Malibu at sunset, Venice Beach, electric yellow radio headphones, "Cool Dude" sunglasses in a box, SHOOP on the chalkboard with two googly eyes / eyes poked through with #2 pencils, pregnant teenager in a onesie, surfer sarongs, Hawaiian shirts, a severed dolly head doggy toy, kissing in the surf, roller skates in jail, fresh safety pin through the ear, the principal's plaid blazer, Kirstie Alley's pumps and bottom swinging in pink, a cuffed severed-hand alarm clock, a drive-through photo developer, an Italian exchange student in a bikini, Mark Harmon's baby blues, a busted convertible and a driving test, dyslexia, tattered textbooks, mom's $5 in her son's g-string, fireworks on the couch, fish oven mitts, bubble sheets, Lamaze, leis, the football field in summer, the school hallways in summer, the lockers in summer, "there's no place like home."

Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon) is an easygoing Phys. Ed. Instructor who has big plans for the summer, intending to travel to Hawaii with his girlfriend. But he ends up roped into teaching remedial English to a group of delinquent kids instead. Initially he's as reluctant to be in a classroom for the summer as they are, and they have a wacky series of "field trips" before he realizes that these kids aren't really that dumb, and he begins to take the assignment seriously - and manages to inspire them to do their best.

This very likable comedy holds up pretty well 27 years later, with a first rate cast creating an engaging and memorable set of characters. Harmon does well in his first American feature film star vehicle; he COULD have just coasted through this thing on his looks and charisma, but he shows a nice comic ability as well. Kirstie Alley is endearing as the teacher whom he persistently tries to win over, and Robin Thomas Grossman is just right as the nemesis character (the uptight vice principal of the school) who you enjoy booing all the way through the thing.

The two best characters, certainly for a horror fan such as this viewer, are the laid-back Francis "Chainsaw" Gremp (so nicknamed because of his love for Tobe Hoopers' "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"), played by Dean Cameron, and his friend Dave (Gary Riley). Their love of gore climaxes in a truly fun moment as the students scare away a substitute teacher with a classroom full of splatter; naturally, a viewing of the Hooper classic occurs along the way. The other kids include football player Kevin (Patrick Labyorteaux), surfer Pam (Courtney Thorne- Smith), the dyslexic Denise (Kelly Jo Minter), underage male stripper Larry (Ken Olandt), pregnant Rhonda (Shawnee Smith), nerdy Alan (Richard Steven Horvitz), and luscious Italian exchange student Anna-Maria (Fabiana Udenio). Director Carl Reiner, who'd previously done another seasonal comedy, "Summer Rental" with John Candy, has a cameo early in the movie. Amy Stock (the "Bill & Ted" movies), Laura Waterbury ("Better Off Dead"), and Duane Davis ("Beetlejuice") all have small roles.

"Summer School" sometimes get silly, but never goes overboard in that regard. It remains an upbeat and watchable story from start to finish, with some serious (but not too serious) moments, and it follows the formula of "misfits make good" stories pretty well. The soundtrack also helps to add to the good vibes.

Seven out of 10.