Revenge of the Nerds made a big splash in the 1980s, but how do the original comedy film and its sequels stack up from worst to best? Released in 1984, Revenge of the Nerds was the quintessential mid-'80s comedy, and it told the story of downtrodden nerds getting one over on the evil jocks. Like many of the screwball sex comedies of the era, the film followed a pretty loose formula that allowed for a wide variety of gags that helped establish the movie's place in popular culture. Despite its overwhelming popularity at the time, the bulk of the first film is highly problematic under today's scrutiny.
The success of the first film eventually warranted a sequel, and Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise hit theaters in 1987. Two more sequels would materialize throughout the 1990s, and they continued to center on the original Revenge of the Nerds cast and characters. While the first film was a beloved piece of 1980s popular culture, it and its sequels suffered from similar problems in retrospect, and they represented extremely outdated and offensive views on sexuality, consent, and race that have resulted in modern reviews being much less positive.
4 Revenge Of The Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise (1987)
1987's Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise was the only sequel to receive a theatrical release, and yet it was the biggest disappointment. The film sees the nerds travel to a fraternity conference in Florida where they are once again at odds with the jocks. Revenge of the Nerds II was the textbook definition of a rehashed sequel, and the only new thing that was offered was a change of scenery. While it did tone down some of the more problematic elements of the first, the sequel lacked any of the original movie's humor, and it repeated punchlines that were not as memorable the second time.
3 Revenge Of The Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992)
The first TV movie sequel was a change from the previous two films, and 1992's Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation lived up to its subtitle. Lewis (Robert Carradine), now a professor at Adams College, s up with a new group of nerds to take on the jocks. Surprisingly, the movie invested a lot into Lewis' character, and he had an interesting arc concerning his identity as a nerd. While it wasn't particularly funny, there was at least enough going on for it to never be boring or rehashed. The film ultimately suffered from its budget and would have been much better as a theatrical feature.
2 Revenge Of The Nerds IV: Nerds In Love (1994)
Despite its schmaltz and made-for-TV cheese, 1994's Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love was the first sequel to do anything new with the franchise's concept. On the eve of Booger's (Curtis Armstrong) marriage, the nerds uncover a conspiracy within his bride-to-be's family to have him discredited. Many of the original cast returned in smaller roles, and the film was a character-driven piece in stark contrast to the ensemble nature of the earlier movies. The story was less about nerds getting revenge than its title may have suggested, but it did advance the characters.
Revenge of the Nerds IV's aroma-vision gimmick, added intrigue to what was a rather stock-standard plot, and it was obvious that the series was moving away from the sex-driven storylines from ten years earlier. Like Revenge of the Nerds III, the fourth film offered a more mature look at the characters, and it was interesting to see what their lives were like after college. By no means was Revenge of the Nerds IV a laugh-a-minute riot, but it was a completely inoffensive installment in a series that had obviously run its course by the year 1994.
1 Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)
Unfortunately, the legacy of 1984's Revenge of the Nerds was tarnished by its own problematic elements, but it nevertheless represented a moment in time in the 1980s. The movie follows the nerds of Adams College as they take on a rival fraternity made up of jocks. Following in the footsteps of movies like 1978's Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds combined screwball comedy with the classic college film for a mixture that helped it stand out from the myriad of sex comedies that inundated theaters in the 1980s.
Revenge of the Nerds has become largely cringe-inducing in the 21st century and certain scenes involving assault via deception are so horrendous that they completely recontextualized the movie and characters. Nevertheless, the movie's higher production value helped to elevate it above its sequels, and the handful of non-offensive laughs it offered was a lot more than any of the so-so sequels could boast. Nostalgia isn't enough to make up for the movie's flaws, but it still manages to exceed its successors.
