Perhaps I’m a jaded modern viewer. Or maybe I’m just coming at it with fresh eyes unclouded by nostalgia…but I’m not a big fan of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. If you haven’t already guessed, I came to this film cold. I’d never seen it before reviewing this disc and I don’t know if I’ll ever return to it. It’s not an awful movie, but it’s extremely disjointed and somewhat shallow. 

It’s essentially a series of vignettes centered on a small group of students at RHS. Structurally, it meanders, dropping in and out of these students’ lives to spotlight certain turning points in their respective high school experiences: sex, losing their virginity, getting fired, sex, visits to the morgue, getting high, sex…you get the picture. This might have been somewhat revelatory in 1982, but now it just seems somewhat pedantic (and in the case of the abortion scene, dangerously dismissive).

QUALITY: 
From a technically standpoint, this looks fantastic. It’s obviously dated, but most of the scenes are clear and clean, with a very sharp image.

BONUS FEATURES:
The extra features include a documentary with the cast and crew, a commentary with Amy Heckerling and Cameron Crowe and the film’s theatrical trailer.

In the end, this might be one of your favorite films, in which case, you should definitely pick up this release. Barring that, I’d suggest renting it first to see if it lives up to the hype.