the true character beats within, which ultimately proves much more important to the story than the physical externalities. She's helped by several good performances, including Billy Jacoby as her hormonal brother Buddy, Clayton Rohner as her (his) friend Rick who is none the wiser about the truth of who Terry truly is, and William Zabka essentially reprising his role from The Karate Kid as the self-centered school bully.

Just One of the Guys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's pressed MOD (Manufactured on Demand) Blu-ray release of Just One of the Guys delivers a fairly good viewing experience if not one that shows some trouble spots at various points. This is a fair image in the aggregate, generally film-like but showing some digital processing upon closer inspection. Grain is sometimes -- oftentimes -- flattering and efficient but there are times when it's obviously less organic than ideal, swarming with mild artifacts that seem to break down rather than build up the picture quality. Look at the background on the walls in the six-minute mark. It's not grainy, it's noisy and clumpy, processed and imperfect. But for the most part, the picture holds relatively steady and pleasing to the eye, certainly approaching best-case scenario for a relatively low budget and aging film released to Blu-ray without much in the way of fanfare or technical bells and whistles. Core details are just fine, with period attire showcasing honest intricacy and faces enjoying flattering definition throughout. Environments are sharp, ranging from cluttered teenage bedrooms to high school classrooms, from school parking lots to make-out caves. Colors are the technical high point. There's plenty of pop and positive saturation to the myriad of tones seen on period clothes, all of which jump off the screen with impressive intensity. There's little color bleed, too, a plus particularly when looking at some of the more punchy, dominant reds. Black levels and skin tones are generally fine. The print is relatively clean to boot. There's some room for improvement, but honestly it would be unfair to expect a whole lot more. Take away some of the more garish examples of processing, which aren't too destructive to most of the image anyway, and this would rate very highly on the lower-end catalogue release scale.

Just One of the Guys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Just One of the Guys arrives on Blu-ray with a perfectly proficient DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The film is dialogue heavy and while there are few moments that sound a little hollow (a dialogue scene between Terry and Rick at the 56-minute mark) the spoken word generally flows with perfectly acceptable definition and center-position imaging. Music enjoys good spread along the front and essential detail throughout the track. Light atmospherics around school -- background chatter, cafeteria din, clanking lockers -- are well integrated and nicely detailed as well. There's nothing particularly memorable here but everything works well enough in context.

Just One of the Guys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's Blu-ray release of Just One of the Guys contains an audio commentary track and a trailer. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Co-Writer/Co-Producer/Director Lisa Gottlieb and Actors Joyce Hyser, Clayton Rohner, Toni Hudson, Arye Gross, and John Apicella bring plenty of voices to the proceedings. It's nicely balanced between fun and informative, covering technical details, story specifics, cast and performances, anecdotes, and more.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:31).

Just One of the Guys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Just One of the Guys fails to catapult into the 80s high school stratosphere alongside films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. That doesn't make it a substandard movie. On the contrary, it's quite a bit of fun if not redundant and predictable, playing well in the moment and enjoying the opportunity to soak up and plow through genre essentials with a gender-bending twist. Sony's Blu-ray is capable, delivering generally solid video, agreeable audio, and a commentary track. Recommended.