Going into "Tuff Turf" I anticipated a retro-futuristic street gang movie, but instead I ended up in a romantic teen-rebel musical drama - and a reasonably good one at that! Morgan Miller (James Spader) and his country-club family move from Connecticut to a down trodden LA suburb after his father's business goes bust. His first day in his new school sees him making friends with local punk drummer Jimmy (Robert Downey Jr.) and getting on the wrong side of gang leader and unhinged thug Nick (Paul Mones). Not put off by casual abuse and regular beatings Morgan falls for Nick's crimped and punky girlfriend, Frankie (Kim Richards). This doesn't go down too well with the violent Nick and his gang pals and before long Morgan finds himself in a fight for his life. Written by Jette Rinck and directed by Fritz Kiersch, "Tuff Turf" is full of simplistic zip and energy, with a story that jumps from scene-to-scene and theme-to-theme with great abandon. This gives it an uneven tone and it never feels clear what Rinck and Kiersch are actually aiming at - one minute high school hi-jinks, the next forbidden romance, then on to dysfunctional family drama with a touch of social commentary by way of violent beat downs, all interspersed by spiky musical and dance numbers. Kiersch also throws in some bloody violence, with a particularly brutal final showdown between Morgan and Nick. The typically '80s moody synth score is by Jonathan Elias, whose noodlings are supported by spiky pop songs and tough balladry by the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Jim Carroll, Southside Johnny, Jack Mack & the Heart Attack and Lene Lovitch. The young cast are good despite reservations: James Spader is cool and suave as Morgan, but difficult to take seriously as a kick-ass street fighter; Robert Downey Jr. is fun, if a tough nondescript despite the bondage trousers and Kim Richards and her long, stunningly-crimped mane of hair is mighty fine as sexy, street tough punkette Frankie. Overall then, "Tuff Turf" is a reasonably enjoyable piece of 1980s teen lunacy. The story is a touch derivative and uneven, but it is never dull and it sparkles with plenty of sassy street-wise attitude throughout. And it has plenty of lunatic '80s hairstyles and fashions to gawp at not to mention plenty of atmospheric synth and catchy new wave pop. ( )