Kickin’ It Old Skool

An adolescent boy in 1986 falls on his head during a breakdancing contest; in 2006 he awakens from a 20-year coma (now played by Jamie Kennedy), still ready to win his girl back from his smart-aleck rival—just as soon as he regains control over his arms and legs. The movie gets off to a more-or-less promising start, thanks to a wry retro-’80s glow and the fact that the boy who plays Kennedy as a kid (Alexander Calvert) is a lot more appealing than he is. So much for the first 10 minutes. After that, the movie—just for the record, written by Trace Slobotkin, Josh Siegel, and Dylan Morgan and directed by Harvey Glazer—is simply cheap and shoddy. Worse, it’s all Kennedy all the time, and a little of him goes a long way; a lot goes nowhere. Is there an audience for Kennedy? Does anyone really miss Pauly Shore?