Class of 1999 (1990)

60% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(1,226 ratings)

Mark L. Lester's follow-up film to his Class of 1984 is a rancidly violent peek at a near-future high school world of terror -- The Jetsons meet The Terminator. In Lester's world, total anarchy rules (at least in Seattle). Classrooms are sinkholes of violence, and around the kill-zone high schools… More Mark L. Lester's follow-up film to his Class of 1984 is a rancidly violent peek at a near-future high school world of terror -- The Jetsons meet The Terminator. In Lester's world, total anarchy rules (at least in Seattle). Classrooms are sinkholes of violence, and around the kill-zone high schools "Free Fire Zones" are set up that look like re-creations of Dachau. Rival youth gangs roam these areas with enough artillery for a second Vietnam War. The gangs' insane violence is exacerbated by a drug called Edge. When the Department of Educational Defense needs to supply new teachers, they look to a secret government agency headed by Dr. Bob Forrest (Stacy Keach) who sends new teaching recruits (Pam Grier, John P. Ryan, Joshua Miller) to the beleaguered high school. These novice teachers are not your ordinary teaching-college graduates, however. They are "tactical education units" -- cyborgs reprogrammed to teach readin' and writin' and 'rithmetic. If the students don't learn their daily assignments, they learn an even bigger lesson -- learn or die. The strict disciplinarian robots compel the student gangs to unite and fight the new educational menace. Under the leadership of Cody Culp (Bradley Gregg), who has just gotten out of reform school and has seen that there is more to life than killin' and cuttin' and Edge, the punks take up arms against the cyborgs who are invading their high-school turf. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Mark L. Lester
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: May 1, 1990 Wide
On DVD: Sep 16, 2008

Critic Reviews

Richard Harrington, Washington Post
Class of 1999 gets a D for dumb, dull and derivative.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

Sequel to the first but with a rather ambitious new plot revolving around 'terminator' style robot teachers that are brought in to control the students. Set in the distant future of 99 (at the time ;) ) this film looks allot like 'Mad Max' mixed with elements from… More
Sequel to the first but with a rather ambitious new plot revolving around 'terminator' style robot teachers that are brought in to control the students. Set in the distant future of 99 (at the time ;) ) this film looks allot like 'Mad Max' mixed with elements from 'Robocop'. You can see where Lester got his inspirations from but in all honesty the film is so gloriously over the top and cheesy its just brilliant. Probably even more dated than the first film due to the quite horrendous costumes on display lol! they really are quite fantastically lame and impractical you just gotta smile. Add to this lots of armoured cars, a high school that looks like a large seedy red light district with masked stormtroopers patrolling around and another king of trashy B-movies, Malcolm McDowell as the head. The cast is again pretty good with some cult names in there such as Pam Grier, Joshua John Miller of 'Near Dark' fame, Stacy Keach with some nice futuristic contacts and white hair and main player Bradley Gregg who curiously looks like a hybrid of Stephen Dorff and Corey Feldman fused together....the perfect guy for a trashy 80's flick then :) Yes this isn't as good as the first as this film dumps the serious thriller aspect and goes way over board into the realms of silly sci-fi with extreme gun play between warring school gang factions and the robotic death machines that are the teachers but its still damn good fun. Lots of cheesy dialog and hammy performances with an ending that definitely borrows from a certain James Cameron sci-fi adventure. Anarchy is overblown wearing ridiculous earrings, long head scarfs and large shiny belts :) almost a homage to the early 80's.
Dean M

It's a hell of the futuristic high school in this violent exploitation film. John P. Ryan and Pam Grier are loads of fun as the androids, latter mocking her image when not only her breasts but inner works are revealed for the final reel through hokey make-up effects.
Lady D

1999 seemed such a long way off whn this film came out, predicted slightly wrong maybe, well the cyborgs anyway
Anthony V

Corn-ball fun.
Christopher B

Boring and uninspired. Sad considering I loved the original (Class of 1984) and both Malcolm McDowell, Pam Grier and Stacy Keach are in it, which seemed like a guaranteed good time. Plus, no Alice Cooper song! Though I should give this another watch, considering I enjoy trash a lot… More
Boring and uninspired. Sad considering I loved the original (Class of 1984) and both Malcolm McDowell, Pam Grier and Stacy Keach are in it, which seemed like a guaranteed good time. Plus, no Alice Cooper song! Though I should give this another watch, considering I enjoy trash a lot more than when I first saw this.
Lee K

ive always truly loved this movie since its intial release on vhs. The acting is horrible but the movie and storyline are way cool. If you can find this, by all means check it out!