AllMovie

Following the surprise success and genuine quality of 1984's Revenge of the Nerds, it came as no surprise that a sequel would be rushed out only a few years later. Little more than a remake of the first film, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise still contains quite a few successful comedic moments. The secret of the Nerds films lies in the strong ensemble cast of geeks and misfits. For this outing, Anthony Edwards' role of fraternity leader Gilbert is reduced to a series of lame cameos, but each of the rest of the group receives his own moments of wacky nerd glory. While this second chapter of nerd revolution recalls the wit of the first film, it fails to find any of the heart and underdog spirit that made the first one such a delight. Director Joe Roth, who later became head of the 20th Century Fox studio, decided on a tacky and unnecessary finale with our nerd heroes dressed in military fatigues and riding a hovercraft. This pseudo Rambo flop of an ending, combined with the fraternity spring break vacation, obviously marks Revenge of the Nerds II as a product of the late '80s, when a trip to Fort Lauderdale always meant bikinis and big laughs. This would prove to be the final theatrical outing for the Nerds, but star Robert Carradine would reprise his role of Lewis in several mediocre made-for-TV sequels in years to come. Like its predecessor, Revenge of the Nerds II remains as a sly comedic look at a now ancient cinematic age when anyone seen using a computer was considered a hopeless weirdo.