Marshall Brickman is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen on the screenplays for Sleeper, Annie Hall (which won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar), and Manhattan. However, in the 1980’s he did take a stab at directing his own screenplays, including 1980’s Simon, 1983’s Lovesick and 1986’s The Manhattan Project. While none of them achieved box office success, The Manhattan Project received a four-star review from famed film critic Roger Ebert, and has since become a cult classic. More than just your typical eighties teen comedy, The Manhattan Project offers intelligent characters dealing with complex situations.

Paul Stephens (Christopher Collet) is your typical mid-eighties slacker genius. A nerd, who doesn’t want to appear like one, who just wants to catch the eye of his pretty classmate, Jenny (Cynthia Nixon). Living with his single mother Elizabeth (Jill Eikenberry), Paul is mischievous, and doesn’t take school seriously.  When a brilliant scientist named John (John Lithgow) moves into town, he has a chance meeting with Elizabeth and the two start dating. In an effort to win over Paul, John takes him on a tour of the research lab where he works. Paul’s eyes are open to everything, and he is quickly drawn to evidence of radiation pollution on the grounds, though the lab claims to be performing medical experiments.

Jenny, a budding journalist, is actually interested in what a smart guy like Paul has to say. Following the tour, he tells her he’s a little insulted that John would think he could trick him. He knows a bomb making factory when he sees one. Paul and Jenny make a plan to infiltrate the secured building and steal a plutonium sample. Once in possession of the green goo, Paul decides to build an atomic bomb for a New York City science fair. Fully aware he’s crossing some serious boundaries, Paul goes to great lengths to protect his project, while the military marks him as a potential terrorist.

More straight thriller than teenage movie, Paul is a genius, and The Manhattan Project isn’t afraid to put it out there as a simple fact and not a gimmick. There are all kinds of clues that his brain is just moving faster than everyone else’s—he solves a puzzle in three seconds flat. Breaking into the research lab, he uses his Jenny as a distraction to get past the security guard, he’s already figured out how to get past the automatic security alarms once he’s in; the kid is always one step ahead of everything.

The ending of The Manhattan Project is predictable: John and the government try and convince Paul to let them disarm his bomb before everything blows up. However, when I saw this film as a teenager (just) in theaters, I remember thinking how neat it was that a kid truly had the power for once. In the end, things come down to Paul and his relationship with John, who as the adult, has to deal with how his own choices have affected him, and those around him. Lithgow is steady as usual in his role as John, serving as a wonderful counterbalance to Paul and his beliefs.

Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the presentation is rather vivid throughout. Colors are distinct and exaggerated when necessary, with particular respect to the green goo of the plutonium. Detail is better than average, offering plenty of tense facial expressions and tiny parts on science experiments. Grain is fine and filmic. The image appears clean, without any noticeable damage.

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is fairly standard stuff, but it serves the film well. Sound effects are full, and dialogue is clean. There’s not much in the way of range, but distortion is never an issue.

English subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:13)