Mike Harlan (John Stockwell, in his first top-billed role) is a laid-back car junkie who doesn't seem to care about anything else BUT cars. He is handed down an ultimatum by his science teacher, Bob Roberts (Dennis Hopper): hand in a science project or get flunked.<br /><br />Mike takes what he thinks will be the easy way out: he scours the junk-pile in a forlorn Military enclosure, and makes off with what has already been revealed to be an alien gadget. It can create warps in time and space, not to mention put on a heck of a light show.<br /><br />When the device is accidentally turned on, Stockwell and associates have to work together to save the world.<br /><br />The directorial debut for "The Last Starfighter" screenwriter Jonathan Betuel is for me a missed opportunity. It's not as much fun as I think it should have been. It takes too long for the movie to build up any amount of steam, and even the climax does not seem to have an overwhelming amount of energy. The special effects may be a highlight (the dinosaur actually doesn't look too bad) but they pretty much dominate a fairly unsatisfying movie with too much dumb dialog. Vince Latello's one-liners fall flat far too often (although that line that I used to title this review was one of the better ones).<br /><br />The actors do everything that they can. The adult co-stars are mostly in the background, with the exception of Richard Masur's extended cameo as a broadly played detective with a long, slow drawl, and, of course, the incomparable Dennis Hopper, perfectly cast as the 1960's relic turned high school teacher. Stockwell is acceptable as the low-key hero, Danielle Von Zerneck reasonably appealing as the geeky girl who of course happens to be already rather attractive, Raphael Sbarge stuck in the one-note, over-the-top, grating nerd role (he reminded me too much of Urkel and Screech), and Fisher Stevens displaying his usual comedic energy as the flamboyant and cocky Latello.<br /><br />As others here have noted, this was one of a number of 1980's pictures to jump on the science fiction-comedy bandwagon. I'm sure others will disagree with me, but I just don't think that this is one of the better ones. Of course, now when I see 1980's pictures and see those fashions and hear that music, I'm always amused because I think, "I actually lived through that." "My Science Project" is not a total disappointment but it leaves me thinking that I would have preferred to watch something else.<br /><br />Cult actor Michael Berryman and Robert DoQui, "Sgt. Reed" in the "RoboCop" movies, have small roles, as does Pamela Springsteen ("Sleepaway Camp" 2 and 3).<br /><br />4/10