Saw Skatetown USA, the first film Patrick Swayze appeared in. It was enjoyable but not very good. The film is mostly about roller disco skating and jokes, however the plot is that the good guy and the bad guy are competing for the top prize at a roller disco. The good guy is good because we don't get to know him at all. The bad guy is bad because he's in a gang. Swayze plays the bad guy. It's deeply 70s in style and execution. It's a trip.
Because roller disco is only interesting to watch for so long, the film tosses in a lot of outrageous but mostly pg-13-rated humor. We are always jumping from comic relief to comic relief. There's a pair of idiot chefs who start off insulting each other but wind up throwing dough into each other's faces and pouring popcorn down each other's pants.
Meanwhile, the evil Swayze is plotting sabotage of all kinds at all levels to stop the good guy from winning. He blackmails the judges, he seduces his dance partner for the couple's dance, he even tries to murder him by rigging his skates! (How much does he need this prize!?)
The film is very strange. It's got a lot of attractive people, which is nice, but not a heck of a lot else, which is not so nice. The comedy is very broad and comes at a rat-a-tat pace which wearies after a bit. The over-the-top lunacy on display is a lot of fun, but relatable and clever it is not. It was basically a porn film, only instead of sex it's disco dancing and broad jokes.
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