Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.
Back to School is a pleasant mid-80s Rodney Dangerfield vehicle that coasts almost entirely on his comic persona. The plot is formulaic fish-out-of-water fare with predictable beats — rich buffoon earns respect through charm rather than effort, reconciles with son, wins the girl. Dangerfield's delivery is genuinely funny and energetic, elevating the material above its script, and the supporting cast (Robert Downey Jr., Sally Kellerman, Sam Kinison in a memorable cameo) adds texture. Cinematography is workmanlike studio comedy fare with nothing distinctive. Novelty is low — the premise and execution follow a well-worn template, though Dangerfield's specific comic voice gives it modest personality. The ending is satisfying in a conventional crowd-pleasing way, wrapping up the father-son arc cleanly if predictably.