License to Drive (1988)

License to Drive is a fizzy little time capsule of late-’80s teen panic and possibility, the kind of comedy that understands how a driver’s test can feel like a referendum on your entire future. Corey Haim gives Les a sweet, nervy sincerity that makes you root for him even as his choices get shakier by the mile, and Corey Feldman’s mischievous energy turns the night into a gleeful, escalating mess with real comic rhythm. The vibe is sunlit Southern California wish-fulfillment colliding with suburban consequences—romantic yearning, peer-pressure bravado, and slapstick automotive mayhem all sharing the same backseat. It’s not for anyone craving realism or modern sensibilities about reckless behavior, but if you want an easy, crowd-pleasing throwback that captures the thrill and terror of being almost grown, it’s a great ride.

License to Drive is trying to be a buoyant, teen wish-fulfillment comedy where one bad decision snowballs into an all-night misadventure, powered by Corey Haim and Corey Feldman’s easy chemistry. The problem is that once the premise is set, it leans hard on loud, repetitive car-destruction gags and sitcom-level misunderstandings, so if you want clever escalation or believable teen behavior, you’ll likely find it thin and a bit grating. Some of the humor also plays meaner than “family comedy” suggests, and the underage drinking/reckless driving is treated as a punchline rather than something with consequences. Still, if you’re in the mood for late-’80s fluff with a few charming moments and you don’t mind broad, dumb chaos, it can pass as background fun.