Spirited cartoonish romp, with lively cast, might depend heavily on implausible, unrealistic, convenient plotting (right place, right time, and exactly the right moment) regarding clues encountered during a LA scavenger hunt during one night (into Midnight and the following morning) by five teams in a competition arranged by dorky genius Leon (Alan Solomon), but it is chock full of energy and charm. Not a critical darling by any stretch, "Midnight Madness" will probably offer its winning formula to those who grew up with it, fondly embracing its zany developments and wacky characters. Stephen Furst, as an obese jerk (his opening scene has him stuffing his face with fries and tossing his burger pan at a Sonic-like drive-thru at a waitress cruelly), takes top honors along with the beer-guzzling, antagonistic, bullying football players (led by Brad Wilkin and Dirk Blocker) as the heels deserved of every boo hollered in their direction. Furst leads his team of entitled brats (which included his grating and demanding girlfriend, Patricia Albrecht, terminally stupid but lovable oaf Brian Frishman, and aggravating brother, Andy Tennant), while Eddie Deezen (as the scrawny nerd with hyperactive cadence) and his white-helmet, itty-bitty motorbike science-debate "squad" try to stay ahead. Also included is the main hero team of David Naughton (a year before American Werewolf in London), little brother Michael J Fox (the film's most cheesy drama involves their estrangement as Fox vies for his big bro's attention through bad behavior although he's just a "good, misunderstood kid"), Naughton's love interest in the pretty sweetheart, Debra Clinger (despite her appeal had a rather surprisingly short career in the biz), high school virgin lacking confidence, Joel Kenney, and mechanical wizard David Damas. Maggie Roswell's team (she's a bit of a control freak) includes Robyn Petty (she's a tough cookie who punches out one guy and doesn't fear anybody or situation) and these two giggling twins (played by Betsy and Carol Thompson). Leon's support includes two supportive hotties, Candy and Sunshine (eye candy casting at its best: Debi Richter and Kirsten Baker), while his super (Irene Tedrow) is ready to evict him due to the noise of his scavenger hunt headquarters (lots of devices and this major map of the city on the wall as he follows the action of the teams during the night) in the apartment.
Observatory peeping, the interesting use of a piano tune, arcade chaos (Pee Wee Herman tries to calm down teams hurling dolls and toys at each other and gets bombarded himself; he is dressed in a cowboy outfit!), madcap lunacy inside the St Bonaventure Hotel (security personnel wind up hosed down by Furst!), and Blocker running rampant in the beer factor of Pabst Blue Ribbon offer comedic highlights. Fox, as a kid just wanting some attention, eventually hugging Naughton, offers one of those Disney family subplots that thankfully is a small part of the overall plot Naughton's team is certainly set up to win thanks to their setbacks through cheating Furst, who loves to rub it in their face. The LA location shooting is a major plus as is the creative (if ridiculous) ways Leon provides his clues to the teams (boxes in the beer factory shipping department, an advertising light-sign, piano sheet music, necklace "hanging over two melons", miniature golf course, and a message after winning an arcade game). The tenants of Leon's apartment complex (which includes character actors John Fiedler and Charlie Brill) become an excited audience, immersed the experience of following the scavenger hunt from inside his headquarters! Certainly this is a film that could very well have went a raunchier route, considering when it was made, but it remains a family-oriented for the most part throughout. I personally found the film hard to resist. Its charms weren't lost on me. Reviled by critics en masse, and there are plenty of detractors. Maybe those of us who watched it as kids just are more susceptible to its appeal than others.
Observatory peeping, the interesting use of a piano tune, arcade chaos (Pee Wee Herman tries to calm down teams hurling dolls and toys at each other and gets bombarded himself; he is dressed in a cowboy outfit!), madcap lunacy inside the St Bonaventure Hotel (security personnel wind up hosed down by Furst!), and Blocker running rampant in the beer factor of Pabst Blue Ribbon offer comedic highlights. Fox, as a kid just wanting some attention, eventually hugging Naughton, offers one of those Disney family subplots that thankfully is a small part of the overall plot Naughton's team is certainly set up to win thanks to their setbacks through cheating Furst, who loves to rub it in their face. The LA location shooting is a major plus as is the creative (if ridiculous) ways Leon provides his clues to the teams (boxes in the beer factory shipping department, an advertising light-sign, piano sheet music, necklace "hanging over two melons", miniature golf course, and a message after winning an arcade game). The tenants of Leon's apartment complex (which includes character actors John Fiedler and Charlie Brill) become an excited audience, immersed the experience of following the scavenger hunt from inside his headquarters! Certainly this is a film that could very well have went a raunchier route, considering when it was made, but it remains a family-oriented for the most part throughout. I personally found the film hard to resist. Its charms weren't lost on me. Reviled by critics en masse, and there are plenty of detractors. Maybe those of us who watched it as kids just are more susceptible to its appeal than others.