***A popular girl masquerades as a new male student and it naturally presents amusing problems***

Terry, a teenager in Phoenix (Joyce Hyser), feels she has no choice but to become a male student in order to compete in a journalistic contest at her high school. Clayton Rohner plays her new best friend (Rick) once she’s a “guy” while Billy Jayne plays her annoyingly superficial brother (Buddy). William Zabka (Greg) appears as the antagonist (you might remember him in the same role a year earlier in “The Karate Kid”). Toni Hudson (Denise) and Sherilyn Fenn (Sandy) are also on hand.

“Just One of the Guys” (1985) is a fun 80’s teen flick that’s superior to overrated crap like “The Breakfast Club” (1985) but not great like “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) or “The Karate Kid” (1984). I’d put it on par with “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1987); both have a glaring campy side (unlike those other three) and were shot in Arizona.

Hyser was great for the role because she looks stunning in a bikini, but also passes well for a dude when made-up appropriately. This is no small feat when you consider how filmmakers failed to do this is the serious Western “The Ballad of Little Jo” (1993).

The film runs 1 hour and 40 minutes and was shot in Arizona: Phoenix (Terry & Buddy's House and the caves), Scottsdale (school) Tempe (Big Surf).

GRADE: B/B-