Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1983 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. It was also the start to a major shift in cultural and societal norms, and some of those still reverberate to this day.
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We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly four dozen.
Yes, we’re insane, but 1983 was that great of a year for film.
The articles will come out – in most cases – on the same day the films hit theaters in 1983 so that it is their true 40th anniversary. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory. In some cases, it truly will be the first time we’ve seen them.
This time around, it’s July 22nd, 1983, and we’re off to see Jaws 3 and Mr. Mom.
Quick side note: Since we launched this series this year, we’ve discovered that Vintage Video Podcast is doing the exact same project with two differences: First, it’s audio (naturally), and second, they are doing every major film. We’ve listened to numerous episodes and it’s fun checking off their thoughts against my own. Check them out over at Vintage Video Podcast.
Jaws 3
Jaws 3 is another one of those films I’ve always heard was horrible, but I went into it with an open mind. Just as I did with Staying Alive last week.
The funny thing? I actually didn’t hate Jaws 3.
No, I’m not here to tell you it’s some magnificent film, it’s just… harmless.
Yes, it’s silly these are supposed to be the kids from the original film all grown up as it has been less than a decade since that film. But other than that, it’s just your average underwater monster movie, it just happens to have the name “Jaws” attached to it.
I did watch the film in 2-D despite it being originally released in 3-D, and let me tell you, there is no mistaking where the 3-D was supposed to be. The effects are so bad that they are laugh-inducing.
Jaws 3 is… “fine.” It’s not horrible, and it’s certainly not good, but it is at least mildly entertaining at times.
Mr. Mom
I swear there was a point on HBO in the early 1980s when Mr. Mom was on every night. I have seen this movie so many times, but it was long ago at this point. I probably haven’t seen it now in close to 30 years. I was curious how it would hold up with the way the world has changed and so on.
I am happy to report I still laughed.
This film is so incredibly engrained with 1980s sensibilities (A man staying home to take care of the kids?!?), but timeless all the same. And, thankfully, nothing seems dated in this film, such as the blackface scene in Trading Places from a few weeks ago. In general it’s just a family comedy that displays Keaton’s comedic chops.
It’s interesting how much this movie was cited as to why he shouldn’t play Batman in the 1989 film, but when you look at some of the more unhinged moments in the film you can see why he would do well in the role.
Mr. Mom is a fun film, an enjoyable watch, and well worth your time to catch it if you’ve never seen it.
1983 Movie Reviews will return on July 29, 2023 with Krull, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and Private School!
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