Tubi Thursday: Teen Monster with Ryan Reynolds (aka Boltneck)

 If I'm going to be shameless about this, why pretend otherwise?

Let's see what 1998 to 2000-era Ryan Reynolds was like in...

Young Frank (Matthew Lawernce) is convinced that he can revive the dead like in Frankenstein.

Since life is crazy (or lazy screenwriting is easy) his name is literally Frank Stein AND his Dad studies the brain.

Some Bullies pick on him and his Token Black Friend (this is a Film from 1998/2000) before picking on...

Is that Ryan Reynolds in his Goth Phase?

He attends a private party- it's literally the Bullies and their Girlfriends- and puts up a fight.

They accidentally brain him and get spotted by Frank.

Instead of calling the Cops, he gets them to help him prove his thesis.

He breaks into the Brain Lab and switches the damaged brain of Karl/Ryan with a new one.

With his scar covered, he's revived as a new man.

Now he's, well, Ashton Kutcher.

As Frank finds out, the brains are those of criminals who 'donated them to science.'

As such, new Karl (who randomly goes super deep voiced) is a manipulative criminal who is going to endanger everyone.

Oops.

To see how it all works out, stream it now.

It's honestly not terrible.  A glowing endorsement for sure!

This is just something that sounded pretty bad.  I was expecting the worst here.

The actual Film really only works due to the Acting here.  Once he's transformed, Reynolds gets closer to what you'd expect him to be.

This was made in 1998, the same year that Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place started.  He was nearly to, well, stock Ryan Reynolds.

To be fair, if it has brought you that much success, why change?!?

He definitely brings this Film up in his parts, because otherwise it is pretty dated.  Aside from the fun ways (like the fashion), things are definitely of the time.  The fact that 'Ha ha people think that you two are Gay' is a Plot Point says it all.

The Film is thankfully bolstered by a good Cast, even if many barely appear.  It also seems to have cast via Dart Board.

After all, how do you get a Lawrence Brother, Charles Fleischer, Judge Reinhold, Richard Moll and Shelly Duvall (RIP you two) in one Film together?!?

Moll appears 2x as Reynolds' Dad

***

Duvall plays Frank's Mom in a whopping 3 Scenes.

Also worth noting that Mr. Reynolds is not afraid to mock even this one.  He did so in 2018- Deadpool 2 | With Apologies to David Beckham - YouTube

A decent enough Film that most people will watch for Reynolds alone.  It is no 'classic,' but you could do far worse with 80 minutes.