‘Johnny Be . . .’ Not So Good

Anthony Michael Hall’s role in “Johnny Be Good” received low marks from movie critics, whose reviews of his performance have ranged from apathetic to harsh. Some excerpts:

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: “Who decided that Hall, who in ‘Sixteen Candles,’ ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Weird Science’ established himself as the movies’ reigning geekmeister, was a sex machine? Hall has always had an inexplicably odd energy onscreen. And as he’s gotten older, it has only gotten odder. What’s next? Pee-wee Herman as James Bond?”

Binn, Daily Variety: “Hall, striking out as a topliner with ‘Out of Bounds’ and this pic, is not getting better as he’s getting older.”

Caryn James, New York Times, criticized Hall’s performance only by saying: “The film becomes refreshingly outrageous only when Robert Downey Jr. is on screen as Johnny’s best friend.”

Michael Wilmington, Calendar: “Hall is an amusing actor at times, but here, even packing 30 extra pounds, he looks no more like a star high school quarterback than Eric Dickerson looks like Spike Lee.”