A light-hearted and completely enjoyable movie. The one liners and situations were humorous and quirky. The constant flow of jokes and double entendres in the background make this a movie to enjoy again and again. The comments made over the PA are worth the price of admission. Some of the acting was a little soft but did little to take away from the fun. Worth the time to watch and if you ever see it at your local video store - buy it. Seeing George Wendt and Robert Stack hamming it up is a treat for those of us who watched these actors growing up. The sexual situations were light and harmless and the violence was low-key. Still not sure if this would qualify as a teen movie, crime drama, love story or something else. It is quite unique.

The first time I saw Plain Clothes was a coincidence. Changing channels on a Saturday night and finding (and sticking with) this movie. It is an eighties high school comedy with a funny little cross over to thriller.

Watching B-movies is fun and I do it lots. I have no high expectations and I don't pay a fee to go to the movies and end up wanting my money back. In the nineties there is a growing tendency of B-movies being etremely violent, groce and "bloody". Film makers are trying to be noticed among the hundreds of B-movies made every year by going over the top making their movie "special". My point? Well, not every movie will win an oscar or go into history as a classic, a box-office success or a cult-movie. My point is that this is fine! But people don't seem to understand that one can make a nice movie without having the greatest script or actors of all time, or the money to do Star Wars-like gimmicks. To me Plain Clothes is a perfect B-movie. A nice, simple story, nice actors, funny here and there and quite entertaining. I have watched it now a couple of times and it is still fun! With the cop entering the school as a "thug" (as his little brother calls him). His change into the cool guy. His methaphore-poetry. His romance with the teacher. George ("NORM!!!") Wendt as the insane teacher/bad guy. A good climax. I love the Godfather saga, One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. the Shawshank Redemption, Schindler's List, etc., but that doesn't mean that a movie that isn't in this category flunks. Plain Clothes is, plain and simple, a nice, ok movie. Average, may be, but fun average and that is more than I can say of zillions of movies (starring "stars" like Pamela Anderson or Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Arliss Howard (looking at home) stars in this enjoyably offbeat mystery comedy, which he plays a cop who goes undercover at his brother's high school when he's accused of stabbing a teacher. Because how young he looks no one believes he's a cop, so why not go back to school to figure who committed the murder and helping is his partner (a terrific Seymour Cassel) who pretends to be his father. But there's no escaping the daily grind of high school.

Kind of surprised this is not more well known, bestowing an excellent ensemble cast (George Wendt, Diana Ladd, Suzy Amis, Larry Pine and Robert Stack) giving decent performances by presenting an odd assortment of characters and sharing great chemistry (especially Howard and Cassel). The story moves between trying to connect the dots throwing out possible leads and red herrings (in predictably daft way),while also adjusting to school life. These are the usual things (bullying, popularity and crushes),but it remains charming, authentically atmospheric and lightly humorous. There's a certain mock seriousness attitude abound and there's neat running gag involving amusing quips over the school PA system and a memorable little poetry reading to explain the word metaphor. It has snappy energy and frequent humour, while low-key it does balance out nicely against its murder mystery angle.

Pleasing under-the-radar late 80s comedy.