"She's got one last day to do everything one last time!"
For the third summer in a row, Jack Fleming (Carl Marotte) is busy working at the local amusement park. But, seeing as it's the last day of summer, he's determined to live it up with best pal David (Thor Bishopric), who he sets out to find. But on the way, he spots the gorgeous Debbie, who he has a hard time forgetting.
The outrageous sixteen year old Debbie is also on a mission to make the last day of summer worthwhile, and after reinventing her image by chopping off her hair and spiking it up, is off to meet best friend Angie. On arrival at the bus stop, Debbie's drastically different appearance manages to fool even her best friend, who has to look twice before managing to identify her! It's on the bus that the girls first spot Jack and David, who they later meet up with at the fun park.
When the four do bump into each other at the park, Jack has no idea that Debbie is the same girl he had seen hours earlier and fallen madly in love with. Put off by her punky look, he decides to take a crack at Angie and forces the shy David to spend his time with Debbie. Both of the girls, however, have an eye for Jack, who shows off by winning them both stuffed toys. But after spending some time with him, Angie realises that the wild Jack isn't her type at all. Similarly, Debbie finds David's company so boring that he almost drives her mad. So the girls and boys swap dates.
As it turns out, the loudmouth Debbie is just the girl for Jack, and David's charms are just what Angie is after. The two couples have a blast in the amusement park and as the sun goes down, things get wilder.
In comes the obligatory '80s subplot involving hapless criminals! Enter Babyface, Patty and Harry - possibly the World's most brainless jewel thieves! Having hidden a diamond inside a stuffed toy earlier in the day, they set out to retrieve it, only to find the toy - and diamond - gone. So begins the mad chase to track down the thousands of dollars worth of rock and of course, the four unsuspecting teenagers are dragged right into the middle of it.
To everyone's surprise, Debbie's stuffed toy is the one containing the diamond, and the kids - following many a madcap chase scenes and a breakdancing contest - manage to end their summers with a bang.. Quite literally.
VERDICT: ★★★ ½
Okay, four teenagers hanging about in a theme park for the day is hardly the most action-packed of storylines, even when a bunch of criminals are thrown into the mix! But miraculously, this little-known Canadian gem is a cheery, kitschy and altogether stellar effort from the New World Pictures team.
From one scene to the next, Breaking All the Rules is packed with laughs and unforgettable moments that - while not creditable for any amount of classiness - will provoke a lot of grins and giggles. From Carolyn Dunn's unmistakably '80s outfits to the comical fantasy/dream sequence (an '80s b-movie staple), if you can disregard the oh so mandatory imbecilic subplot, you'll find yourself enjoying what you see. New World aren't all bad, and neither is Breaking All The Rules. To be honest, it's pretty freakin' terrific.
IMAGES/VIDEOS: [movie clip]
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SOUNDTRACK:
It isn't any wonder that the flick was never entitled to its own soundtrack, though some of the tunes are great, especially the classic freestyle tune 'Let the Music Play' by Shannon. The tracklisting for the movie is the following:
1. Manish Bay - Muddy Waters
2. Kid Blue - Louise Goffin
3. Now and Then - The Shoes
4. Breaking All the Rules - Paul Booth
5. Get Up - Paul Booth
6. Fun Park - Paul Booth
7. It's Gettin' Hot in Here - Pieces of a Dream
8. Stop Foolin' Around - Yvonne Murray
9. That's My Girl - Stephen Ritchie
10. Let The Music Play - Shannon
