ROAD TRIP / (2000) ** (out of four)
When you're in a committed relationship and have sex with another person:
· It's not cheating if you're in different area codes.
· It's not cheating if you're too wasted to remember it, because if you can't remember it, it never took place. · It's not cheating if you're with two people at the same time, because they cancel each other out.
Interesting perspective, but "Road Trip" also makes clear what does qualify as cheating. The main character, a college student named Josh (Brekin Meyer), videotapes a wild night of sex during a party and accidentally mails the tape to his girlfriend. Luckily, his girl lives 1,800 miles away from Josh's Ithaca, New York residence. He gathers some of his good school buddies and heads to Austin, Texas to intercept the mail destined to destroy his relationship forever.
"Road Trip" contains an enjoyable setup, developing the situation's urgency and the character's frenetic behavior. Everything that happens here makes perfect sense, and it isn't done in an excessively exploitative or exaggerated fashioned. During the convincing first twenty minutes, my hopes were sky high for this traditional road movie.
After the intelligent first act, however, "Road Trip" becomes very content with itself. The humor takes a nose dive into sludge, upchucking ample amounts of crude humor, gratuitous nudity, and unfunny sight gags. Really a shame, because when the jokes are developed through character, comic timing, and unlikely situations we indeed laugh our heads off. The film does have a decent understanding of what makes for effective humor, but its desire to satisfy the target audience ruins much of that potential comedy.
Let's look at the film's use of a mouse. Movies have used mice-or any small critter for that matter-effectively in the past. Just look to the energetically hilarious "Mousehunt," for great fun with a mouse in drastic circumstances. In "Road Trip" the circumstances don't matter because this film thinks it's funny to watch Tom Green licking a mouse. The visual sight of Green placing his tongue on a furry little critter is not remotely funny. We're no longer watching great comic circumstances. We're watching an actor licking a dirty rodent.
Opps. I'm sorry. I made the dire mistake of calling Tom Green an actor. Speaking of Green, the movie's production notes made me laugh hard. "I think the thing about Tom that is going to amaze some people is just how good an actor he is," explains director and co-writer Todd Philips, whose "Frat House" won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Um, is he talking about the same Tom Green that I'm thinking of? The one who plays the same irritating version of Tom Green in every single role? Oh, sure, he is a terrific actor. Move over, Anthony Hopkins. Take a seat, Tom Hanks. The almighty Tom Green is on his way!!!
Ivan Reitman, who directed "Ghostbusters," one of my all-time favorites, even praises the imbecile. "I think Tom has extraordinary abilities," Reitman adds. "He's a real original with a very offbeat quality that surprises you every time you watch him. He's also extremely brave." What in God's name do these talented filmmakers see in such a lacking, bumbling, untalented man. I believe he has talents elsewhere, like flipping burgers at McDonald's, but he is wasting those talents acting in Hollywood.
I apologize for my distraction, but I take advantage of every possible opportunity to bash Tom Green.
Green aside, "Road Trip" carries an entertaining style, pleasant charisma between most of the actors, and even kicks out a few very funny moments. There is intelligent humor here, and the movie proves immature humor can be hilarious when the filmmakers take proper calculations. Unfortunately, the film also proves the disastrous results when proper comic calculations are not taken.
When you're in a committed relationship and have sex with another person:
· It's not cheating if you're in different area codes.
· It's not cheating if you're too wasted to remember it, because if you can't remember it, it never took place. · It's not cheating if you're with two people at the same time, because they cancel each other out.
Interesting perspective, but "Road Trip" also makes clear what does qualify as cheating. The main character, a college student named Josh (Brekin Meyer), videotapes a wild night of sex during a party and accidentally mails the tape to his girlfriend. Luckily, his girl lives 1,800 miles away from Josh's Ithaca, New York residence. He gathers some of his good school buddies and heads to Austin, Texas to intercept the mail destined to destroy his relationship forever.
"Road Trip" contains an enjoyable setup, developing the situation's urgency and the character's frenetic behavior. Everything that happens here makes perfect sense, and it isn't done in an excessively exploitative or exaggerated fashioned. During the convincing first twenty minutes, my hopes were sky high for this traditional road movie.
After the intelligent first act, however, "Road Trip" becomes very content with itself. The humor takes a nose dive into sludge, upchucking ample amounts of crude humor, gratuitous nudity, and unfunny sight gags. Really a shame, because when the jokes are developed through character, comic timing, and unlikely situations we indeed laugh our heads off. The film does have a decent understanding of what makes for effective humor, but its desire to satisfy the target audience ruins much of that potential comedy.
Let's look at the film's use of a mouse. Movies have used mice-or any small critter for that matter-effectively in the past. Just look to the energetically hilarious "Mousehunt," for great fun with a mouse in drastic circumstances. In "Road Trip" the circumstances don't matter because this film thinks it's funny to watch Tom Green licking a mouse. The visual sight of Green placing his tongue on a furry little critter is not remotely funny. We're no longer watching great comic circumstances. We're watching an actor licking a dirty rodent.
Opps. I'm sorry. I made the dire mistake of calling Tom Green an actor. Speaking of Green, the movie's production notes made me laugh hard. "I think the thing about Tom that is going to amaze some people is just how good an actor he is," explains director and co-writer Todd Philips, whose "Frat House" won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. Um, is he talking about the same Tom Green that I'm thinking of? The one who plays the same irritating version of Tom Green in every single role? Oh, sure, he is a terrific actor. Move over, Anthony Hopkins. Take a seat, Tom Hanks. The almighty Tom Green is on his way!!!
Ivan Reitman, who directed "Ghostbusters," one of my all-time favorites, even praises the imbecile. "I think Tom has extraordinary abilities," Reitman adds. "He's a real original with a very offbeat quality that surprises you every time you watch him. He's also extremely brave." What in God's name do these talented filmmakers see in such a lacking, bumbling, untalented man. I believe he has talents elsewhere, like flipping burgers at McDonald's, but he is wasting those talents acting in Hollywood.
I apologize for my distraction, but I take advantage of every possible opportunity to bash Tom Green.
Green aside, "Road Trip" carries an entertaining style, pleasant charisma between most of the actors, and even kicks out a few very funny moments. There is intelligent humor here, and the movie proves immature humor can be hilarious when the filmmakers take proper calculations. Unfortunately, the film also proves the disastrous results when proper comic calculations are not taken.