As assembly comedies from the late 80's go; Loverboy is a harmless near-miss. This may be Patrick Dempsey at his most winning. He isn't playing a creepy dork (Meatballs 3) or dull eye candy (every appearance since 1999) he makes for a likable protagonist in what is essentially a male fantasy directed by a woman. As a fan of b-movies I got a kick out of seeing Robert Ginty in a comedy and Loverboy does feature some of the most gorgeous actresses working at the time. One big complaint; the pacing. A farce like this should zip zip zip with tensions and missunderstandings galore. This happens sporadically but not enough. The reason most Blake Edwards movies work and Weekend at Bernies (released a few months after Loverboy) is a classic is because they never let the energy stop. Perhaps director Joan M Silver (RIP) was looking for some nuance or maybe it edited by studio suits. I suppose Loverboy qualifies as a rainy afternoon watch.
Review of Loverboy
