Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Valley Girl Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 8, 2020

When is a remake not exactly a remake? I give you “Valley Girl,” which is a reworking of the 1983 cult hit. What was once a gentle but textured look at a developing romance between opposites in L.A. (a riff on “Romeo and Juliet”) has now been turned into a jukebox musical that’s all about soundtrack hits, candied cinematography, and broad performances. To bring “Valley Girl” back to the screen, the producers have made several changes to the tone and approach of the original film, aiming to reach a much younger audience with a simplified tale of love as it works through cultural and social challenges, and is frequently expressed through song. Director Rachel Lee Goldenberg (a veteran of schlock-meisters The Asylum) isn’t trying to find dramatic grit with her vision, she’s striving to generate a party atmosphere for sleepover audiences, delivering a pleasingly fluffy, high-energy offering of teen exuberance.

When Julie (Alicia Silverstone) picks up her daughter, Ruby (Camila Morrone), from a bad night of heartbreak, she decides to console her child by sharing her story of teen drama, which dates to the early 1980s. As popular girl at Sherman Oaks High School, Julie (Jessica Rothe) is in a relationship with school hunk Mickey (Logan Paul, aptly cast as a complete creep), also spending her time palling around with Stacey (Jessie Ennis), Karen (Chloe Bennet), and Loryn (Ashleigh Murray). During a beach excursion, Julie meets Randy (Josh Whitehouse), a Hollywood punk keeping company with his Safety Recall bandmates, Jack (Mae Whitman) and Sticky (Mario Revolori). Randy falls in love with Julie, and while she returns the attraction, she’s in complicated situation with her boyfriend and her status. Choosing to leave her old life behind, Julie gives herself to the romantic opportunity, enjoying a whirlwind fling with her new beau. However, there’s a price to be paid for her decision, with Julie quickly ostracized by her peers as the school year approaches its climax at the prom.

The original “Valley Girl” concluded with some big feelings and a touch of ambiguity. The new version erases such contemplation by introducing an older Julie at the start of the feature, who decides to reach out and relate to her depressed daughter by recounting a tale of her own adolescent despair. The screenplay (credited to Amy Talkington) flashes back to the “early 1980s,” finding Julie at the mall with her besties, with a shopping trip turned into a full-fledged musical number set to The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat.” Goldenberg doesn’t waste much time getting to the core experience of her “Valley Girl,” ordering up blinding period colors, light choreography, and assisted vocals as the actors give their best poses and brightest smiles to the camera, launching the movie with a sugary offering of pop worship. After ten minutes of the new endeavor, it’s clear the production isn’t going to pursue the low-budget allure of Martha Coolidge’s 1983 picture.

The 1980s setting for “Valley Girl” isn’t exact, as the production plays with the particulars of the decade without getting too specific with time, mixing pop culture highlights (including “Return of the Jedi,” Madonna, and bulky video cameras) to create a nostalgic glaze Goldenberg ladles all over her picture. Trying to decode the exact date of the movie might lead to an aneurysm (Silverstone plays Julie in her mid-fifties, while thirtysomething Rothe is cast as a teenager), leaving the viewing experience more enjoyable with relaxed minds ready to take in the colliding worlds of Julie and Randy, with her prim suburban ways mixing with his gnarled punk world. The writing remains faithful to the plot of the original screenplay, but Talkington aims for a more cartoonish sense of engagement, keeping things big for kids as the lovers face dismissal from their social circles. Julie is especially shunned, leaving her pals to sample rebellion, which doesn’t sit well with her parents (Judy Greer and Rob Huebel, who seems to be enjoying himself as he plays an affable dad), and she makes a mess of her superficial union with lout Mickey. The pair expresses themselves through song, with “Valley Girl” providing a steady stream of period hits, including “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” for a beach party, and “Boys Don’t Cry” for Randy’s lovesick lament. And yes, the producers manage to slip “I Melt with You,” the big hit from the 1983 version, into the climax, along with a cameo from the original Julie, Deborah Foreman.

Valley Girl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Providing a huge splash of color seems to be the production goal for "Valley Girl," dealing with the palette of the 1980s and current interests in digital tinkering. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation deals almost exclusively with explosive hues, finding costuming a source of primary power, while set decoration choices also deliver intensity. Pinks and blues tend to dominate the viewing experience, but the rainbow vibe of the feature is preserved, offering hotter reds with lighting. Street experiences dial everything down to more realistic urban appearances. Skintones are natural. Detail is maintained, with a touch of intentional softness at times to hide the true age of certain actors. Facial surfaces are appreciable, and clothing is fibrous, ranging from the soiled cotton shirts and denim jeans of the punks to the more polyester, spandex look of the "vals." Distances are dimensional, enjoying urban tours around Hollywood. Delineation is passable. Compression issues are present, finding evening vistas exposing blockiness, and banding is detected.

Valley Girl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers a comfortable appreciation of "Valley Girl" and its musical moods. Staying true to the core audience of the endeavor, the track isn't aggressive, aiming for more of a sharp listening event than a powerful one. With the tunes, vocals are clearly favored, coming through with definition that takes a little getting used to, giving the singers a chance to show their stuff. Music remains compelling, but dialed down some, offering crisp instrumentation and some low-end beats, especially with heavier synth songs. Musical numbers also fill surrounds, providing circular engagement. Scoring supports with equal presence. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, capturing precise emotionality and emphasis. Atmospherics are lively, dealing with house party, school, and mall bustle.

Valley Girl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Valley Girl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Valley Girl" ends up way too long, in need of more judicious editing to remove heavy melodrama, which doesn't play strong between grand offerings of musical mischief, including an entertaining visit to a roller rink. The update loses the "valley-speak" fingerprint of the Coolidge endeavor, putting more effort into glossy high jinks and empowerment themes, and those weaned on the original movie might not recognize much here beyond the basics in forbidden love. This "Valley Girl" is made for pre-teen viewers, offering a plasticized vision of the 1980s and all the direct human contact and wild fashion it provides. Goldenberg doesn't craft a profound film, but she knows how to throw a party, delivering a spirited reimagining of uncut desire, pushed along by terrific songs and target demographic awareness.