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Emilio Estevez rose to superstardom as a member of the Brat Pack, a group of talented ’80s hotshots featuring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson. He became famous thanks to movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and “The Outsiders,” all of which are now regarded as classics. In 1984, however, Estevez crossed over into sci-fi with Alex Cox’s “Repo Man,” a box-office dud that became one of the most adored flicks in his filmography among those who have seen it.
“Repo Man” sees Estevez play Otto, a punk rock kid who gets a job working for Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), a grizzled, drug-loving car repossession agent who lives by his own code. A Chevy Malibu — admittedly, not one of the cooler vehicles in sci-fi — that might have aliens in the trunk is on the loose. The feds offer a cash prize to anyone who can retrieve the vehicle, and Bud and Otto want a piece of the action. What ensues afterward is a wacky adventure whose surprises are best left unspoiled.
In the grand scheme of things, “Repo Man” is one of the many great underseen ’80s sci-fi movies. While it has a devoted cult base, the film didn’t exactly reach the same heights as “Back to the Future” and other popular sci-fi flicks from the decade. That said, it garnered some positive reviews from critics, so what did they have to say about it?
What critics said about Repo Man
The aforementioned plot summary of “Repo Man” doesn’t do the movie justice. The film is a bizarre, genre-mashing treat that boasts a punk rock attitude, anti-consumerist themes, and a lot of glorious insanity. As it stands, the film has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its rebellious spirit and wacky sensibilities.
For example, Roger Ebert praised “Repo Man” for its inventiveness and rejection of formulaic, commercial trends. The famed critic revealed that he saw it after days of watching films that fell into those traps, so “Repo Man” was a breath of fresh air. “Repo Man comes out of left field, has no big stars, didn’t cost much, takes chances, dares to be unconventional, is funny, and works. There is a lesson here.”
Vincent Canby of The New York Times echoed these sentiments, noting that the film understands its strengths. “It’s not a big-budget, ”Ghostbusters” of a movie, but it’s very entertaining, and though it’s rude in an R-rated way, it has the good taste never to promise more than it can deliver.”
Of course, “Repo Man” isn’t the only Emilio Estevez sci-fi movie released in the ’80s. He also starred in “Maximum Overdrive,” the only movie Stephen King ever directed. Of the two, “Repo Man” is held in higher regard, but “Maximum Overdrive” is still worth checking out if you’re in the mood for a good time.
