Cry-Baby Reviews

To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this movie and maybe I should re-watch it at some point. Anyway, this movie is pretty much the stuff of legends. Indeed, after 3 years on ’21 Jump Street’, even though Johnny Depp became a huge teen-idol thanks to this TV-show, he really dreaded his status and quickly couldn’t stand this show anymore. So, when he finally managed to get off his contract, he made sure he picked up something drastically different and this first role would pave the way for one of the most off-beat and interesting careers in Hollywood (at least, until the mid 2000’s).  Unfortunately, that is usually the state of mind you have before watching this movie but, to be honest, I can’t say I was really blown away by the damned thing. I mean, basically, it is some kind of twisted version of ‘Grease’ which wasn’t really a bad idea but since I didn’t really care for ‘Grease’ in the first place, even an alternative version like this one rather bored me. At least, Johnny Depp was really charismatic and he obviously had a lot of fun with this part. To conclude, even though it was definitely not one of my favorite movies starring Depp, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

Admittedly, "Cry-Baby" is a very silly movie, and that silliness may not appeal to everyone. I for one found myself consistently bored by the campy goings-on, and found little to like about delinquent greaser 'Cry-Baby' (Johnny Depp) and his redneck family, when the movie insists we cheer on their successes and 'gee-whiz' at their failures.

It's 1960's Baltimore, and prim, perfect Allison (Amy Locane) has it all- social status, wealth, and a dapper boyfriend (Stephen Mailer.) But, gee, the 'Drapes' from the wrong side of the tracks seem to be having more fun, and Allison is doomed to be a 'Square,' destined for a life of courteousness and decency. Or is she?

Everything changes when Allison meets Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker (Depp,) a singing, dancing, rocking Drape bad boy who wins her heart. But a series of rivalries and misunderstandings strive to keep Cry-Baby and Allison apart. There will be a lot of music and a lot of fights before a customary happy ending, and for me they couldn't get there fast enough.

I'll be honest with you, folks... the acting here is mediocre, and Johnny Depp as 'Cry-Baby' is unexpectedly terrible. The only stand-outs here are Stephen Mailer as Baldwin, Allison's boyfriend with puppy-dog eyes and a black, black heart, and Polly Bergen, as Allison's well-meaning but clueless grandma. The rest are forgettable.

Also, there are a load of stereotypes in this movie, all of them attempts at satiric humor and achieving none. Authority figures are the dunces and 'bad guys' of the movie, while promiscuous teenagers and thieves are the ones we should look up to.

The movie throws around stereotypes of typically corrupt cops and stupid Christians, while the responsible adults were so 'square' that one can only roll their eyes and wonder if director John Waters has the mentality of a goth teen whining to his dear diary about the hypocrisy of grown-ups. Like, they say one thing and mean another. Burn!

In the end, we are caught between the self-conscious morals of the 'Squares' and the wild unpredictability and grit of the 'Drapes,' from Cry-Baby's nutty stolen hubcap-selling Aunt Ramona (Susan Tyrrell) to the thuggish girl uncharitably called 'Hatchet-Face' (Kim McGuire.)

But guess what? None of the characters are particularly appealing to me. And maybe next time, John Waters will keep his shallow Goth-kid observations about the inherent dishonesty of adults and the dangers of being square to himself. Burn!

Wow, I never expected that rating this would be so hard. I can't decide if it deserves 3.5 or 4 stars.. I'll just give it 4 for now. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed watching it but if I could choose I think I would give it 3.75..

It's definitely unique but with the theme of 'Grease', because it's a musical and in the romance genre. I normally hate musicals but I survived watching this because of Johnny Depp, and heck, the songs weren't that bad apart from that fact that they are really catchy. It's definitely very cheesy, but all you have to do is look at Johnny Depp in that leather jacket and you'll instantly fall in love with this film. That is.. uhh.. girls would. I also really loved his hair, it gave him that rebel look and definitely gave Cry Baby more character.

I can't say that apart from Johnny Depp there wasn't really much 'acting' in this flick. It was like everyone just had fun, and I liked that, but apart from Johnny there was no real emotion or anything from the other actors. Johnny Depp on the other hand was simply perfect for his character. Now I'm not saying that he is really a rebel, but he made everything more believable than everyone else. One of the best looks for his characters for sure.

Don't expect a masterpiece but this sure was an enjoyable movie to say the least. Cheesy but entertaining, If you love Johnny Depp you'll love this. If you hate musicals.. well, you won't like it as much as others.