There is a very simple reason why, “ Howard the Duck” enjoys success as a cult/fan-fiction film despite the fact that almost all critics panned it and gave it disappointing reviews when it was released in August 1986.   The main fans of this movie, were likely children and teenagers at the time. For example, I was born in 1981. When I saw this movie, I wasn’t even 10 years old yet. I found it to be a fun, adventurous movie with a cute, likeable main character back then.   Now,  I’m almost 30  and this movie has been brought to digital on Hulu.com where anyone can watch it. I couldn’t help taking that trip down memory lane  and watching it again.

Howard the Duck is a film based on “Howard the Duck” the Marvel comics character.  In this series, Howard, a 5 foot tall,  anthropomorphic duck, has been pulled from “Duck World” , somewhere in Alpha Centauri, to Earth, where he must figure out how to live among humans – despite being ill-tempered and home sick.

In the film, Howard is somehow pulled to earth by a Laser Spectroscope – which strangely enough is a real life device which only analyzes interstellar gas cloud spectrums…but anyway… Howard is pulled to Earth by the “laser” and lands in a back alley in Cleveland.   There, he meets  Beverly (Lea Thompson)  a punk rock band performer who befriends him and introduces him to Phil Blumburtt (Tim Robbins), a goofy janitor in a science lab who tries to introduce Howard to real scientists with the expressed intent of using him to get rich in the world of extraterrestrial discoveries.

When Howard meets the scientists and learns of the *ahem*  “laser, he wants it thrown into reverse to send him back. Unfortunately, the laser malfunctions again and instead, brings to earth, a demon from the realm of Sominus which finds a host body in Dr. Jennings (Jeffrey Jones) .  The Demon has pyrokinesis, telekinesis and a really bad temper. He intends to bring the rest of the demons from Sominus to conquer Earth and its up to Howard to stop him.

The film, which was produced by Lucas Film, shows all of the trademark  George Lucas science fiction touches. There’s even a part where one of the characters basically turns into the “spirit of Obi Wan” and uses the force to destroy a café and set things on fire.
Every single thing about the movie is over the top and terribly 80’s. Beverly wears  stereotypical 80’s teenage girl colored tights, has wild hair and is into punk rock;  there are chases in ultralight gliders (since 80’s sci fi movies love to use airplane scenes)   and there’s the typical 80’s  B- movie dialogue.

Its like the typical film you’d see panned by Mystery Science Theater 3000’s riffed  “Space Mutiny” or “Time Chasers”  (available on Youtube)

What I find so intriguing about the film is how well it was made for its time. It seems like its targeted at kids because it’s a campy sci-fi movie with cartoonish violence and constant “duck jokes”  with simplistic terminologies. Its not very unlike “Short Circuit” which came out that same year, but, on the other hand, there is a lot of sexuality and excessive blowing up of stuff. In this “PG” film, near the beginning of the movie, there is a bare breasted duck female with nipples  and at another point, Beverly goes through Howard’s wallet and finds a condom without a wrapper.    I think to myself… “REALLY?”

I think the real show stealer is the Dark Overlord as Dr. Jennings. One second he’s  threatening world obliteration, and the next he’s telling  duck jokes and puns. His performance as a possessed human are so silly, its actually funny – especially through a kids eyes.   The Lucas special effects team did a great job here. Nothing looks cheap - not even the duck suit.

In Conclusion… I liked the movie 22 years ago, and I still like it now. Its not as perfect as 1984’s Ghostbusters,  but  its level of visuals and CGI are about equal.   I’m surprised that the film failed to make back the $37,000,000 it cost to produce, but,  its not “the worst” film of the time either. Hobgoblins or any of the hundreds of Top Gun clones could take that award.

Watch it for free here:   http://www.hulu.com/howard-the-duck

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12