Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The director of "My Brilliant Career", the Production Designer of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", a choreographer working without trained dancers, several script writers and many composers bring a low-budget post-punk vitality to Sydney Australia.As the commentary on the DVD mentions, the prints of Starstruck seem to have been severely cut in different releases, and this print has at least one song hacked out of the release I saw in 1982. Still, the bouncy energy survives. Teenage lust and ambition are tempered with working class family values. The homage to Richard Lester and gay Busby Berkeley routine are still hilarious, and the finale will have your toes a-tapping.

Warning: possible minor spoilers. This may very well be THE most bizarre movie I've ever seen, and definitely the most fun! I first saw it when I was 7, then just tracked it down a couple days ago (I'm now 19). I didn't realize how much of the movie had stayed with me. From the Australian accents so thick they need subtitles to the synchronized dance number with inflatable sharks, STARSTRUCK is so blissfully over-the-top that it NEVER gets old. In fact, it just keeps getting better! The songs are so silly and ridiculous ("Temper Temper"? "The Monkey In Me"?) that you can't help but hum them all day. Obnoxious but well-intentioned Angus, and his cousin, and the completely batty yet sexy Jackie make perfect off-the-wall leads. These two do the strangest things: Jackie walks the tightrope in the middle of her mum's pub, does a striptease out of a red kangaroo suit (!?) and even surfs on the ironing board! Angus hangs from street signs, cordially throws himself into traffic and even manages to get laid before he turns 15, wearing a tacky leopard print tuxedo, no less! The real icing on the cake here are the song and dance numbers. If you enjoy having fun at all, treat yourself to the rockiest 80s new wave musical ever made! If only STARSTRUCK would be released on DVD in the states... I'd snatch it up in a second!

I have not seen Starstruck since it's original run in the theaters but I love this movie and hope to see it again soon. I was really into new wave music at the time, especially what was coming from Manchester and Birmingham, and Dublin. I liked some Aussie bands like the Sharks but mostly I liked Aussie movies which were just starting to make an impact in America in the early 80's. Movies like Breaker Morant, Mad Max, Walkabout, Young Einstein, Gallipoli, and Starstruck. Although I have never been to Australia I have been intrigued by the quirky sense of humor I find in Aussie films. Strictly Ballroom a decade later was much in the same tradition, it had the same spirit as Starstruck. What happened to Aussie cinema? It seems that there are many Australian actors like Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe who take themselves so seriously and mostly act in Hollywood films playing non Australians. Even Peter Weir is no longer making Australian movies. I say bring em back!

I saw this during the Australian wave of films. I was being inundated on sort of dark pieces and this was an eye opener to say the least. I hadn't expected such a bright and lively piece. This is a wonderful piece of work. Everything fits. The cast is perfect. Each so in tune with their roles, each ringing true in dialogue and action. The music is both stylistically correct and true to the genre. Many times tunes written for movies that are rock or pop oriented turn out to be lame, musically incorrect, or both. This is not the case here.Gillian Armstrong shows an airy touch, while still maintaining that solid control of characters and visually precise scene setup she has demonstrated in other films, such as "My Brilliant Career" and the sadly overlooked "Oscar and Lucinda". All in all this is an enjoyable experience. Nothing earthshattering or profound but good workmanship and totally fun.