Sex Drive.

Review #1088: Sex Drive.

Cast: 
Josh Zuckerman (Ian Lafferty), Amanda Crew (Felicia Alpine), Clark Duke (Lance Johnson), Seth Green (Ezekiel), James Marsden (Rex Lafferty), Katrina Bowden (Ms. Tasty), Alice Greczyn (Mary), Michael Cudlitz (Rick), David Koechner (Hitchhiker), Dave Sheridan (Bobby Jo), Mark L. Young (Randy), and Charlie McDermott (Andy) Directed by Sean Anders.

Review:  
Obligatory sports comment: Oh my stars, the Washington Capitals are actually going to the Stanley Cup, and it's against the Vegas Golden Knights. I hope that all of the games of this series will be entertaining, and I will be glad to see a team hoist the Cup for the first time ever. 

Oh look, a raunchy teen comedy. If you can believe it, the film is based off a book, named All the Way by Andy Behrens. In any case, what can one expect from a movie such as this? I didn't expect much from it, and I wasn't exactly disappointed. I was reminded of Superbad (#1032) in that the two films both had nerdy leads that were driven by their desire to become men, but it became pretty obvious quickly that Superbad was the better experience, having a good cast and a consistent pace that had a heart to it with confidence in what it wants to be. This film is just as crude as the other one (with a unrated cut that ups the ante), but it isn't as funny with its lewdness because it just isn't as clever. The cast is a mixed bag. Zuckerman is occasionally funny, but he can't really elevate his character towards anything too mildly interesting to follow through, which can also apply to Crew, who feels a bit lacking at times. Their plotlines just seem a bit too routine and a bit too boring to really generate much laughs. Duke is fairly amusing, however, having a confidence and swagger that gives the film some needed laughs at times. Green is also pretty amusing, having a biting sarcasm that certainly helps give the movie some sort of edge in his brief time on screen. Marsden also a few amusing moments with his swaggering character. The payoff and climax is what you (mostly) might expect, for better or worse.

The biggest problem with the movie is that it just isn't funny enough to really justify its own existence, raunchy or not. Even if you already know what's going to happen (with it's structure, anyway), there isn't enough with these characters and the gags to make something worthwhile from start to finish. Sure, there are some moments that are pretty interesting (such as the hitchhiker / radiator trouble sequences), but a good part of the time just feels a bit like going through the motions, whether through a four letter word or through some method. There exist two cuts of the film, with the original cut being 109 minutes long, while the "Unrated Cut" lasts 129 minutes, with the latter being what you would expect, which may be more enjoyable or painful, depending on your view of the film. It isn't a terrible experience, and it will deliver some cheap thrills, but it also is just a movie that will come and go just as quickly as it came.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.