I watched this film after reading the plethora of positive IMDb reviews, touting it as Romeo and Juliette for the eighties and, while it does share with the bard's masterpiece the theme of forbidden teenage love, all similarities begin and end there. Filled with pointless story lines, characters on both sides of the divide who are sorely lacking in intellect, depth and purpose, and an ending that is pathetically lazy and neither intriguing nor romantic, this sorry excuse for a film brings absolutely nothing new to the table and fails miserably at even adding anything interesting, let alone insightful, to a familiar, seemingly straightforward topic. For a truly brilliant take on the complications of love among the young, rich and shallow, watch Amy Heckerling's Clueless, itself based much more faithfully on another work of classic literature, yet adapted to not only appeal to but actually shape the culture of its time. What a shameful insult to William Shakespeare it is, having his timeless work of poetic style and substance compared to this vacuous garbage.
Review of Valley Girl
